Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-20
MAY TEST LAW
IN THE COURTS
c. B. Felt Temporary Chairman
or Citizens Movement, Ad-
vooateS Adjudication.
RIGHTS MAY BE ABRIDGED.
n the Law Is Defective n VIII be So
Pronounced by the
Judge

owing to the fact that continued
attempts are being made in certain
quarters TO discredit the expression "
hundreds OF citizens as to their polit-
ical preferences ia the present cam
paign in the convention conducted in
the interests of a business admnistra-
ton held in the salt Lake theater Sept
Is. some question as TO the legality Of
the proceedings taken at that conven-
tlon has been raised. II is said by
some that the convention. as such, had
no legal status. as the amendments
10 the general elections act passed by
the late legislature specifically provide,
some hold. that convention 70 be OF
legal standing must be that Of party
having cast two per cent Of all the
votes pollod in the political division IN
which it ls held at the previous eiec-
ton. ID is claimed that the nominees
of such convention can have no place
on the official ballot because Of this
condition
1t is without doubt a fact that the
amendments TO the election law az
passed hy the last legislature are ann
bguOus and crucely drawn, nut the
concensus of opinion Is that they
should not. and cannot. In the last anal
vris. abridgc the legal rights Of any
citizen or voter. or set OF voters, ana
that wherein they are FAULTY ana
would seem 20 have the effect or pre-
venting the full and free expression OF
citizenship 90 any voter or set OF Vot-
ers. the courts could not do otherwise
than construe the law and the amend
ments to the law In favor OF the
voters whose rights would appear 10
have been so abridged or reduced.
The Citizens convention met IN give
expression to the feeling Of great
many voters IN the city Of salt Lake
that a change Of administration was
desirable. that the feeling existed That
"a business administration OF the affairs
az the city was needed, and In the form
OF convention called under the
broadcast Interpretation Of the rights OF
representation cOmprehendcd i'm Anerl-
can citizenship, this expression was
made and ratified by the hundreds OF
voters present at the convention. More
over. realizing that il was necessary
TO make the expression OF that gather
ing legal under the laws Of the state
committee was named representing the
sentiment expressed at the convention.
and authorized TO take whatever steps
were necessary 70 render Abe proceed
ings legal by which the wishes and de-
Nlfhs OF the nulANftlt VI aiiiAFh0 anu
voters might properly and legally be
placed before the people at the polls In
November
In speaking Of the matter this morn
ing, c. b. Felt who was chairman OF
the temporary management OF the
Citizens movement. said.
1T is possible that the law IN the
matter is sn awlwardly worded that
the rights OF citizens may be abridged
but n this is the case the only and
final thing that can be done Is To take
the matter into the courts which are
the final arbiter OF the rights Of the
people In these AFFAIRS. II the law Is
defective IL win be so pronounced by
the courts. and II Is generally accepted
that no statute may stand which in
the least manner takes from any citi-
zen his right to exercise In the fullest
and freest sense his rights Of citizen
ship"