The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-27

A sound application of the party
lash to the backs of the Republican
members of the Alfalfa club" yester-
day had the effect of Remembering
that strongly organized influence of
the house.
The Alfalfa club" was composed
of all the country members of both
parties who went into caucus when
the counties government bill was first
brought before the house, and agreed
TO support to a man certain provisions
concerning what expense of district
courts should be made county charges
and upon what disposition should be
made of the fees collected by certain
county officers.
The object of the caucus was to
make the state assist the weaker
counties in prosecuting criminals by
paying the expense of such prosecm-
tons. This the gentlemen from Salt
Lake and Weber counties did not seri-
ously object to especially, but thought
the counties should bear part of the
expense. The country element were
hence the non-partisan caucus.
The "Alfalfas" stood together several.
days and it began to look as though
they would pass the bill to suit them
selves, but yesterda~ they took what
was considered by the Salt Lake
members a step too far. in trying TO
force through a provision providing
for the turning of county clerks and
sheriffs' fees into the state treasury.
The Salt Lake and Weber delegations
had been termed the "metropolitans"
y, Erl, ,I, al,
tlemen referred to one another as
"Metropolitans" and "Afalfas" as
though that were their proper appella-
tons.
The Metropolitans. led by
Messrs. Critchlow, Nye and Har-
ris literally faye6 their Republic
can colleagues of the "Ahalfas"
for their stand and for having joined
with the Democrats in caucusing on
the bill with the result that the al
falfas' were completely routed and
resolution adopted embodying the
views of the "Metropolitans.
The Democrats favored the Alfalfa"
idea as a matter of principle, holding
that if district courts are to be made
state courts by the state paying the
costs, the fees of sheriffs and clerks.
when engaged in the state service,
should be paid to the state.
day and the fight was the one of the
session
During the morning session the gov
ernor notified the house of his veto of
Mr.. Critchlow's bill to enable private
colleges to incorporate.
MORNING SESSION.
Mr.. Murdoch presented the claim of
Wasatch county for $43 one-half the
saYnpnSp Of the assessors office
GOVERNOR APPROVES AND We
TOES.
Messages from the governor notified
the house of executive approval of H.
B. No. 81, to validate county warrants
issued beyond the debt limit and that
the governor had disapproved of H. B.
No. III, Mr.. Critchlow's bill to enable
private colleges 70 incorporate and ex-
tending state rights in issuing degrees.
The governors reasons were given in
the following message:
THE bill provides for the incorporat-
ing of colleges and universities and
for the granting of state authority TO
such institutions in the bestowal of de-
greeS. There appears to be no need
of additional legislation to provide for
the mere Incorporation of any college,
university or other educational insti-
corporation possible and easy This is
shown by the fact that some such insti-
tutions have already Incorporated in
Utah. The main effect of this bill,
should it become law, will be to del
egate authority to the state in the mat
Ter of bestowing degrees. While, ac-
cording to the terms of the bill. an
examination is to be made into the
financial resources of any institution
applying for Incorporation, no provi-
sion is made for tests as 20 the IA
cilities of instruction. the qualifications
OF teachers or the scope of the courses
Offered for which degrees are prom
ised; in other words, the setting apart
OF 100000 TO the work of the school is
made the sole condition on which the
state binds Itself to give its sanction to
the bestow i of degrees. Even TOR the
work of instruction on a very limited
scale the endowment sum of 100000
is in my judgment entirely inadequate,
representing as it does a possible in
come of from $1,000 to $4,000 per year
enough to meet the salaries of two
good professors and a few incidental
expenses. An institution equipped so
meagerly is to receive the authority of
the state to call itself a college or a
university and to graduate its students
with academy honors. 1t seems to
me that under such law Utah degrees
would become exceedingly cheap and
of correspondingly low value, and that
the state would acquire a proportion
ately cheap reputation. 1t is a ques-
ton of grave Importance as to whe-
ther granting to private and ,fenomi-
national institutions state authority
for the comforting of degrees in any
form is founded in wisdom, as by such
delegation the authority of state be-
comes TO some extent responsible for