Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-26
poN'r III RIDICULOUS :

The san Francisco Chronicle. which.
ourh, IN know better fans into the err
ror which has been pointed out more
than once IN these columns, that a per-
son convicted ~ nm offcnse againHt IN"
law .ioses his citizenship" Speakinr
" the amnesty proclamatlons. u Ha'f
"u, the terms ~ the proclamation
only those disfranchlsed Mormonn VINO
should faithfully conform thereafter I"
the Edmuuda law could secure citlzcn.
riiip'
The Ignorance displayed In That sen-
,ence IL both marvellous and iamcnta-
bile; yet there are number ~ editors
II influential Journals like the chroniole
who exhibit the same lack Of informa-
tlon.
IN the first place. oitlzenship ~ not
lost or fcgnincd forfeited ar restored
~ action ~ law on executive proclnma-
tlon. what tho Chronicle means. prob
ably II IN. elective franchise. Every
pcfror born In the United states ~
citiAir thereof" that IL United States
law. Every person nnturnligcd under
the laws " the United states II also
n citizen. The elective franchise does
not come by birth or naturalization. u
Ia conferred a. privilege by statute
Each state makes IT, own laws No. &"
the suffrage. 4 woman Il q citizen ns
much ~ a man IN every State ~ the
linton. So II every child born In this
country. uut neither women nor
minors. although they arr citiaonn, have
the right to vote. except that In a few
states suffrage ~ conferred on women
In most ~ the States conviction FOR
felony dcprivcH the criminal Of the right
10 vote. and. generally speaking. that
right may be- restored BY executive par
don. nut whether disfrnnohlnod or not,
the convict Il stiii q citizen. That IN u
point which seems TO b. misunderstood
by n great many people.
In the second place. the dlrfranchisei
Mormona. alluded To by the Chronicle.
were restored To political rights by the
Enabling Act for the ndmiHsl.n ~ Utah
as n state. That act was passed by
Congress and signed by the Prcridcnt
sub-e' ient To the EdmundH Law and to
N, amhcsty proclama,ionn. II super
seeded them all. They were In operation
In the Territory 81 Utah. hut Utah IN
now a State on an equal footing with
the rest Of the States. aud has her own
laws regulating the suffrage. Every
citizen over twenty-one years Of age.
male or female. who has resided a
given time In the state and district, IL
q voter and eligible 20 public office.
Every male citizen with these duailii-
cations and who In ~ proper axe II
eligible TO u seat In Congress
There N one thing NOR" 10 which We
direct the attention of editorial writer's
on this subject. and that ~ that con-
vlctlon for mlsdrmcnnor does not
work forfeiture Of the franchise either
IN Utah or In any other state la the
Union. 20 far aH We are aware, tx
norancc of that fact has caused u
great many comments On N. Utah stu.
alton In leading newspapers, witch
lawyers are likely 10 ridiculc. Fclonlea.
an defined by law. may caua" forfeiture
~ the franchise. but not Of citizenship,
MisdemeanorH do not have either cf-
feet. drantIng that polygamy that IL.
entering Into polygamouH or plural
marriages would BE- fcloniouH, me- such
marriages have taken place Ia utah for
many years. Therefore the arguments
of the Chronicle and other Journals on
Utah AFFAIR. being based on miaun-
dcrrtandlng of both the law ana the
facts, AZ. pointicss. worthless and with.
nnI lnInn.