The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-15
THE GOVERNOR ALONE RESPONSIBLE

Rage and storm as they will the governor
that the executive killed the Worlds fair
bill, and did it in spirit of narrow minded
ness if not out and out meanness. 1t is
charitable to say the governor did not
know any better and that he acted on the
advice of bad counselors. 1t does not help
him to call the members of the legislature
harsh names and charge them with disloy-
atty; to do these things win not even dis
tract attention from the real truth. The
fact cannot be overcome that the legisla-
ture, desiring that the territory should be
well represented at the great exposition,
voted generous appropriation for the pur-
pose. The sum was much larger than that
given by any other territory and greatly in
excess Of the amount voted by many of the
rich and populous states. Indeed, very few
of the states gave so much. 1t was really
more than the territory could afford under
the circumstances, taking into account all
! the imperative demands upon the treasury.
The legislators, however, considered the
matter in a generous spirit and said that in
asmuch as the event did not occur often,
and as the reasonable probability was that
excellent returns would come from the in
vestment, it would be better TO do the bust
ness in good style, and in a manner to in
spire all Utah citizens with sense of pride.
The lawmakers simply insisted that the
money should be expended by trusted repre-
! sentatives of the community in whom the
people had confidence and for whom they
J ont tot cd In nj OF
wanted friends of the territory rather than
enemies to have the direction and control
of preparing the exhibit and ex-
pending the money. That it was
their duty to designate the agents
to carry out the provisions of the bill if
they had the legal right to do so, must be
conceded by everybody, for the legislators
are the direct representatives of the PEG
pie and are charged with the performance
of just such duties as the one here involved
That they had the right to select the
special agents for the work in hand wa:
made plain beyond fair dispute before any
thing was done. The great majority of thu
legislators were SATISFIED In their owl
minds that the power rested with them
but lest their own Interpretation of the Law
might be in error, they consulted dozer
or more of the prominent lawyers, gentle
men recognized as standing at the head o
the profession in this city, and we under
stand that not one of these able attorney
dissented from the proposition that tn
J right to name the so-called board wa
clearly held by the legislature.
These are the facts in the case and they
cannot be overcome by name-calling an
abuse, nor can that other fact be overcome
} that upon Governor THOMAS rests the re
} sponsipility for the failure of Utah to ap
pear at the Worlds Fair. His excellence
J vetoed the bill because the members of tn
board had been named by the legislature
He claims there was principle involved
} which he would not surrender: but tina
claim vanished into vapor when during
the same legislative day he approved bill
) involving the expenditure of an even large
: sum under the direction of board az
pointed in the same manner by the leg
islature. In this latter Snse he cor
5 tented himself with sending to tn
l House a scolding communication
D If it were principle upon which the Go,
r ernor stood when he vetoed the World
Fair appropriation, why was he not true
| that principle md to himself to the enf