The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-10
THE GOVERNOR IN HIS 1wo-HoRsE ACT.

THE GOVERNOR In HIS TWO-HORsE ACT.
The piece" Governor THOMAS sent to
the Council the other day on the Home
Rule memorial, and which could as appro-
priately have been forwarded to the board
of trade, reads like an editorial in the
Tribune There isn't q logical statement
in it. 1t approaches the subject hind end
drst, and crawls over it on the switch-back
principle, only it begins at the top instead
OF the bottom. Like the reptile of HUDI-
BRAS, one cannot tell, from the reasoning,
whether the snake is "going south or COM
ing back" Like all the governors out
glvings on the Utah question, it runs with
the hounds and holds with the hares. 1t is
the old story of riding two horses that are
going in opposite directions, or of two
trains passing One another on the same
track.
Let US glance at tbs construction of this
curious document, purporting to be veto
OF the right of petition. Says the gov
ernor:
Any lengthy statement OF my reasons for
withholding approval is not necessary, because
the time is approaching perhaps is near, when
discussions of past differences will be useless
and all can unite in looking to the future.
Now what on earth is the meaning of
this, or does the governor suppose it has
any meaning whatever? The time is COM
ing when all can look to the future! Is it,
indeed! What a marvel Of wisdom! We
cannot look to the future now, and the time
perhaps sis near when discussions of past
differences will be useless" If there be
only CLEAN of sense or sanity in this
stuff, in the name of feeble minded hu-
mainly where is i'll
There is only one thing clear in this new
Pope's bull against the comet: the fact that
the memorial for Home Rule is disapproved.
But whilst the governor imagines he is OPP
posing Home Rule, he actually adopts all
the arguments in favor of it. First as to
himself. Says he:
l concur that new conditions have
honestly come; that the futureis secure and
retrogression is impossible. AS early as Octo-
Der, 1890, 1 substantially recognized the sin
cerity OF the people and the honesty Of the new
conditions then approaching, and have never
retracted the opinion.
This Is clearly stated and in accordance
with the expressions quoted in the stand
ing extracts at the head of The HERALD'E
editorial columns. 1t is upon these new
conditions that the CAINE-FAULKNER bill il
| framed, which the memorial commends
| And the arguments in behalf of this meas
ure as preferable to bill for statehood ex
actly meet the case as presented by Gov
ernor THOMAS:
am willing [says the governorl to give thos
who are not so well convinced OF the new con
ditions little time to adopt new opinions.
little patience is not unbecoming to a peopl
who are prosperous, in view of the past histor
of the territory. II delay is necessary it vii
enable them 10 get better fitted in the new con
ditions, and to better decide what they wan
next; and also to convince the people of tn
United States OF the honesty Of the new condi
tons; audit IS worth little patienc
and delay to convince them, so they may stan
ready TO cheertully welcome the people of Uta
to the equal and honorable alliance which state
hood implies, without looking backward with
fear lest some slip may occur in the lifting pre-
cess.
This appears perfectly fair and logical
though it gives reasons for spproTin
rather than obiecting to the memorial.
the governor is sincere in saying that tn
new conditions have honestly come; the
the future is secure and retrogression
impossible he must believe the advocate
of the Home Rule bill not unreasonable
they recognize the claim to "a little time
adopt new opinions" And, Governc
THOMAS, can you be unconscious of mise
able demagoguery when you take til
ground of opposition TO the Home Ru
bill because it. as you say, brands our pc
i pie with the suspicion Of disloyalty
4 You know it does not do this. You kno
that your statement that the bill "cryste
Lies into legislation the hesitation of IL
people Of the nation to repose confidence
the new relations" is as absurd as it is il
exact. You know that you are assumir
S to decry this measure from pirate
standpoint of the people it is meant
Americanize, whereas you are one OF u
! tyrants who, to the extent Of their abilit
would perpetuate their serfdom. An
is it possible that there can
y an adult human being in this teri
tory with so little of the intuitions
mankind as not to know that such hyp
. crisy is not instantly detected7
Again, Governor THOMAS says:
Ido rot urge statehood until such time as t
y nation can give full confidence to the people
Utah If that is tomorrow, let it be SO. 3
if the nation asks delay until it can attain t
.e necessary feeling of confidence in Utah. I {
content TO wait.
You are content to wait. Poor, patiel
r. submissive man, with what Christian res
le nation and fortitude this is said Will
to be governor and ruler over quarter
million people with an absolute pow
'e over legislation and to dictate laws. Y
70 think the people are loyal and faithful a
honest, and by implication that they 8
capable Of choosing their own govern
i but you tell the powers that be that tn
IL ought not to have this privilege, and tt
gou are content to wait" For shan
Governor THOMAS, for shame!
IN s--.--1-..-.-sE..s-.-----s
In