The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-05
UTAH A SATRAPY.
Her Present Condition Of Vas.
salage Ably Set Forth.
Legislative Appeal to Congress- for the Pass
age OF the Home
Rule Bill.

sentatives of the United States in Congress
assembled:
We, your petitioners, the legislative as
sembly OF the territory Of Utah, respect
fully represent:
Utah contains an aggregate wealth OF |
more than 500, 900, 900. The proceeds OF
her farms, live stock, mines and manufac-
lures for the year 1890 amounted to
S23, 100000
She has near quarter of million OF
civilized people, who, in point OF intelh- |
gence, industry and all the essential quail
ties Of good citizenship, are up to the
standard of any American community
Polygamy once practiced by small por-
ton of her people, has yielded to the SUI
premacy of the law, a sense OF the evils
! flowing from it, and of the utter futlllty OF
further attempting to maintain an lnstltu-
ton obnoxious to general public sen timent.
In the midst of wonderful material pro-
gress her people have recently turned their
attention to the study of questions Of gov
eminent and legitimate politics, and are
espousing the cause of one or the other OF
the national parties.
These new conditions have come natural
ly, honestly and for the future are alb
solutely secure. A patriotic people are
pledged to their preservation. Retrogres-
sion, involving as it would, dishonor and
dire misfortune, is impossible
y tab in the feelings of her people has
been lifted from her humiliation and dis
grace. To-day she is imbued with the hope
and determination to be free-free in the
full sense of American constitutional free
dom; which means something more than
liberty permitted; which consists in civil
and political rights absolutely guaranteed,
assured and guarded in ones liberties as
man and a citzen-his right to vote, his
right to hold Office, his equality with all
others, who are his fellow citizens-all
these guarded and protected, and not held
at the mercy and discretion OF one man or
popular majority or distant body unadvised
as TO local needs or interests.
The governor, the secretary, the MEM
bers of the judiciary Except justices of the
peace, the marshal the public prosecutor
and his assistants, the board Of commits
sioners appointing all registration and cleo
ton officers and controlling the elections, are
selected by distant appointing power and
the manner in which they perform the du-
ties of their Offices
The governor dominates the auditor Of
public accounts, treasurer, the governing
boards of all public institutions, such as the
university, Agricultural college, Reform
school and insane asylum. Thus the peo-
pie have no voice in the selection OF per-
sons to manage their public funds and in
situations created and maintained at their
expense. The territorial school commits
sioner is selected by the supreme court
and owes no responsibility to the people.
Clerks selected by the district judges and
the probate judges, appointed by the
President and with the advice of the Sen
ate, select the regular panels for jurors.
The regular panel is supplemented by per-
sons summoned at the discretion of the
United States marshal The determine
ton of rights of life, liberty and proper ty
rests with tribunals, no part of which owe
any accountability to those most vitality
concerned in the faithful performance OF
d their duties. The marshal and his deputies
are clothed with the most far-reaching
5 authority, under which they may usurp
d the functions Of all the local constabulary
, and police of the territory. Even the JUS
3 tees of the peace are shorn of their limited
9 Jurisdiction by commissioners appointed
q by the supreme court and whose lurisdic
tion is made co-extensive with that of such
justices.
:, The will Of the representatives of the
= people in the enactment Of needed legisla
% ton is liable to be defeated at the capric,
Of a gubernatorial autocrat clothed will
the power of absolute veto.
While the county prosecuting attorneys
- elected by the people, are permitted to in
itiate prosecutions in the inferior courts
no such prosecution can be carried for
ward to success except according to thu
pleasure of the district attorney imposed
m upon the people from abroad.
is The most vicious interference with tn
vestige of our local liberties is the main
a tenance and action of the Utah commits
q sion who, liz their appointment OF registrs
ton officers, have often selected corrup
IN and irresponsible persons. They have file
y the registration lists with fictitious name
:. and resorted to other devices by which re
: peating and other frauds might be sue
cessfully perpetrated at elections.
-, There is 20 province or dependency, it
a believed, of any civilized nation wherei
40 the people are not accorded more of libert
and the rights OF man than are possesse
he by American citizens in Utah.
e. The situation is intolerable to freemer
ng The people, through US, their chosen bu
helpless represeu tatives, demand relief
Sc The ofice-holders, their patrons, those VIII
w fatten upon the degradation and misfol
~ tune of our people, all the hcrdes of tn
benefciaries of the present system wi
-, resist the appeal.
or Your memorialists, however, confidentl
ng relying upon the justice Of the represent;
he tives of the American people, ask the Con
lie gress of the United States to enact into
law, as a measure which will afford immed
ct ate relief, the bill introduced into the Ser
he ate by Senator Faulkner and in the Hous
vi of Representatives by Delegate CAIN
70 For the local government OF Utah terri
nd tory, and TO provide for the election of ce
tain officers in said territory
Your memorialists further ask, that,
all essential conditions exist emitting Uts
10 to admission into the Union as state, AT
that as soon as your honorable body
satisfied of this fact, a law may at once
DIS enacted permitting her to take the positic
I'm for which she is so emInently fitted.
And your memorialists will ever prs
etc.