Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-08-24
INs1nrctINo CANDIDATES.


Tho question arose ycator1iy ne 20
whether 0r not u would be proper Tor
the county conventions ~ the respect
I've parucs which nominate candidates
Tor the legislature 90 Instruct such
candidates n elected 90 vote Tor any
particular person Tor United siatos SEM
aior The habit Of "lnaruetlnr."
wherh by me bcrcr of the Instructions
IL 20 some extent N not altogether de-
privcd n the ure OF bic Intelligence
and free action. has grown apaco until
q sccms NJ " there were no limit and
such quotations ne the above thcrcupon
become Timely and proper.
To correctly answer. Il II necessary
FIRST to consider the source ~ authority
ami next. whore the end N % properly
comes. The ctizon who holds Once
exercises two functions. that u sovcr.
elm and that Of servant. In the intter
capacity he II not the servant ~ any
particular sovereign or combination N
sovorcigns. hut u all IN their arrrc.
rltc capacity ~ The people. Erro.
whom citIzen forrakes his indrpou-
dent status for tho purpose ~ bccom-
lnE sorVior of Tho people h. ~ not
subject 10 the ciannish or partisan a..
frciious, specifically expressed. of Few
or even many. unless tho many con.
rtituic the great bulk N the whole ana
In this capacity the order II given. A.
a candidate tho citizen IL yet n aovcr-
eigui nH the constituent elements % a
nominating convention the delegates
arc also a1ycrelEua. and the latter can
instruct the former only a. 20 matters
within the Jurisdiction of both. In
other words the delegates may instruct
other delegates regarding any common
purporo within the law ana such In
riructions are presumably. not nocos-
s1rliy foliowcd but when u ~ not
other delegates but prospective officials
who are proporid az the recipients of
ne inatructinns. those cannot extend In
10 the official realm but must have
reference 90 matter this side the CONF
mcnoemcnt Of actual public service. In
a few words. conventions arroTatc very
much moro authority ana consequence
10 themselves than they have any right
10 when they Instruct possible law-mak-
ora what they shall do a. such law
makers.
Tn, ease has a more criminal aspect
than the foregoing dlscloaos. An In
aiructlon 60 a candidate for the Legis-
lnturc 10 vote Tor a particular person
Tor senator conveys with u the tacit
promise 60 secure Tor such candidate
an the votes possible n the inairuc-
lions arc followed. while II l. well
understood that tho refusal 20 receive
such instructions would mean the with
holding OF such support. thus amount
ms 10 species N bribery ON one side
ana intimidation on thu other, which
arr ILLEGAL and essentially Vile. Further
mora.any candidate Cor the Senate who
clnnlycl al SUCH arrangements, or who
To- even prlvy TO ID and glyca u his cone
sent uy not opposing H. la not no 10 be
the lowest and most obscure oficer In
I the Lat. Dot alone one 10 whom the PEG.
pie have 10 look Tor proper representa-
ton and good laws II ~ quite posHl-
hlc that any election gained by such
means could Boz lnyal,datgi ana the
scat lcft without an occupant until
properly nllod.
The "Newa" does not believe the
body polite horoabout Is AFFLICTED In
the manntr Indicated; but Tor fear
some over-ggal1us partisan might
overlook che pr1pr.,,lcu d is as we'll
that the subject have an airing. This
Is NJ, d1nylug ihc rIgh, Of conventions
Go make suggestions az 10 their prafer-
encts. nor o. adopt resolutions fayodug
any particular person. by any means.