The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-22
THE KEEPING OF PLEDGES.

In view of certain points connected
with the recent session of the Legisa-
ture, an interesting question has
arisen on the comparative Importance
of keeping pledges and obeying man,
date of the Constitution. During all
the session of the Legislature it was
iterated and reiterated that it was
absolutely necessary TO pass a liquor
bill, not because a liquor bill was
needed but because Republican
State platform had pledged the Legis-
laturc to such enactment. The purpose
of such bill was explained to be so
that we might have in this State local
option. But it was admitted on all
hcnds and was made abundantly clear
by the decision of the Supreme
Court, that we already had local op.
tion IN It's best form. The only change
made in this respect by the legisla-
tion enacted was, that whereas hereto
fore the elections Of the various
"wet' or "drv' tickets were sup.
posed to control and did control
whether liquor should be sold in this
community or not, this law requires
specific and direct elections on the abb
stract question.
AT the same time that such
strenuosity was developed in the
stimulation of legislation merely to
fulfill a party promise, direct man
date of the State Constitution was
quietly ignored during the whole of
the session, and finally absolutely dis.
regarded. We refer TO the matter of
reapportionment. The constitutional
mandate requires (sec article 8, sec
tlon y that cat the session next fol.
lowing an enumeration made by the
authority of the United States,D the
Legislature "shall revise and ad lust
the apportlonment for Senators and
Representatives on the basis of such
enumeration, according to ratios to be
fixed by law" This mandate was
spurned by the Legislature of 1901.
1t was also ignored by the Legislature
of 1911. The former disregard of
this constitutional mandate seems to
have been considered precedent; and
now the ignoring Of it by the
Legislature that has Just adjourned
may be held to strengthen that precc-
dent. And yet, the Constitution is de-
rided, while nero party platform
pledge is insisted upon with such
virtuous imperiousness that the people
are called upon to admire the good
faith of the Federal bunch in whipping
the Legislature into limo on this ques-
ton. The legislators were reluctant, to
be sure. but they yielded all the same.
II appears, therefore, that in the opin-
ION of the Federal bunch party
pledge is Of far more sacredness than
mandate of the Constitution.
In 1901 the changes that had been
shown in the population of the differ
ent parts OF the State were not so
serious as TO cause any great complaint
at the neglect of the Legislature TO
perform its constitutional duty of
making new legislative apportiou-
ment. But within the past ten years
the changes of population have been
failure of the Legislature to perform
its constitutional duty, the refusal of
| the legislators TO comply with their
oaths Of Office, inflicts very serious
hardships upon the masses of tho
population of this Stute. Salt Lake
City aud county are deprived of their
just rights of representation, and so
are tho people of Weber, Utah, and
other counties. 1t is the heavy popula-
tions that suffer, and it is the progress
sivo communities that arc put under
this handicap by the refusal OF the
| Legislature to comply with the consti-
| tutionaI mandate. Here was a Lcpisln-