The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-03
PRESERVE THE PARTY LINES

Some say that there is a deliberate
intention on the part of a few men
who have been identified with the mi
Eority of the majority party to con-
1inue the deadlock, no matter what
may be the result of the deliberations
OF the investigation committee, and
prevent an election altogether.
This does not extend TO ali the MEM
bers of this fractional minority. how
ever; it includes only those who. having
been elected on a straight Democratic
ticket, have. nevertheless, been identi-
ned closely with the Cannon campaign,
and whose interest in the party. never
considerable. has seemingly vanished.
Now, there are members Of the Dem
ecratic minority whose regulations as
formidable opponents are we'll estab-
lished and whose opposition to the Will
of the majority, however persistent and
demoralizing it may have appeared, has
been made not for the purpose Of de-
feating a Democrat or preventing an
election altogether. but in the attemE,
10 elect a Democrat of their own choice.
When a minority fails, after doing
everything possible to defeat the viii
Of a majority, the graceful, the sensible,
the advisable thing to do IS to yield.
Majorities must rule in a republican
form Of government. Every member
of the legislature represents i majority,
rot only in his party convention, but
at the polls. Grant the right of a mi
nority to ignore completely the will of
a majority and party organizations are
destroyed. 1t has been the purpose of
fuSionists and non-partisans to wipe
out party lines and break down party
organizations in Utah. Genuine Demo
crats and real Republicans alike have
resented these insidious attacks uDon
political alignments in this state. 1t
is 10 be hoped that no Democrat who
honars the party that honored him,
who cares aughJ for its future, viii
permit himself to be used as an instru-
ment in the hands of these designing
party-line obliterators.
Opposition is all right in its time and
plsee. But it should not be founded
on prejudice or perpetuated in malice.
In or6er to inspire confidence or re-
spect. an opposition has 10 have body
of principles TO hold and uphold, win
o.. lose. ia good and evil fortune.
Every Democratic member of The
present Legislature, every Democra.
who has had following as a sena
toriai candidate knows that further op
position to the majority OF the chosen
representatives of the party and tn,
oeopie cannot last another week.
They know the nature OF the crisis
II threatens the Democratic party, no
more. however. than il threatens thu
bonest division upon national part!
lines in Utah. It is welcomed by some
for selfish reasons. by others VINO havr
been vigorously working for q renewa
of the old fight on local issues. Their
is but one way to avert such disas
,er-and it would be a disaster now
when the future seems so fun of peac
and promise; it is the abandonment o
opposi1ion which henceforth can b
nothing but obstruction
Whesher the special commiittee, whicl
has been investigating the ssnsationa
qbarees made by Mr.. Law, eXonerate
he accused or not. the Democrat
members Of the legislature should e
,nfo a caucus and consent to be bounr
by its action.
II the majority report favors Mr.. Ne
,-,,-e he should be allowed TO renaii
i, tl,e race: otherwise his name shoul'
he withdrawn. We say majority re
,,or,o because the supporters Of sena
Tor Cannon, in whose headquarters tn
Rlot was laid and haf"''"d according t