Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-02-20
"crrrzrysnm AND SUFFRAGE"


The question ~ citizenship and ~
relation to the suffrage. seems atill to
trouble the confused mental faculties
Of the local minElcr ~ fact and fiction
on history. law. logic ana journalism
In iaborrd and contradictory disscr-
ta,lon on the subject this morning. "
attempts 10 reconcile it, absurd aHscr-
tlonn with the State Constitution, IN
answer 10 a communication from "in-
aulrcr." who cannot See how they can
be- harmoniEcd. The editor succeeds In
making more ~ a muddic aud a dis
cord OF the matter than ever.
one thing. however. In the reply II
"a new departure for that paper. II nc-
knowledge. but In a laundering way,
the error which u had repeated, sew
crai times. 60 the effect that citizenship
ana sunmgc were the same. IL now
says
citizenship and tho suffrage do not
20 together. citlsonHlip n "a fact the
right VI suffrage ~ not Inherent, but "
u privilege ~ be- granted or revoked
at Will by the sovereign power"
l. II TO be- Inferred. then. that the
suffrage IL NOT "factg' And do not
citizenship ana tho suffrage SO to-
gether. when tho latter II onjoyedf Hut
In the very same paragraph The legal
fogbank says
'The state law of Utah has restored
him TO citizenship"
There N repetition ~ the same
blundcr that called forth the question
from Enquirer" How can state law
restore something that WIS never
lost. ANA Il II were lost. how
can q state law confer or bcstow, OF
grant citizenship In any Way Each
State regulates tho vNerciHe of tho
elective frinohiae. but doca MT xiv.
citizenship. THAT comes only by birth
or naturalization under the laws ~ the
United states.
The fogbank goes on 10 say;
nut no law Of Utah can afrcct tho
status of a man In Washington"
That In from the same paragraph
which Acknowledges this;
I'VE do not question the power of a
State Ca give the suffrage 10 any one
whom II plcaHeu TO-"
Well. the state Of Utah gives the
right To vote and hold office TO every
citizen In the State who Is twenty zone
years OF age. aud has resided IN the
state ana district FOR given periods
That Affects the status ~ a man elected
10 an Office IN the state. whom h. II In
Washington. particularly u he h elected
To an office In which he onlciatcs when
On Washington. \ citizen In Utah H. a
citizen In Washington, and In every
State In the Union. That h settled by
the Constitution VI the United states.
which Is an authority recognized by
everybody but the legal fogbank, which
Jeefs at II Whenever Il II cited In op-
position to tho fogbauk'H mystihcations
and muddlrd notions and sentences.
The EFFORT has been AN along to
make It appear that certain persons
who were disirunchiscd by the Ed-
munds act. are not citizens aud thefr-
fore are not rligihic Co hold office, THAT
Is the fundamental error NJ our ndVcr-
sary, Then II has tried 10 show that the
acts of Congress, which died w FAR as
they related 10 Utah when she entered
the Union as state, are SIN In forrc
here, The contrary IL 80 clear ana easy
Of proof as We have demonstrated
that even our scml-drmentrd coutcm-
pofury ought To be able 10 see II, and
II not willing 10 confess It's blundcr
should cease trying further 10 confuse
:. Ia the public mind.