The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-06-29

were simply the church authorizes
that made that statement there might
be some question in this body but that
statement is endorsed by the governor of
the territory, by the Utah commission, and
it is endorsed by all four of the judges of
the superior court OF Utah The president,
for the reasons stated in that petition, s
urged to grant the clemency asked for by
the people Of Utah. Those who perhaps
have not thought about this question,
should remember that the commission has
but
ONE SOLITARY FUNCTION TO Perform
in the territory of Utah. 1t simply has to
govern the election of the people of Utah
1t is sent for that purpose annually when
they have their general election. l refer
to the general elections, because the SUI
preme court of the United States has held
reversing the superior court Of Utah that
the law does not apply TO municipal
elections. They appoint the reg
istrars. they appoint the commits
sioners and supervisors OF elections
The returns of election has TO be made to
this board of commissioners and they
certify the result. That is the sole func-
tion and power that has been conferred
upon them, except under the act of 1891,
when they were given the authority to ap
portion the territory into legislative dis
tricts. which they have complied with, and
the last legislature was elected under the
apportionment made by that commission
under the act of 1891.
Now, sir, think the time has come, ten
years after the creation Of this commission,
when they by the very nature of the law
il was to have passed expired in 1884, at
the meeting Of the next legislature for
Congress to abolish it, when the question
OF polygamy as a question of offense
against the laws of the territory and
against the laws of the United States is
virtually admitted to have been abandoned,
when they have
NO OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE WORLD
except to control the elections of the peo-
pie Of Utah. think the time has come
when the people Of Utah should have the
right and privilege Of selecting their own
registrars aud all the men who are to sit
behind the ballot box, and TO pass upon the
qualifications and competency of the voter
asking to deposit his ballot, especially
when no man can be registered or vote in
that territory who does not take the oath
prescribed by the law of the congress of
the United States known as the Edmunds'
law.
Thers is another view l want to take of
this matter. What justification can the ap-
pfopriation committee make in reversing
the action Of the House of Represen tatives,
increasing as they admit in their report
to the Senate that IL does increase the
appropriations for the Utah commission
$50, 500. in order to give five gentlemen
$4,000 year to go to Utah once year or
once IN two years TO appoint registrars,
commissioners Of election, and receive the
returns from the polls and certify to them
at the general election. That is all they
have to Go, that embraces all their func-
tions. and yet for that this bill is to be in
creased, Notwithstanding the condition Of
the treasury, to the amount of $50, 800 as
announced to US by the committee on APP
preparations. It has been rather expen-
sive TO this government in order to furnish
salaries for five gentlemen to perform du-
ties that every other civilized community
performs for itself, instead of having TO
send off TWO or three thousand miles to
bring man there to designate the person
who shall pass upon the certihcations of
the electors of that section OF country"
Mr.. Faulkner then quoted from the re-
port made by Mr. Washington Of the
House Territories committee, showing
that during its ten years continuance the
salaries OF the commission amounted to
S241 ,06l; for contingent expenses, S1O5, 1S4;
and for compensation Of officers of election
$l93, 422.
"These facts" said Mr.. Faulkner,
''seem to justify me in my opposition to
the views of the Committee on Appropria-
tons. 1 will say frankly to the Senate
that l do not like this provision of the
other house exactly. I do not like the
creation of this law which the House
created. lido not think there ought to be
any commissioner there, but prefer it to
this extent, that at least enc of the gentle
men who is to be appointed is gentleman
who has lived il Utah a long time, a man
in whom the people have confidence, and
who, although Republican in politics, as
all the members of the commission created
by the House are is one that they feel they
can trust their best interests to, and
that is the chief justice of the territory,
Justice Zane.
tThere is, of course, no question of poll
tics in the commission as created by the
other house. because every member of this
board of commissioners who are to ap-
point these registrars and supervisors and
fs,- ffn, ~.
are members of the same party. but yet
they live in the territory. If they did not
live there, therefore, since their appoint
ment to Office, at least they have become
domiciled in the territory. They know the
people, they know their sentiments, and it
is more agreeable to any class of people in
any section of this country to have that
class Of officers placed over them than to
bring officers from two to three thousand
miles there to perform these inferior
duties. ! hope, therefore. the Senate will
not adopt the suggestion of the committee
on appropriations and strike out the pro-
vision as provided in the other house, or
support the amendment reported by the
committee on appropriations
When Mr. Faulkner concluded, Mr.. ALI
son. chairman Of the Senate committee
arose. he
DEFENDED TIE ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE
in striking out the items that came from
the House and reinserted the appropriation
for the commission on the ground that the
House amendment was not wise one. It
is true, he said, that the governor, the
chief justice and The secretary, whom the
House desires TO act as commission to
regulate elections are Republicans, and he
hoped they would continue so. Still, he
continued, the committee did not think it