The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-03-23
PROVO CITY. MARCH %. 1895
BURNING DAYLIGHT.

The rate at which business is going |
forward in the convention brings little |
hope at this moment that the constitu- |
tiOn will be completed in time, or be- |
fore the United States appropriation is
exhausted; or if completed the larger |
part of it will be hurried through as |
the appropriation bills are at the close
of a session of congress. Time is spent |
in the most frivolous ways. Splitting |
hairs upon the merest of mere non
sense, anything in fact which will con-
sumo the time. This body, be it re-
membered, has very decided republi-
can majority ,and if that majority were
really in earnest in pushing on the |
work, there is nothing whatever in
their way of doing 1t. The adoption of |
the idea of one session per day COM
mencing at 2 p. m. was the out-growUh |
of this republican purpose of consum-
ing time delay. This is the thinnest |
of lodges and it was the work of the |
republican majority as was all the time |
consumed at the beginning of the seS-
sion in waiting for the third precinct
liz order that certain representative |
republican might be elected the pre-
siding officer of the body. There were
other representative republicans present |
about the election of whom there could
be no sort of doubt-seyeral indeed
who had experience and high character
both, as presiding officers-yet these
were passed oyer for one who has DEM
onstrated fully his total unftness for
the place OF for the quick dispatch of
business. While excepting John
Henly Smith from any personal COM
plicIty in the design, yet it seems
perfectly plain that his selection
was due entirely and alone
to the preconceived purpose of
defeating the entrance of Utah into the
union by delaying the work, or SO COM
pleting the constitution as that the
errors which it would contain by rea-
son of undue haste at the close Of the
session, would insure its defeat before
the intelligent and patriotic voters of
the contemplated new state. We do
not like to be forced to the conclusion
that policy so dishonest, SO unfrank
and so destructive of all the best inter-
ests of Utah could be deliberately
planned by party which at this mo-
/,
territory. But, in view of these de-
lays, to what other conclusion can we
come? Then Of course it follows that
the motive must be sought for. In
this search the declaration and teach
ings of the leaders of the republican
party of Utah will be closely scruti-
nized.
When we approach this part of our
duty we should be derelict if we failed |
TO point out the long continued policy |
OF hostility to Utonian statehood man
ifested not only by the national repub-
lican party, but also by the leaders of |
that party here at home. Putting this |
with the delay, now so evident and so |
dangerous to all the interests to be |
subserved by the convention, and what |
other conclusion can be arrived at than |
that the veteran determination to de- |
feat statehood underlies the whole |
policy. 1t is quite sufficient to point |
out one only of couple of hundreds of |
instances, A leading and prominent
citizen who is a member of the
convention falls sick and writes a
letter to the president in which |
he asks for leave of absence
and takes occasion to offer the mem
bers little advice. This was read as
final eave-taking and the eminence
Of this gentleman in the community
being such as to entitle his advice to
great weight-to delay the actual work
of the convention many hours. Then
comes discussion as to the letter going
on the record, and the youthful dele
gate who had used uDseemly language
in the discussion must have his re-
marks expunged, and so on, for no
other discernable cause than to delay
the main business of constitution
making.
Now let the convention hold morn
ing, afternoon and night sessions for
the balance of the term, and let earnest
work be done and we may reasonably
conclude that the views we hold as to
the purpose Of the delay, are, and were ;
wrong. If not, they will stand, not
only with US, but thousands of others
are interested, who are watching mar
rowly the course of the convention. |
We take it for granted-the majority '
being republican-that the term Will
be strictly bounded by the ability of I,
the appropriation made by congress to 6
pay the expenses. Iii we are to have I
any constitution to vote for next fall,
the convention will be compelled to do
better for the next two weeks than it
has in the three which are nearly
passed.
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