The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-24
REPUBLICAN" CANNIBALISM.

One of the striking things about the
Legislature which has just closed its
session was the abuse visited upon it
by its alleged friends. This abuse, of
course, springs primarily from "the
machine, and welled forth whenever
any Of the measures or persons favored
by the machine did not receive the dis
tinguished consideration which the
bosses desired
First, 1T was the House that was as
sailed. OPprobrium was hcaped upon
epithet in dealing with IL in its atti-
tude of non-servility to the crack of
the boss whip. Speaker Joseph was
a shining mark for the vituperation,
and one, to hear the things said Of
him, might easily have concluded that
his proper place was in Jail instead of
In the Speaker S chair. And, while
much Of this abuse of the House came
from unsuccessful political opponents,
too much of it came from sources re-
putedly friendly-an insincere and dis
astrous friendship, as events proved.
In at least one instance an attempt
was made TO stampede the House by
bringing in the namo of the chairman
of the Republican State Committee as
desiring certain matter, as though it
were the duty Of the House there and
then to give up its own opinions and
purposes and yield to the auiocratic
power supposed to accompany the an
,f Tbo d.
the trick failed, for it was self-re-
specting House, and could not be JOS
tied out of its poise
The Senate also, especially in the
last days of the session, came ia for
more than its share of the malignant
abuse heaped upon the legislators who
would not bend the knee to the auto
cratic power which claimed tho right
to rule Senate, House, and people. The
Senate refused to pass a bill that was
plainly unconstitutional: that opened
the walls of wrath. 1t investigated the
crooked land board, found it was
crooked, and unanimously adopted
report Of It's committee to that effect,
which was amply sustained by evi-
dence. Then it resented the attempt
of the Governor to force it to confirm
his nominations of men to be members
of that board who had been proved to
be unfalthful in the very positions to
which he had named them; and
whose demonstrated acts, heretofore
not unlawful, though wrongful, caused
the Legislature to pass law putting
these acts under the ban of the law.
Now, why should Legislature, nom
inally Republican, thus fall under the
reprobation of those who claim the
beadship of that party' There is but
one possible explanation, and that is
the old one: There are no party poll
tics IN Utah, another interest, another
civic control, is in the saddle, and par
tisan politics mean but breath, mask
under which the real domination is ex-
ercised, This Legislature was nominal
ly overwhelmingly Republican; but it
power, because it was not subservient
enough, 1t did not freely and promptly
obey. a Democratic Legislature show. |
ing the like symptoms of reluctance
would have been under the ban in the
same manner and the same degree.
But the way this Republican Lecis. |
lature has been assailed and berated by |
the mouthpieces of the arrogant autoc-
racy that claims to be IN charge of the |
Republican party in Utah, demon |
strates clearly that no such thing as (
Republicanism or Republican party in.
terests have any place in Utah.