The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-09-04
PROVO CITY. SEPT. 4. 1895
RIGHTS OF DELEGATES.

A question sometimes arises in the
minds of some persons as to the duties
of instructed delegates, and how far
they should 60 N following instruc-
tions.
We want to say first that there is no
stopping on the part of person cleo
ted a delegate to receive instructions;
a delegate has no right to accept the
posltion unless he intends in good
faith to carry out all instructions
which a majority of those duly elect
ing may give.
1t is honorable and truly independ-
ent when a person is nominated and
elected with instructions that are dis
tasteful, to decline the nomination,
but if accepted, then tie person ac-
cepting surrenders his own judgment
and is bound by every principle of
honor to use every effort of mind and
action to do that which he is in
structed to do, So long as there is a
possible chance of succeeding
If delegates are elected and are unin.
structed, then they each are bound to
exercise their best judgment. and to
do that which they believe will be best
for their constituency. No delegate
has the right to act or vote from per-
sonally selfish motives, or personal
friendship, no more than the judge of
a court has the right to decide point
of law arising in case in a manner
intended to favor either of the itigat-
ing parties, even if one of them is a
very dear friend and the other very
bitter enemy of the judge. The judges
duty is to declare the law as he be-
lIeves it to be, no matter which side it
faYors. He must as far as possible
divest himself of all desire for either
of the parties to win.
An instructed delegate is in honor
bound, if he cannot earnestly try to
execute his instructions, to decline the
nomination, or, If they are given after
he is elected. to resign, if not too late
to elect somebody else, and if that can
not be done, to seek some one who
will carry them into effect and make
that one his proxy.
A man who accepts Office must stand
upon the platform upon which be was
elected during his whole term of Office
Nxs
ner that cannot be mistaken release
him therefrom, or demand from him to
act in manner that is not consistent
with the platform. He must not vary
from it on his own Judgment. He is
the servant of those who elected him,
and whoever is worthy of any trust
will execute that trust with scrupulous
faithfulness, even as against hie own
interest or judgment of what is best.
Perhaps the most notable example
of the sanctitY of public ttust, is in
the case of electing state electors to cast
the vote of state for president of the
United States. No elector has yet had
the hardihood to vote for any other
man than the one his party nominated,
and this has become so fixed custom
that people take it for granted that
when a voter casts his ballot for an
elector. that is just the same as if he
voted directly for the man his party
nominated. The duties of an elector
now are purely perfunctory without
any discretion whatever, bat the po
sition is an honorable one, the trust is
a sacred one, and if an individual
SHOULD be found who would dare tu be
tray it, his name forever thereafter
would be coupled with that OF Bene
dict Arnold's e in eternal infamy.