The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-20


The SIMPLE FACTS IN THE CASE
The Utah Commission Is the canvass
ling board ander the law to examine ths
retslriis ct thes election for delegates to
the Constitutional Convention. They
nave 20 issue certificates to those per
SONS who. being eligible, shall appear
70 nave been duly elected. II viii be
seen thaE grave responsl bility rests
upon the members of that beard.
Three OF them are Democrats. two
Republicans 1t has been the custom
under the law which created the board,
for three at the number composing ii
| to be Of the poll tical PARTY IN national
power Most of the time the majority
were Republicans, although in local
politics they worked with, for and BY
the Liberal party The change Of
adnainistra ton has changed the coln-
position If the board.
In canvassing the returns for the del-
egakes to the Constitutional Conven-
ton, they found that there were many
discrepancies and irregularities there-
in We have not yet charged that any
Of these were intentional. 1T is of
no use for any paper or any judge of
election 70 say they were all correct,
the positive proofs to The contrary are
on the face of the returns.
In those cases where the mistakes
wozqd not affect the result 20 any ma
tertai extent, they were accepted as
though they were correct. as this is re-
|quired by law But i'm those cases
where. through the closeness OF the
votes for the opposing candidates, the
result might be affected, the ballot
boxes were sent for that there might be
"a recount That also is required by
law.
1t is necessary to repeat here what
has 0een STATED before. that the Republic
can Commissioners were the first. to uail
for and demand the production of the
ballot boxes. The Democratic Com
rnissioners merely. voted for the reso-
lution proposed and seconded by the
other members. 1t was proper thing
to do. 1t was in accordance with the
STATUTES under which the Commission
are required to act.
But as soon as it was shown that a
recount affected the result unfavor-
ably to some of the Republicans, sup
posed to have received a small gaaj or-
itys the Republican Commissioners,
prompted by the Tribune, commenced
a policy of obstruction. Every possible
endeavor was made to stop the recount
from going amy further.
Protests and alindrances Of different
kinds being unavaaaing, the District
court was appealed to, and injunctions
have been issued temporarily restrain
ing the investigation. One of these, we
should suppose. would settle the entire
question which turns entirely on the
right OF the Commissioners to make
III their canvass. of the votes.
The. probable party result of this in
vestigation ought to cut. no figure in the
settlement of the dispute. At present
that is all there is to the squabble.
There would be no noise and no con-
tention if it were not that the Repub1i-
cans, whose motto is Claim every
thing fear that they, win not have a
working majority in the Constitutional
Convention, 50 as to make it a parti-
san body as they counted on and con-
tended for from the beginning.
Every effort now being put forth
from the Republicans, in and out of
the Commission. is directed to the sup
preston of an investigation. The. dis
crepancies in the returns which cannot
be denied are ignored. and the absurd
ity is maintained for law, that the Com
appointed by Act of Congress
for the very purpose OF protecting the
rights of candidates for the office of
Constitutional delegate, shall do moth
ing but accept the incorrect and contra
1ictory returns as genuinel
We ask our readers to look at this
matter consistently, and not allow them
selves to be carried away by street ru-
mors, the fury Of defeated partisans,
the buster of demagogues or the libels
Of a partisan paper. There is no earthly
way to determine who has been duly
elected in a number of precincts, ex-
cept by proceeding according to law ITO
recount the ballots and demonstrate
the fact That must be done, and such
suspicion as is reasonable in relation
to this matter points, to those who are
trying to smother investigation and
shut out The light.