Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-01

case (Which Senator Smoot has strong
~ and urgently desired TO bring to an
issue. has been the change IN the
sentiment Of many influential papers
which have had time 10 consider the
merits Of the question before the COM
mttee. The longer the matter Is *
amlned. the thinner and smaller he
come the alleged reasons for action
against him and the clearer appears
the fact that be- is not only fully on
ttled 10 his seat in the Senate, bun is
fitted IN every respect for the position
20 which no was legally elected By the
Representatives Of his party We are
pleased % see. among other enllshlen-
I'd expressions on this point an rdi-
torlal 90 the Boston Transcript NJ May
20, and here append lt In its entirety
feeling that no comment upon II Is
necessary The Transcript says under
tbc heading Trial by Petition.
Sometimes popular petitions mean
something. and perhaps quite ds OFTEN
they stand for nothing more Than a
wave OF impulse Those that repre-
sent AN expression ~ T1tIonal and Wtll-
considered opinion are consequently
Chcapcnod by the ~cnsatl0nall-m ot
others that arc the expression ot mere
cmotioualism on hysterIa Tn se lat
trr tend 20 weaken the regularly cstab.
llshsd safeguards % justice, % uulhty
by force " numbers conclusions that
have beou reached by the most pains
taking analysis of trained minds with
the thread ~ evidence constantly be-
fore them, We are having in our own
state q conspicuous and almost humid
iatng example 90 this. IL Is not ueces-
sary 60 inquire how these many thou
sands ~ names have been obtained
They pretend 10 represent The nas'-d
desire 81 the number Of individual
units whose names appear What hey
actually do represent Is popular
thoughtlessuess and Indifference. II is
simply an aggregation Of improprc-
ties. and falls but little short of pub
DC scandal There are thousands oi
names on those petitions today ~ per-
sons who neither know nor care what
they have signed
THAT is one side Of the question. the
side Of mawkish sentiment trying 20
usurp the functions Of he regularly or
ganlzed and carefully guarded tribunals
OF Justice. The other side is when u'e
same methods are employed 10 osuu-
else and pcnalize a man, public SER
want, for not thinking on some cues
tions az the petitioners think This
grows by what 4 feeds upon and le-
comes persecution. The most cousplc-
uous instance before the country is TIE
merclless bounding Of Senator smoo;
Of Utah. lie has already served o1t
more than half his term and has won
the respect and good will Of his fellow
members His service has shown more
than average ability and usefulness.
lie has one wife and only one, and Pie
conduct as n husband and father would
stand all the practical tests that even
the Mothers Congress would apply. VI
has been am exemplary citizen, n cred
liable public servant and correct IN hls
social and domestic relations.
Yet there has perhaps never been an
other man In this country again'
whom the fire Of hostile petition has
been so relentlessly directed as against
him. Already a million names have
been gathered 20 industriously circuia-
ted and urged requests for his expulsion
These petitions are now neing bound "a
forty-fiye separate volumes. one 'or
each State. and when completed they
Will. a is said. be presented In IN,
Senate as protest against the manner
IN which the Committee on Elections
has been lodging tho question OF
whether OF not Sir. Smoot is entitled 70
the seat he occupies II that does not
bring the committee 10 its knees and
secure action al this session. the threat
Is held over q that the leaders IN this
movement will collect ten million mocs
names 70 back up those already obtain
ed
"No wonder the comitiee has dodgcf
Even Pontius PLATE was hardly IN
more embarrassing position. II hndi
no evil In this man. az least as mon so
hut Il hears that relentless CITY. 'ENpe
him, Expel him. and Il Is not sure
but, Il will have TO do something. Sen,
ators are human. and a shout n loud
enough. moves them. even n they know
there Is neither sense nor reason be-
hind IL. There is getting 20 be alto
gether too much trial by petition In ih.s
country. and 70 isn't always the unintel-
Ugent that fan INTO the trap. We be-
lleve IL was the governor Of one Of our
New England States who cheeriu.lN
signed a petition beginning We me
.t.ta-s, - roiareA ma rents etc