Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-02-11
STOOD TOR the RIGHT


The action Of the House OF Repre-.
,entAtiyes Of the Stzle Legislature on
Monday evening, In the contest case
Of ]. y. Brlnghurst W Hytum Lem.
mon. for n seat In the House ~ NOM
bsr IRON Utah county, will brlng last
Ing credit upon the Legislators who
did tho work. At the election last
November the result between dr.
Bringhurst, Republican, and Mt.
Lennon, Democrat, was very close,
the Democratic candidate being
awarded the certificate on the margin
Of q very few votes. On behalf OF Mt
Bringhurst, the county committee
OF his party claimed that there had
been enough fraudulent votes admit
ted to change the result, hence a con-
test wa. Instituted, ana was taken up
by tho House elections commiilse.
Upon Investigation Of this case thu
committee found that there were some
ballots cast which should not have
been, and some excluded which
should have been admitted, though
tho number was small. Tho figuring
up OF these a. clearly Rscertaincd did
not change the result rs shown
on the returns with respect 10
Me.sfs. Bringhust aud Lennon.
The latter still being two or three votes
ahead. by some other votes, however,
regarding which there was doubt, the
Republican majority Of the COMMITTEES
figured out, through resolving all
Joub.s IN their own party's bohali, that
MT. Brlnghurst had nlmaiorily Of one;
and upon this report was made
teoom mepding tho unseatiDg Of Mr..
Lennon In favor OF his opponent.
The Democratic minority Of the COM
miiteo presented n report In favor OF
MT. Lennon.
These reports came up before
tho House for action, and the
vote thereon 10 an unmistakable dec
larstion OF tho split Of fairness and
patriotism which imbuss the Utah
legislators. The result 10 this case Ia
notice 10 all that questions OF party ad-
vantage must remain subservient TO
the principles Of Justice and right.
when the adjudication IL left TO tho
present Legislature on the facts fully
ssl forth. The vote In open House
may not DO taken ~ conforming or
upholdinR the reports OF either major.
i,y or majority OF the committee on
elections. Committeeman felt In
measure bound to DO controlled
by party affiliations; although
from our standpoint II would have
been better to have pursued from the
nfsl the method adopted by the House
in its consideration Of the case. Some
members OF the committee also con.
,idered themselves obligated to stand
by the report after they had made II;
this wo also look upon ~ more than
was required by party tics. for, as
members who believed the report too
partisan, they could properly have
acted Independently IN the full body
ard have recorded their Ind ,yldusl
convictions OF right. AZ between the
two reports the House did the
square thing. Both reports were
partisan in their findings; both
were properly relsoled anu the
straight middle course pursued. The
party majority In the House which
could have acted differently deserves
warm commentator for not having
done no. The members OF that mi, Jorlty
are entitled to praise for maintaining
right over might; aud the minority
party deserve equul praise, since the
sentiment that aotuated Ia as ohAtac-
lsrlstio OF them as OF the Others. by tho
coutse adopted In determining the
Bringhurst.Lomm case the legisla.
tors have given further And highly
Satisfactory evidence of being worthy
the confidence Of the people Of the
Slate. Honor 10 to them for doing ~!