The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-06
TRANSPARENT HuMBuG.

free silver representative in Congress,
to throw us out entirely and we will
have our suffrage constitution con-
temptuously returned TO US. That
would prove a disaster of the first
water. So many graver and more i'm
portant matters hang upon our admis-
sion that we fear that this excuse will
prove to be welcome bit of news to
the enemies of statehood.
The foregoing is from the Provo Dis
patch. It is sample argument against
woman suffrage in the state constitu-
ton. There is nothing in it. when
the east comes to act" VIII the people
who are endeavoring to accomplish by
threats what they cannot bring about
by argument, please tell US what the
east or the west. or any part OF the
country outside of Utah. has to do
with our constitution or the admission
Of the state into the Union?
Also what bearing has the silver
question upon the announcement,
which the President is required by law
to make, Of the result Of the election
on the adoption Of the state constitu-
ton?
II there was anything in what the
Dispatch holds out as a danger signal
except sheer Imagination, "the enemies
of statehood" would indeed receive It
as a welcome piece of news. But with
all due respect to our Provo contem-
porary it is nothing but q piece Of hol-
low humbug
When the Utah constitution has been
framed and submitted to a vote of the
people, the returns of the election will
be made to the Utah Commission.
That body will then, after canvassing
those returns. or causing them to be
canvassed and finding that majority
of votes has been cast for the constitu-
ton, certify the result to the President,
with a copy of the constitution and of
any separate articles that may have
been voted upon.
Now, supposing there are some pro-
visions in the constitution which people
in the east do not agree with. VIII
they have anything to do with the fact
that a majority of the voters Of Utah
have adopted that instrument as their
fundamental law?
But we are threatened with being
thrown out entirely and with having
the suffrage constitution contemptu-
ously returned to u.s." Who is to do
that remarkable piece of contemptuous
work? Does the Dispatch mean the
President? Here is all the power the
President has in the premises:
"And If the constitution and govern
ment of said proposed state are re-
publican in form, and if all the provi-
sions of this act have been complied
with in the formation thereof 1t shall
be the duty of the President of the
United States to issue his proclamation
announcing the result Of said election,
and thereupon the proposed State of
Utah shall be deemed admitted by Con-
gress into the Union, under and by
virtue of this act, an an equal footing
with the original states. from and
after the date of said proclamation"
1t is important that the powers of
the President in regard to this mat
ter shall be understood by the people
of Utah. The proclamation which it is
made his duty to issue. will not con-
tain his approval or disapproval or any
expression of any opinion about the con-
stitution. 1t will simply announce the
result of the election. The President
does not admit Utah. The people Of
the east have nothing to do with its
admission. Congress admits Utah into
the Union by virtue of the enabling
act. and all the President has to do
is to see that the constitution Is re-
publican in form. that the provisions
of the enabling act have been COM
piled with. and that a majority of the
voters of Utah have ratified the con-
stitution.
But some extremist may ask. "Sup-
pose the President thinks the consti-
tuition is not republican in form be-
cause it provides for woman suffrage?"
That is as much as to say the Presi-
dent does not know what the word
republican" means. In other words
that he is as little informed as some
of the anti-suffragists show themselves
to be.
The Constitution of the United States
guarantees to every state in the
Union ga republican form of govern
ment." II woman suffrage is republi-
can. then the constitution of Wyoming.
under which it entered the Union, is
unrepublican. The constitutions of
Kansas and Colorado. which have been
amended so as to incorporate woman
suffrage. are unrepublican. The United
States government is in duty bound,
on that hypothesis. to take measures to
overthrow woman suffrage. and see
that those states are reformed and a
republican form of government estab-
lshed there. But the idea is utterly
absurd. "The consent of the governed
is the very essence of republican form
of government, and a state must be
all the more republican in form as the
principle of the consent of it's citizens
is more fully obtained.
We have no fault to find with per-
sons or papers tht are opposed to
woman suffrage for the candid express
sion of their views. Arguments against
1T there are none. Prejudices and OBJ
1ections there are many but they are
absolutely untenable. But we cannot
avoid expressing surprise, mingled
with a much stronger and more adj
verse sentiment. at the attempts that
are made to scare delegates and the |
public into refraining from what they
conceive to be right by such a con-
temptible bugaboo. more silly than a
Monaghan mask or a scooped and face |
cut pumpkin. Give us reasons, if you
have any. but don't try to brighten
folks with humbug.