The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-14
NOT EVEN HUMOROUS.

OF course it is to be expected that
Legislators will have their moments of
relaxation, and that may be true of
them as a collective body as in the
case of individuals In other words.
legislatures may be as fun-loving as
individuals; that proclivity depending
generally upon the number of fun-lov-
ing factors in its membership. Some
grave and very high class assemblies.
too, can be counted among those that
have been carried off their feet by an
irresistible tendency to tilarity. and
that, too, in the midst of the consid-
GRAFTON Of the profoundest legislation
that could engage the attention of a.
free assembly of representatives of the
people.
Take for example, the continental
congress, as the members thereof
crowded about the presidents chair to
sign the Declaration of Independence,
an act which put the necks of every
one Of the signers in jeopardy, yet it
was an act done in the midst of spirit
of levity out of all harmony with the
solemnity of the occasion. As the pres
ident of the congress. John Han
cock, signed the immortal document
in his large, bold handwriting, famil-
lar now to every schoolboy, he jesting-
ly remarked that John Bull could read
that without specks. And then from
his speech and face there went out all
traces of levity and he remarked, to
those around him, something about the
necessity of "all hanging together in
this matter" The venerable Franklin
overhearing the remark renewed the
fun by saying, Eyes. indeed, we must
all hang together, or assuredly we
shall all hang separately" When i
comes to hanging" said Mr.. Harrison,
known as 1.-The luxurious heavy gentle
man from Virginia" on account of mis-
great weight, when it comes to hang
ing" said he, to Mr.. Geary of Massa-
chusetts. a very spare man. Il shall
have the advantage of you: it will be
all over with me, long before you have
done kicking in the air." 1t was in
the midst of jests like these that the
great document was signed-and the
nation born.
Being aware that the most solemn
and respectable of legislative bodies
thus give themselves up to jest and hi
larity. we have not been surprised at
the occasional disposition on the part
of Utah's first legislature to lapse
into a humorous vein, and in
dulge in outright merriment
But yesterday when Dr. Condor
called up for reconsideration the reso-
luton he had introduced some time
ago, commencing sthe action of the
congress Of the United States in pass
ing a measure recognizing Cuban bel
ligerency-when the lower house did
that, and even more, when it passed
the resolution, we think then its hilar-
ity was stupid. meaningless, without
point, and travesty upon even the
houses sense of humor At present
the congress Of the United States has
not completed its action on the Cuban
belligerency resolution. 1t is true the
house passed a resolution, so did the
senate OF the United States, designed
belfgerents; a conference committee
was appointed and an agreement ar
rived at and a report made to each
house Of congress- where the matter
is still pending. Hence the Condor
resolution approving the action taken
by congress is out of place. for the
reason that congress has really, as yet,
taken no action. Is it not rather 1idic-
ulous that the legislature commends
an action not yet taken? What if,
when congress does act, it does so in
such a manner that our people could
not approve of it? What if congress
should fail to act at all? What then?
Even as a humorous episode this Con-
don resolution is ill-timed and out of
place; and surely if it's humor does
not commend it. there is nothing else
will