The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-31
HIDING THE 0ATHS.

The members of the Utah commission
would probably deny it, but we ask candid
men if the course of the commission In this
campaign does not suggest that the board
is deeply interested in the success of the
Liberal partys 1t is believed that mems
names have been placed on the registration
list who are not entitled to vote. Ii IS a
violation of the spirit and letter OF the law
| tn register a man who does not first sub
scribe certain oath, in which he swears
| that he possesses certain statutory qualltl-
cations, and is not guilty of certain things
which would disqualify person for
voting. The taking OF this oath
falsely is neither more nor less
than perjury, and the guilty are
liable to prosecution under the law
Furthermore, these oaths must be preserv-
ed, and by the very law under which the
commission exists and acts, they are made
public records, and as such are open to the
inspection of persons interested in seeing
them The law reads: .------.--=
esiicl registration officer IS authorized TO ad
minister said oath or afhrmatlon; ana All sucI
| oaths or affirmationS shall be by MN oeiNereu
10 the clerk of the probate court OF the proper
i, county, and Shdttbe deemed pu6tc RECORDS WefetR
II it were otherwise there would be nc
occasion for an oath; the registrar could
90 along writing names as fastas his lmag
: nation and pen could fly, increasing th'
voting possibilities to his hearts desire
c The oath is required as a check upoI
ntizeps as well as officials, and il
intended as it is necessary to keep from
the list all but those possessing the qualifi
+ cations of voters. The making of thes
e public records is. the only guarante
: that they are genuine, and it furnishes Ia
% only opportunity to discover and punis
those who swear falsely.
Since the close of the recent registratio
4 it has been demonstrated that there wer
is names on the list which ought not to hav
e heen there. When one such name was dis
d covered the registrar, although he ha
- written the name and officially certified
the truth and correctness of the list, VI
9 dertoolz to defend himself by chargin
the listing to an accident or Oversight
and in proof of the genuineneSs of tn
explanation, asserted that no oath of tt
irrerularly registered person existed.
- has been asserted that there are oth'
. names on the list which ought not to
= there. but when application is made to s.
~ the oaths it is denied, and the public
=, haired from proceeding against the su
ne posed-to- be guilty parties.
. Members of the Peoples party went b
no fore the commission and representing t
ha facts. asked that an order be issued pc
- uniting the inspection OF the oaths as &C
- templated and authorized by the law.
"a seems remarkable, in the light of the rea
nd ing of the statute, that such IN Applicant
no was necessary. and it is simply astonishi
- that the commission should have refus
ZOE the order. as it did in the order which {
A. neared in Yesterdays HERALD. The co
he mission says
TO- An annlicatlon being further made by the s.
- representatives of the Peoples party for
ro- order by the commission directing that u
els have access TO the oathS taken during
= corree of registration the commission af
"' due consideration, is OF the opinion that 1.-TWO
ia, nj present be Incompatible with the proper
yo charge of their duties by the registrars to gr
of such request c,, or;
ion With what duty of the registrars won
the exhibition of the oaths be incompatib
ati- IT will REQUIRE little time to show the
and il the oatnS are obfdlSub anu
'ho registration regular. nobody can be h
ere from an inspection of the papers. The II
eeh who has sworn to the truth does not f
10 that the fact shall become known. Q
Irly those VINO have sworn falsely can be I'M
anu ested in preventing an inspection OF ii
emu oaths If there is an oath for every ma
ave on the list the registrars can have moth
u to fear.
Guy Is not the commission placing itself
W questionable attitude in this matter!
strikes us that the public will so regard
one The impression conveyed is that somett
INC exists which will not bear the light OF {
JUL Can the commission afford to let this
VI pression go abroad? We think not. 1t
afford to do nothing that is not in strict
of the law, and it will hardly be elaine
raj any intelligent person that the denia
an the privilege of seeing these oaths, Il
only .public records" is in line Of the stat
ldge