Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-18
THE UTAH AUTOCRACY.

there has been much Dispute. The
Governors organ, in n character
is'ic display Of spleen and inexact-
itule. attempts to apologize for the
Governors iuexcusaIIe course in
relation 70 this measure. It refers
TO the plain statement Of facts MADE
by the DEsERET NEWS Of Monday
evening NJ ga savage attack on Gov
ernor Thomas. - and says:
THE City bin. introduced and
passed. when submitted to the LEGAL
counsel Of the Governor. was found to
be So verbose. unintelligibie. covering
so mich ground in It's enactmenis and
its clause repeating n large number Of
sections offhe Compiled Laws. that it
was pronounced by both Governor
and counsel unsafe 10 act upon it. in
the limited tiSne given for its consider
alton. especially in connection with
the joint resolution previously passed
approving the Compiled laws.
Tho Governor did not receive the bill
until Wednesday morning. and then
found it in an envelope addressed To
him in the rooms Of the Commission"
First let US dispose OF the excuse
that the Governor did not have time
to consider the hill. He announced
10 the Assembly that he would not
promise TO consider important meas
ures that came to MIN less than
three days before adjournment. No
fault is to he found with that. Proof
IS abundant that this hill was sent to
the Governor, with two other i'm
portaut m easures, on Monday at 2
p. m. which gave him all the time
he demanded. The Council record
Shows this, several members Of the
Council know it, one member saw
the thee bills in the hand Of the
messenger. and the Governor con-
sidered the two accompanying bills.
They were c. F. 5i-the free school
bill, which after some changes he
approved, and c. F. 49-amending
the election laws which he arbitra-
lily vetoed.
We DO not dispute the statement,
by whomsoever made, thar the
Governor found the bill in question
on Wednesday morning in the place
mentioned. We DO not know who
put it there or why it was placed
there. That is not the point. That
the three bills went together Oh
Monday afternoon to the Governors
Office, which is in the same build
ing as that of the Utah Commission,
is certain and this Wednesday MORN
ing subterfuge does not count.
AS TO the "unintelligibility, Of
the measure, every person Of com
mon ability and ordinary education
can decide for himself. He who
reads it and understands plain Eng
lisa can comprehend its provisions.
Thejoint resolution approving the
Compiled Laws has no connection
with this subject and isIugged in by
the Governors organ and adviser to
confuse the matter. If the slecal
cOuusel'' to whom it was Submit
ted'' could not Understand il, So
much the worse for their cerebral
condition AZ the time. They might
have called in the aid OF some sober
school boy to explain it. The Sec
tiOns ofthe Compiled Lawsit repeais
are numbered and consecutive, and |
n few minutes reading would show
the necessity Of their repeal on the
passage of this bill.
Great care was exercised in the
preparation OF this essential measure.
That it might be perfected and rem
dered reasonably UNDERSTANDABLE.
and reach the Governor in
the designated time. menu
bers OF the Council sat up in |
the nights preceding its final pas
sage and studied every provision. |
There is not a party political point |
in it. The object kept in view was t. |
settle the disputes that have arisen |
over the application OF the law |
which it was framed TO amend, and |
which is now subject to those con
ficting decisions by the Utah courts
which have helped in the cause of |
fraud in the Ogden and salt Lake
city elections.
The bill first sent to the Governor
several sections not in the
bill IS now printed. They provided
for an annual registration Of voters
in cities Of the first class, instead Of
a revision, the registration to take
place at the offices of the registrars.
the number aud street Of each voter
to be designated, AMI the lists and
TO be filed and become
public records open to inspection.
No intimation was received from
the Governor as to his purpose con-
corning the bill until ne was aues-
toned about late on Friday night.
and about or after midnight the fol-
lowing message was received by the
Council:
Executive OFFICE, salt Lake City,
March Is. 1890.
Hon. z. s Richards, President Of Ire
Council:
Sir:-I return herewith c. F. No. IS, !
entitled "An Ac, amending an nc: pro-
viding for the incorporation Of cities,
approved March s, ISIS"
This act has been in my hands I
think since Wednesday morning last.
1t is a very important act, and regret
that in the rush Of the closing DAYS Of
the session have not been able to
take il up and give il the careful con-
sideration which so important a
measure demands. I do not believe
it would be wise to attemp: to make It
a law without such cons Iteration.
From 4 casual examination find II
contains some provisions I would be
unwilling to approve. and hence. as
there is now a statute covering the
same subject, which has been passed /
upon by the Supreme Court of the
Territory, 1 deem it best TO return it.
am, very respectfully,
ARTHUR l.. THOMAS,
Governor.