The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-03
A PARTISAN CONSTITUTION.


1t appears that the rabid Republic
can element of Utah is opposed to a
fnon-partisan constitution for the new
state. The organ of that faction de.
clares: 1T would be good idea tc
have Republicans fix it all" That is
evidently the desire of the cranky
chairman of the Republican committee
and some of his henchnen, but it is
not the wish of the rational majority
of the citizens of this territory.
The Herald has expressed the senti.
ment of the most stable of the bona
fide residents in regard to this matter
in saying that there ought to be moth
ing in the organic law of the state
which would be reasonably objection
able to either Democrats or Republi-
cans. We do not want partisan con-
stitution. No real lover of his country
desires such a thing. 1t is only the
narrow-minded and petty-souled fac
ton which has been voiced through the
Obituary that intimates a wish of that
kind.
The Herald was in hopes that the
]
avoid and eschew partfsanship in this
connection. But it appears that the
1 element which is figuring to take the
/ lead in the Republican ranks, want
to incorporate the heresy of protection
and the robbery of the bounty system
into the body of that ins&rument. That
being the case, we say most emphati-
c9l1v that II ic +ba d,+,r IF a1,ar,- 1.,,,o
crat in the territory and of every fair
minded Republican also, to fight that
faction and its partisan endeavors.
We are asked whether, 'In case a
majority of Democrats make UP the
convention, we do not believe that the
constitution will be so fixed that in case
nine out of ten of the people of this
territory should, five years hence, want
the legislature to offer a bounty cit
would not find staring in its face a
clause in the constitution forbidding
any such disposition of public money!
We answer without hesitation we do
not believe any such thing. We do not
think there should be anything in the
nature of direct legislation in the state
constitution. We do not believe a con-
vention composed of Democrats would
attempt to cripple the legislature Of the
state, so that anything nine-tenths of
the people want to do, which is rational
and not subversie of the common
rights and liberties of citizens, shall be
prevented We believe that the people
have the right to say what shall be
done with the revenue of the state de-
rived from taxation. We think the leg
islature should be given full liberty
over all rightful subjects of legislation.
We are told "the Republicans in Utah
believe strongly in protection" Also
that 1.-The Democrats in Utah believe in
just as near free trade as possible"
The Obituary ought to confine itself to
explaining what Republicans believe,
and not continue it's attempts to tell
what Democrats believe and intend, be-
cause it is recognized as an unsafe and
untruthful guide in the latter particu-
lars.
From the questions propounded on
those propositions we are given to
understand, that if the majority of the
convention is composed of Republicans
to encourage and promote protection.
If that is true, and we have no. doubt
it would be correct if Republicans of
the stripe that run the Obituary were
70 be elected, then we say Republicans
oushJ certainly to be prevented from
obtaining a majority in that convention.
Neither protection nor free trade,
bounties nor prevention of bounties, or
anything of a partisan character should
have any place in the Constitution of
the State of Utah. Any man or paper
that advocates such 2rovfsion is an
enemy to the liberties of the common
wealth. And the evident desire of the
Obituary to foster the scheme to make
Of that constitution partisan Repub-
lican instrument, as it says, ''to shape
politics for Utah for years to come
ought to be warning note to the peo-.
pie of Utah
No man should be sent to the con-
stitutional convention who would help
to frame such an instrument as that.
If that is the Republican idea-which
we do not believe as to rational Re-
publicans-not one possessed of it
should be a member of that body He
would not be fit for the work to be
done. If it should appear that this is
the Republican proposition, then we
say, by all means keep Republicans oct.
not one of them should be entrusted
with the sacred duty OF framing a con-
stitution which must be free from any
faint of partisanship and c tendency
to promote the interests of any party
or faction under the sun.
We must have a constitution for free
men. Let the people of Utah see to it
that cranky politicians and rabid par
tisans have no active part in making
constitution to be the supreme law of
the stated