Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-01-30
A SHAMEFUL RULING.

the charge was first published that
the name Of Ernest F. Warner had
been unlawfully placed on the reg
istration list, the organ Of the Glib
erSls' made haste to declare that
the putting Of it there was an acct
dent, a mistake, an inadvertence.
etc. In proof Of this it triumphantly
exclaimed that no oath, subscribed
by Ernest f. Warner, could be
found among those administered by
the registration officer. 1t is thus
incidentally shown that the LIB
erals'' have access to the oaths.
This is all right; they are entitled
to the privilege Of seeing the oaths.
But yesterday representatives oft
Peoples Party made application to
the Utah Commission for an order
permitting them 10 examine the
Oaths. The decision Of the Commits
sion is as follows:
"And application being further
made by the said representatives of
the Peoples Party for an order by the
Commission directing that they have
access to the oaths taken during the
course OF registration, the Com
mission, after due consideration, is of
the opinion that it would at present be
incompatible with the proper discharge
Of their duties by the registrars to |
grant such request.
Respectfully,
G. l. GODFREY. Chairman
This ruling is an outrage. noteply |
upon the rights of thousands Of
citizens, but upon common sense
and common justice, and even a
provision Of the very law which re-
quires the oath to be taken. The
reason assigned Is the basis of The
ruling IS twaddle Of the most affect
sort 1T would at present be in
compatible with the proper dis
charge Of their duties by the regis
trans to grant such request.'' Where
the incompatibiliiy lies is not ex-
planned. 1t cannot be. 1t does not
exist.
The oaths are bound in books or
tied up in bundles. Suppose the
registrar is busy, why might not ne
hand those looks and bundles 10
some person and allow the latter to
see such signatures as he might de-
sire to examine? Not more than a
moment Of the officers time need he
consumed aud the oaths need not be j
taken from his immediate presence
at all. How could his duties ba in
terfered with by such a procedure?
Has not the Commission. or a
majority Of it, lent itself to an
Infamous scheme to corrupt the
baliot-box and rob the people? IT
Is a maxim Of the law that s,secrecv }.
Is the badge Of fraud.v In. this
ruling and in the course taken hv J
the resistEars,ths law Of Congress is D
directly and fiagrantly violated. The r,
q law says, in sec
ton p:
''sueh registration officer is author. Of
lied to administer said oath or atfirma. is
lon; and all such oa,hs oraflirmaiions q,
shan be by him delivered TO The clerk q
81 the probate court OF the prous- ?,
'ounty' ard shall Be- deemed ppJiie re.. !
'rds therein" v
The registration oath. from the +; +,
Instant at which it is administered =,
mi signed, is a pubic record. ANY ~ ~
llizen has a right TO examine at :"
ny time during business bours
hat citizens may convenientJv al
xereise this right, the oath is re.
uireti to be filed in 4 usual deposi. t nl'
by Of public records. But instead % ~
I Doing this, the registrars are re- he
aiming, IN their private and person. Gin
possession, the oaths subscribed i,
sio'e them, and denying an to
licants the right to examine SD
lem All this is in furtheraDee of Ne
brazen and wicked scheme tab
rob the people. The character Of wi
e plot and the reasons why L
e registrars are violating the law stal
congress, are too palpable to lie plii
ncealed. 1t seems impossible that to C
{ Utah Commission can fail to wit
laerstand both perfectly well. And per,
l mat body, or a majority of it RICH
stains the iniquity. Why are the plsc
Lhs concealed? Is it not because PIE;
examination Of them would 70 plar
Al The signatures Of hundreds NJ won
u who never We're nor pretende,I
De residents Of this city; of men
o I'VE from ten to three hundred A
les distant from, it and who never the
any time had their domicile ber,q not
'olu not signatures OF citizens of tend
v Junction be disclosedq yorIt regis
oaths be found that xe,s a accoi
iiS'efed and signed at Sunnyside abusI
'en River, and other points far little
ant from this CITY. bv parr brace
er even imagined their home writ
here? '4e asses
ne OF the foulest plots ever
'hed in the midst of a free people NJ
ion with ths -. ~ CON Items
Theeonspirators comprise the Ian
re workers Of the ''Liberal,, I'm, v.nn'
:, but their ultimate discomfit- - ~
Ind defeat are as certain as that ,a''ul
viii Outliye- wrong. ~
TE Grismer- Davies Cor,r,,,,- -