The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-06


! L thank you for your attention.
SENATOR RAWLINS' CERTIFI-
CATE.
| Speaker Perkins announced that the
certificate of MI. Rawlins' election had
been signed by the president and sec
rotary of the senate and the speaker
and chief clerk of the house. 1t was
read and ordered spread upon the
minutes.
THE ROBINSON LETTER AGAIN.
Mr.. Sloan was given the floor to
speak upon a question of personal
privilege. He referred to the Robinson
letter and his threat to challenge the
vote of the author of the letter had his
vote decided the election Mr. Robinson
had explained the letter on the previ-
Gus day, when Mr.. Sloan was absent.
Robinson had alleged that he was a
Republican ard would therefore not
have voted for any one but a Republic
an. He had been asked to support
Moses Thatcher on what he termed
higher grounds" The constitution of
the state provided that no religious
test should be required in the qualifi-
cation for any office. No man who
made any religious test condition
precedent was entitled to take the oath
of office.
He SAYS" continued Mr.. Sloan,
quoting from the letter, Il am at
present unable to take the higher
ground you speak of and endorse for
the highest civil position that Utah
can give, one who has proven himself
recreant to a cause to which he had so
completely and wholly pledged himself,
and which l should judge you, in con-
nection with myself, consider even
higher ana more sacred than that of
the United States senatorship.'
L yield to no man in generation of
those who devote their time to the
cause of ChrI1t," said Mr.. Sloan. But
that is not the question. The question
is, shall a man be barred from civil
office because in his own judgment,
he is no longer willing to yield to an
ecclesiastical rule, and / shall chal-
lenge the right of any member who
applies a religious test. When men
have reached a point where they can
not perform their duties to the state
because of their duties to the church,
they are not fit to hold seats in the
legislature" (Applause.)
Robinson asked Sloan to read the re-
mainder of the letter. and Sloan did so.
as follows: "On this question l am
free and unpledged, and intend to re-
main so, but unless my views are ma
terially changed, 1 will not in my feel
ings nor by my vote, indorse Moses
Thatcher for senator
ROBINSON'S LAST WORD.
Il was true to my cause" said Mr.
Robinson, and voted first, last and
all the time for a Republican. l could
not support Moses Thatcher for sena-
tor on the grounds on which the ap-
peal was made.
Yesterday 1 explained" continued
Mr.. Robinson, with much feeling,
that the cause / referred to was the
cause of the iowly Nazarene. the cause
of saving souls, and was Kissed in the
lobby here, just as the word of truth
is Kissed in hell. I do not hold a higher
duty TO the church than to the state,
but / do hold that the cause of saving
souls is a higher cause than holding
the office of United States senator.
That is all that can be made of this
letter, and l defy Mr., Sloan to make
any more of it,
BENNION'S EXPLANATION.
This incident was thus finally closed,
but Mr.. Bennion had an explanation
to make. A newspaper had misstated
his position. He had stated his attitude
on the floor of the house so clearly. he
thought, that any one who desired to
understand could understand. He then
reiterated a portion Off remarks on
a preceding day, with reference to his
attitude toward Moses Thatcher.
HANSON'S CITIZENSHIP.
Still another member claimed the
floor on a question of personal privi-
lege. Mr.. Hanson, the Republican who
had voted for Rawlins, stated that it
had been charged that he had never
been naturalized, and that the election
would be contested on those grounds
q CT far,
sent his certificate of citizenship to
the clerks desk and asked that lit be
read. 1t showed that he was admitted
to citizenship in this city, Oct. 30, 1876.
NEBEKER COMPLI-
MENTED.
Senator Smoot offered a resolution
President Nebeker against
an attack made by the Deseret News
The preamble set forth the offensive
editorial. which charged that during
the final ballot disgraceful efforts to
were made by persons on the floor of
the house, and that the presiding Off
Ger made no effort to restrain the
mob" The resolution repudiated the
charges as untrue, and expressed the
appreciation of the assembly for the
able and impartial manner in which
the president had discharged his
duties.
Senator Smoot declared an attack
had been made upon the presiding Off
Ger, who was efficient, able and i'm
partial.
There has never been an occasion
in Utah." said he. that demanded
such ability from the presiding officer
as that just ended. On the dav re-
ferred to, it is known to all the men,
bers that the president used every eff
n 70 hn
planned of. He was on his feet during
the entire time of that excitement,
called aloud and demanded order,
broke his mallet and directed the ser
geant-at-arms to quell the disorder,
and every official effort was made to
avert the unfortunate scenes that oc-
CURED. We cannot afford to let this
Joint assembly adjourn without brand
ing the accusations as untrue" CAP
plause.)
Mr. Sloan. was in. sympathy with the
purpose of the resolution but there
were some things in it he could not
support. Statements were made in the
editorial which the resolution did not
deny. For instance, it charged that
the lobbies were packed" with the
Dartisans of a particular candidate,
and every member knew that to be
untrue. He would have all reference
to the editorial stricken out and let it
go forth from the assembly that it's
presiding officer had done his full duty. !
He offered an amendment to that eff /
5ect which was adopted by a vote of |
IS to %. The resolution was then |
adopted unanimously.
ADDRESSES TO BE PRINTED.
Mr.. Wilson moved that the addresses |
delivered by Senator ELECT Rawlins, !
a FOL nd