The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-30
In the Afternoon.

In the Afternoon.
When the committee was called to
order at 2 o'clock. Roberts arose to a
question of personal privilege. and said
he had been wrong in imputing motives
to WINS. who made the motion to cut
off debate. He desired to apologize for
it. He did not want to lose any per-
sonal friend on account Of remarks
which he had made under such high
pressure as he had been laboring.
Varinn Replies.
Varian then took the floor. He said he
had seldom had the pleasure of hearing
such oratory as that to which ne had
listened for two days. Probably no one
in the territory could hope to equal
those efforts. But oratory is not ar
gument; and rhetoric is not reason.
He would not direct his remarks to the
differences of the Democratic party.
However, he hoped that while they
were digging the grave of the gentle
man from DAVIS. they would dig it
deep enough to include the whole Dem
ocratic party. Naughter.) OF course,
he did not mean this in a personal
sense.
Obligations of Platforms.
He would confine himself to discus
sion of remarks made by Roberts the
there were men who were cowardly
enough to follow party platforms
against their sense of duty and. unlike
him, were not following the guiding
star of duty. The speaker had no con-
victionS on suffrage. If the question
were an open one, on which the people
had not spoken. he would vote against
the proposition. not being thoroughly
convinced of its benefit. But that ques-
q
the people are the sources Of all polit-
ical power, the question has been ad-
Indicated and the convention has SIM
ply to carry out the will of the people.
If we followed the gentleman from
Davis county where would his train of
thought lead us. The will of the people
is determined by the consensus of the
majority of the people. By following
that opinion is the only way to main
tain free institutions. To depart from
it is to journey towards tyranny. 1t
has been developed in America that
the best way to govern is through poll
teal parties. which best represent the
principles of their adherents. The be-
liefs of each party is determined by its
platform. and members of that party
have no more power to change that
platform than have the adherents of
the other party.
Look at the other side. A few years
ago he was a member Of a minority
party whose creed contained opposi-
ton to statehood. That party was not
weakened till in 1892 when both national
parties approved the division on party
lines. In the fall of that year he re-
Republican party. He was not de-
ceived. He knew it meant state
hood. Neither was he deceiv-
ed by any specious thought that
any other power would be exercised in
the making of the constitution or the
laws than that which was exercised all
over the United States by a majority
of the people. When the Liberal party
dissolved and declared for statehood,
not one man could suppose that con-
stitution would be other than that
desired by a majority of the people.
The members of that party went out
into the two parties. From that day
to this there has been no expression
either from the platform or in the
press; there has been no expression
against what they knew was inevita-
BILE. There was a respectable minority
of the old Liberal party at the Repub-
lican convention, which declared they
favored equal suffrage. No protest
work for the party without a protest.
He took his nomination with the I'M
derstanding that in the organic law
there would be just such g. provision
as was included in the article before
the committee. The Democrats had
had what that party called stronger
plank What purpose could be sub
served by such a plank in the Re
publican platform? Was it to elect
Frank Cannon? 1t was put in both
platforms because the managers of
both parties knew that the majority of
the people of Utah favored woman
suffrage. Even the gentleman from
Davis admits that. Then what re
mains2 The majority of the people
have written their will so strong that
both parties were compelled to recog
nize it.
No Discretion Left.
AS he understood political law, as
he understood honesty and decency
party platforms represent, for the time
being, the beliefs of the parties. He
does not believe platforms are mo-
lasses TO catch flies. He does not be-
lieve any man elected to carry out
any line of policy has any discretion
left, after the people have instructed
him. What would be thought of g
man sent to Congress to lower the