The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-31
nection with the educational facilities of
the territory and the
AMBITIOUS oHARArER OF ITS PEOPLE


| AMBITIOUS cHARATER OF ITS PEOPLE
is ample assurance of one of the most es-
sentlal characteristics of good citizenship
But the aim of education in Utah is not
merely to reduce the number of those who
are technically denominated ilIiterates, but
TO give to the public the same training and
learning that may be had in the best
schools in the east, aud therefore the
course OF study includes not only the usual
and ordinary branches but extends to the
higher studies which distinguish the
courses in the schools of the older commun-
ities.n
After showing that the total amount in
vested in educational establishments in
Uten is Sl,13S, 544, the report continues:
Ihe. results exhibited and the prosperity
which they indicate have been brought
about by the intelligence and energy of the
people of Utah, in spite of adverse condi-
lions, and the rule of a necessarily harsh
government which these conditions pro-
duced. The territory was settled by the
Mormon people In 1S47, and the first terri
torial government was organized in 1850.
The Mormons
TAUGHT AND PRACTICED PoLYGAMY
from the time of the settlement until q re-
cent date. Within this long period Con-
gress enacted many laws, which were in
tended to meet the peculiar conditions ex-
listing In the territory, most of which con-
! oltlons were due TO the tea ching and prsc-
tice OF the Mormon church, aud to the
methods resorted to by the Mormon people
to preserve their institutions.
Your committee does not deem it re-
qulslte to review in detail this long course
oil stringent legislation, but in the main to
conhne this part of its report to the more
recent enactments and to the present
status OF the government in the territory
FROM this it may readily be seen that Utah
Is the victim Of a system which
DEPRIvEs TER PEOPLE OF ALL AUTONOMY
and one which is wholly unjustifed by their
present attitude and disposition towards
the constitution and the laws This terri
tory presents in its executive Office the
last survival in America of the rule of one
mans will. The organic act of the terri
tory vested IN the governor the absolute
ana unqualified authority to veto every act
OF the legislature by whatever majority
! enacted, and from that veto there was no
appeal. The will of the people even
unanimously expressed could be thwarted
oy the act OF a single officer and he gener-
ally one not citizen of the territory.
remarkable as this condition of affairs
may now appear to those who have been
accustomed to regard a public officer as a.
mere servant OF the people, this provision
OF tue law is in force to-day, and the gov
ernor OF Utah may now, as always, defeat
any measure enacted by the peoples rep
resentatiVes merely by interposing his OBJ
lection, more dangerous perhaps in Its
possibilities than its exercise down to this
time The power is manifestly one which
is wholly inconsistent with the most cher
ished
PRINCIPLES OF FREE GOVERNMENT,
and there is not wanting instances of its
exercise which fiaRrantly illustrate its per
nicious character. Without rejecting upon
anyone who has felt it his duty to use this
instrument, your committee calls attention
to the following case in which the respon-
sibility has been taken: Ia 1856, the gov
ernor refused to sign the general appropri-
alton bill, whereby for two years the whole
machinery OF the territory was required to
be operated upon credit.
The act creating the Utah commission
contemplated the dissolution of that body
upon the passage by the legislative body of
proper election laws, but notwithstanding
the passage of such laws the governor has
| IN
their going into effect and has thus con-
tinued the existence Of the commission.
The last legislature OF this territory sent
its memorials to Congress for relief against
the effect of the governors veto of a bill
making an appropriatiotion for the repre-
sentation Of Utah at the Worlds fair; Of
an election law and others which had been
passed by the representatives of the peo-
pie. These are but instances, aad not a
catalogue of
THE GOVERNORS vEToEs
THE Utah commission, body of five
men, appointed by the President and con-
tirmed by the Senate, was created by the
ninth section OF the act of March 90, 1882
to act as an election board, and the object
OF It's creation was the enforcement of the
laws excluding the polygamists from the
exercise of the elective franchise. It's
power is to appoint registrars and judges
of election and canvassers Of returns. 1t
is board of non-residents to control the
machinery of local elections. 1t is
significant fact that there has
never been a conviction of Mormon for a
violation of the laws which this body is
supposed to enforce since the appointment
of this board to March l. 1852. The govern
ment has paid il salaries TO it's members
$24l, O63.91, and for contingent expenses of
the board sos, 1S4.S2, and for compensation
and expenses OF officers Of elections $1g3.-
442. IA, total of S539,670.S6.
1.-THE JUSTIFICATION OF TIE STATUES
which have been applied to Utah has been
the polygamous practices and the political
influence of the Mormon church. The
statutes have accomplished their purpose
and there is no longer a reason for the con
tinuance of the existing system of govern
mentn
The chairman here quotes from section
Il of the constitution adopted in 1877. de-
claring polygamy TO be a misdemeanor and
continues as follows 'To this constitu-
ton and admission under it, the objection
was urged that the declarations of the
Mormons concerning polygamy might not
be sincere, and If they were not, the pro-
vision making the section irrevocable
would be of no avail to prevent a return to
the practice. The Mormon people have
always insisted that ever since the adop-
| ton of that constitution nolvcanny hoe -.