The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-07
UTAH STATEHOOD.
To the Editor of The Herald.

For nearly quarter of century
have made my headquarters in Utah,
and a greater part of that time have
had access to the columns of The Herald
as an occasional correspondent, on the
invitation of E. L. Sloan, its first editor,
more than twenty years ago. l have,
during that time, written a good many
articles in my own plain homely style,
with the intention, whatever may have
been the result, of benefiting the people
of Utah, and have come to feel as
though 1 knew the people and that they
knew me. AS it is possible that it may
not be in my power hereafter to talk
to then through the medium of your
columns, or in any other way, l feel it
TO be privilege, possibly a duty, to
offer few suggestions in reference to
the best policy to be pursued hereafter
by the people of Utah, seeing that they
are likely within few months, to pre-
pare to take on the honorS, and assume
the responsibilities of citizens of a state
in the American Union of states.
l confess, when remembering that
am mot of this generation" (as has
been said of other old men, [ am rather
doubtful whether young America" will
pay much heed to what I have to say
regarding matters which it is presumed
will be managed by the men of the
present generation, but this will not
deter me from making the suggestions
which occur to me as proper subjects
Of consideration by old and young who
may live under the constitution which
Utah voters may cause to be prepared
in view of admission as state.
The first, and perhaps most important
step to be taken will be the election of
delegates to form the constitution, and
this step should be taken with careful
regard to the selection of such dele
gates.
You have in Utah men of ability and
experience in all of the political par
ties; from such men I would suggest
the selection of the best men without
special reference to the party to which
they may belong, for [ do not believe
the constitutional convention ought to
be either Democratic, Republican or
Populist; that body ought to be COM
posed of the best men who can be
selected for the purpose to which their
attention will be called.
On all political questions l am par
tisan and am opposed to non-partisan
bodies generally, believing them to be
humbugs of the A / kind, but in this
case l think patriotism should rise
above partisanship, and the best men
selected, trusting to their honor and
love of country to provide a constitu-
ton republican in form and spirit, and
calculated to promote the happiness
and prosperity of all the inhabitants of
the state.
Having thus briefly expressed my
opinion as to the proper manner of
selecting delegates, L will postpone for
future occasion further suggestions on
this subject, hoping that The Herald
will kindly permit me to use a por-
ton of its columns to do so.
Respectfully,
HADLEY D. JOHNSON
August 6, 1894.
We agree with the foregoing and are
pleased to give place to the views of
so experienced and able a Democrat as
the writer The Herald will find space
for practical suggestions on this sub-
ject from others. We have already
expressed opinions similar to those
above. And we only have this to say
in addition: If the Republicans show
that they intend to follow the lead of
the crazy bosses of their party in this
territory, and scheme to make the
convention a Republican body with a
view to fixing in the constitution party
doctrines and measures with which to
bind the new state, then we will be
in favor of meeting the issue and fight
ing it to the last notch. Perhaps that
will be as well, anyhow. 1t may be
necessary to demonstrate the political
complexion of Utah in the next cam
paign, seeing that our opponents are
anxious to force themselves into
dominant position in a matter that
should be strictly bipartisan. 1t is
not from any shrinking from the con-
test that we have advocated a nom
partisan convention, or rather a nom
partisan constitution, for we are as
much opposed to giving that instru-
ment a partisan leaning in the direc-
ton of Democratic party ideas as to-
ward the heresies of rampant Repub-
licans, and if conflict is necessary we
are ready for the fray.