The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-10
THE PARTISAN CONVENTION.

tisan course pursued thus far in the
constitutional convention, does not
meet with the approval of thinking
people even though many of them are
pronounced Republicans. There is no
valid excuse for the manner in which
the standing committees have been
made up. The more it is looked into
the worse 1t appears. The grouping Of
the members Of the committees is par
tisan. The Republicans are punched
together and the Democrats also, the
latter always at the rear. All the chair
nanShips are given to Republicans, as
previously shown, and some Of the
committees are headed by lne4peri-
enced and comparatively obscure Re
publfcans. while able and leading Dem
ocrat5 are tackled on at the end.
The composition Of these committees
gives unmistakable evidence that fit
ness. adaptability and the public in
tereSt have been made completely sub
ferVient to the Republican caucus,
which has sought chiefly to please and
placate individuals and feed their am
bition and vanity. There never was
more Slaring exhibition of gross
partisanship than in the arrangement
Of those committees. and no amount
Of apology viii cover it up or put it
in fair, equitable or consistent light.
The Democratic desire has been from
the beginning to have non-partisan
constitution. That this might be Sc
cured the Democratic party called Of
hcially for a non-partiSan convention.
They did SO expecting to gain a ma
jority Of the delegates if the election
was to be conducted on a partisan
basis. They were willing to have the
most competent men selected for the
work Of framing the convention
without special regard to party. But
that idea was secuted by the Repub-
Hcan leaders. They wanted a Repub-
lican convention and Republican con-
stitution and worked solely to that
end.
But 1t was hoped that after gaining
the majority in the convention partisan
tactics would cease. This hope, so far.
has been dashed to the dust Over
riding all ordinary regulations govern
ing such bodies, unusual duties we're
forced upon q preliminary committee
of a preliminary organization. for the
purpose of forcing upon the full con-
/ vention a President without the GER
| tifcate which the law declares shall
! be the only evidence of election. That
was followed by the filing of every
office with Republicans. and then the
Arrangement of committees which has
called forth so much public animal
! version.
Contrast the action of the President
! in this respect, with his declarations
against partisanship in his opening
speech and the prayers offered up in
depreciation of partisan proceedings
and the clash and inconsistency thus
! brought into light will be shocking to
| the moral sense of all decent people
| no matter what may be their politics.
It will now be the duty of the Dem
ocratic delegates to watch closely the
efforts that may be expected, to put
partisan clauses into the constitution
Of the new state, They must be re.
| sisted to the utmost extent.
The Democratic minority have Of
fered no factious opposition and have
made no protest against the discour.
teous and contemplate treatment they
have been subjected to. For this they
are to be highly commended. And they
should continue this conciltatory course
UP to the line of the public welfare
when that is trenched upon by Re
publican party provisions, it will bC
expected that they will fight agains
them TO the last extremity.
! The Democratic party of Utah ma!
well be proud of its representation IL
the convention. The gentlemen com
posing it are men Of brains and of rec
ognized standing in the community
They will do excellent work They
have already manifested their ability
and they viii shine out in this con
vention as leading spirits in all thu
! important measures that need consid
| Grafton. The Herald endorses thei
course, and the public will expect from
them the closest scrutiny of every
thing introduced by the partisan sid
of the house, also a vigorous cham
pionship of everything that IS for tn
public good, and unyieldins opposition
to ali that is vicious and partisan Il
constitutional legislation.