The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-09
OPPRESSIVE PART1sANsH1p.v

The list of committees to draft the
various parts of the Constitution of
the State of Utah viii be found in this
issue OF The Herald. We invite special
attention to their composition. 1t viii
be found that with a single exception
they are al formed on a strictly and
extreme partisan basis.
Not one Democrat has received the
chairmanship OF any committee. With
the sole exception noted, the Republi-
cans on every committee are named
flrst. with the Democrats tackled on at
the last. The purpose Of that is to
prevent any Democrat from standing
at the head OF d committee under any
contingency that might arise.
The exception is the Committee on an
poruonment and Boundaries. and that
IS SO because of an adopted resolution
introduced by the Democrats before
the committees were formed, that
IL Should be composed of one delegate
from each county. Even in the make
up OF that committee the partisan pur-
pose is so glaring that 1t cannot escape
notice
The President Of the Convention,
John Henry Smith, is responsible FOR
these appointments with these marked
DETERMINATIONS. It is true that having
been pushed into this position by
partisan measures and caucus deter
mination, overriding all precedent and
rules governing legislative bodies, he
has had to listen to the caucus in the
formation Of the committees. But he
Is the appointing power. and the
striking craftsmanship displayed in the
grouping Of those committees reflects
upon him and he cannot shift it upon
the Republican caucus.
Let it be remembered that in add
ton to the daily prayers to the Throne
OF Grace that there may be no par
tisanship in the doings Of the conven-
ton, the President. who made these
partisan appointments. uttered the fol
lowing sentiments on assuming the
presidential chair:
I trust in our deliberations there
shall not exhibit itself that spirit OF
partisanship that would lead IN any
degree to improper action. or to any
strong feeling. I believe it is the sa-
cred duty Of every man sent here to
say today that 50 far as possible we
I shall work in unison for the accom-
pli5hment Of one great purpose. That
purpose is to present to our constitu-
entS a Constitution that shall receive
their approval, and show that the men
I that made it we're worthy men, men of
honor, men who love their country
and love their State, who appreciate
the blessings Of liberty. and who pro-
pose, so far as in their power lies, to
exhibit their fairness and justice in
their conduct in the performance Of
their sacred labors.
How much these good words cor
respond with the first Of the speaker S
official deeds, the public will be able
to judge. If his partisan pledges did
not permit him to give one solitary
craftsmanship to a Democrat, he could
at least have placed some of his poll
teal opponents second in place, out of
regard for common decency. But they
are all placed at the rear. and the ex-
IRENE partisansh1p exhibited from the
start has been closely followed and
kept up until now.
The Democratic minority have made
no protest. They expected that some
courtesy would be shown them in the
selection Of the committees on which
they desired their leading men should
serve. But they have been utterly
ignored in q convention which ought
to be entirely free from partisan bias
being different in its nature and pur.
pose from an ordinary legislative as.
sembly. we consider the Democrat
have acted wisely by their non-resist-
ance and that it viii do them no harm
with a fair-minded and considerate
public.
we wish to make no inyidiouS com
PARSONS between the mediocrity of the
choice on one side. and the talent and
brains on the other, but merely ash
our readers to make the comparisons
themselves. We must confess to sur
! prise, if not disappointment, that this
gross partisanship should be displayed
in quarter from which we had an.
/ ticipated some consistency with public
/ declarations. However. it viii still
/ further exhibit Republicanism in It's
real light before the gaze Of the public