The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-05
THE IRREG OLAR REGISTRATION

1t is no longer denied that car was run
over the Rio Grande Western railway in
December, carrying men with registration
oaths 1t is not denied that the car stopped
at various stations, sidings and graders
camps. 1t is not denied that section men,
graders, track men and railway hands gen.
orally were marched into the car, asked to
sign their names to a paper setting forth
that they were bona fide residents of this
territory, and had been so for the six
months previous, and that they had resided
IN Salt Lake city for the preceding month.
1t Is not denied that the men were then ten
dered whisky and cigars, and marched out
of the car, the special moving forward to
the next station or camp, when the proceed
ings were repeated. Its not claimed that the
men thus irregularly listed were told that
they would be supplied with transportation
IN time to vote at the municipal election.
1t is not denied that all this was done in the
interest OF the Liberal party, or that prom
lnent members of the party were the chief
actors in the proceeding.
AT first, when the thing was limited at.
the leaders of the organization and their
newspaper were indignant that anybody
should suggest the possibility of the party
doing such thing. THE HERALD sent re-
porter to one of the registration officers
who did not go with the car, but
on whose list the names of so many of the
nonresident railway employees appeared.
and as matter of course he emphatically
denied that he had been on the trip. We
knew that he would deny it, and we ex-
pected his denial would be followed by a
big Liberal bluff and defiance. The bluff
and defiance came, just as we had looked
for them. Those implicated in the bust
ness thought we were "off the scent" and
they could afford to put on a bold face.
THE HERALD knew what it was about It
was making no dad breaks - 1t was work
ins the case in its own way. Finally,
When we begun to produce evidence which
could not be contradicted establishing the
fact that the ''hints' were neither ssidle
vaporings" nor baseless, there was
CONSERVATION in the Liberal ranks.
Caught was the general feeling,
If the word were not uttered. Having
been caught, and the irregularity exposed,
there was but one thing to do and that was
to bluff the business through, That is ex-
actly what the party leaders and their
newspaper organ are doing They say, in
effect, yes, this thing was done, and now
what were you going to do abouts We
know what would be done about It in some
places, but the circumstances and condi-
tons in those places are not like the con-
ditions and circumstances prevailing in
Salt Lake. We also know what would be
done if Peoples party registrars were to
go from Salt Lake to Davis, Weber, Box
Elder, Cache and other counties listing
names and registering men to vote at an
election in this city. Is there any man of
intelligence here who does not think he
knows what would be done about it. were
the circumstances and parties reversedl
But what THE HERALD wants to ask this
morning is, what are the decent Liberals
going to do aboutit! They are not going
to claim that the registration along the line
of the Rio Grande Western was legal we
assume, but are they going to show by
their silence that they are willing that the
party with which they are connected shall
profit by the irregular proceedings: Can
hundred men we can name afford to have
it go to the world that they are connected
with a party which has for standard bear
ers officials who will deliberately, know
ingly and defiantly make false registrations
in order to increase the party vote! These
men should bear in mind that these are not
the last days in Utah. Days and months
and years will follow, and records will be
correctly kept and carefully preserved
Good men cannot afford to run the risk
which certain clean Liberals are running
through their seeming approval of an act
which neither politics nor the situation can
in any sense justify.