The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-14
A sENsELEss SUGGESTION.

There has been great deal of
spread-eagle talk, and much political
buncombe, over the course which 1t is
alleged ought to be pursued in refer
ence to the question of the registra-
ton of woman voters for the November
election. Our morning contemporary
has attempted to convey the impress
sion that it was burdened with an
original idea, which the Utah Commits
sion ought to adopt as the only sClu-
ton of a supposed difficult problem
presented to that body. The brilliant
notion was. that the Attorney-G General
Of the United States should be applied
to with demand for an official opin-
ion on the question, whether, under
the enabling act and the state con-
stitution, women could be legally reg
istered to vote at the first state cleo
ton.
In obedience to the requirements of
their press dictators the two Republic
can Commissioners formulated the
proposition in the form of a preamble
and resolutions, longer than the moral
law but with very much less in it. The
nub of it is simply a demand that the
chairman OF the board submit the
question which we have named to the
Attorney-General.
Now, there is nothing in this propo-
sition. 1t has been talked about ever
since the adjournment of The state
convention. But those who made tt e
suggestion did so without a proper I'M
derstanding of the position occupied
by the Acknowledgement. 1t should be
seen at a glance that to make such
request of that functionary would be
an impertinence. The question when
raised is one for court to decide.
The Attorney-General has no right
to assume the functions of a court
nor to give an official opinion in ad-
vance of a judicial investigation. He is
not in the position of a private lawyer,
ready to give his views on legal ques-
ton for the customary fee. He is
public officer, who might in Ease of a
contest have to appear for the United
States before the highest court of the
country, and take a position On this
very question on one side or The ether.
There is no lack of disposition on
the part of the Democrats, either in
or out of the Utah Commission, to dis
parage the value of the views of SO dis
tinguished a lawyer as the Attorney
General But that the expression of
his opinion would be the end of the
controversy and would render unneces-
sary a decision by a judicial tribunal,
as claimed by our contemporary and
entertained by the Republican Com
missioners who jump as pulled with
it's string, is evidence of ignorance
that is simply surprising even in those
quarters.
The Utah Commission, or rather it's
majority if they have taken the stand
attributed to them by our morning
contemporary, have done the proper
thing in declining to construe the law
by way of instructions to the registra-
ton officers. The right way will be for
women who understand that they are
entitled under the enabling act md the
state constitution to vote next Novem-
ber to apply for registration at the
time appointed, and test the question
in case registration is refused or OBJ
structed. To ask the Attorney-General
to decide a matter which clearly be-
longs to the courts, would be u foolish
proceeding and would only meet with
a distinct refusal.