The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-01
LEGISLATURE IN LEASH.

has the repute of being the humorist
of the house But he made n speech
on Monday Of this week in which there
was no humor, and no attempt at tun,
even sarcasm being absent; deadly car
nestness ruled in il. Our report says
that, at the conclusion of tho address,
ga painful calm settled over the law.
makers, - We should think nothing
more appropriate than that painful calm
could possibly have suited the occa-
sion, MIR. Page was speaking on mo-
tion to place the House Bill 1o9, n
liquor measure, at the foot of the cal
endar, He announced his support of
the motion, saying: 81 do not think
that ii has ever been intended that we
should pass this bill Neither do /
believe that we should be permitted to
pass it if we wanted To. ] have long
had suspicion or inspiration-al-
though | am on the wrong side here to
get many spirations-that bill
would eventually be introduced here
that we would be required to pass,
also have the suspicion or inspiration
that when this bill does come, it will
bear carmarks that will positively
Identify it, so that we may know that
it is the bill that is wanted
When Mr.. Page says that he does
not believe it has ever been intended
that they should pass bill 100. the nat
ural query arises, intended by whom?
And the interest deepens when he sng-
gests that the House should not be per
mitted to pass that bill if it wanted to,
Again, permitted by whoml Who is
standing over the House with an under
stood and recognized power to control
it, and TO have matters go as the
bunch2 2'-iutends or permits?
When Mr. Page gives out his sus-
picion or inspiration that bill will
be forthcoming that the House will be
" required to pass, again the query,
required by wbom' What power is il
that stands in The background able 20
require the house to do its bidding?
When that bill, which the power above
the house viii require the house to pass,
appears, Mr.. Page says that it will be
recognized by It's carmarks, which will
be so plain that all may know that it
is the bill that is wanted. Again, want
ed by whom' Whose wants are to pre-
vail over the House, and to be suffi-
cicnt to prevent the House doing as 1T
wishes with regard to this bill or any
other?
Mr., Page has gone far enough to
arouse the deepest curiosity Of the pub
lie. lie can now. if he will, do even
better than he did in his speech on
Monday. He can tell the people all
such grip upon the House, and why ii
IS that the House must meekly obey
this power and conform to its inien.
tions and desires. We trust that Rep.
resentative Page will not he backward
in coming to the front and shedding
light upon the immensely important
subject which his remarks have brought
to public attention. According TO him,
the House is merely dummy, and IN
ferentially the Senate also, neither be.
ing at liberty TO do as it Will or act
upon its best Judgment, bat must pass
n liquor measure wanted by some hidden
power, in the form which that power
dictates, There is, according TO him,
some power in the background that
overrules the desires Of the Legislature,
determines what shall be done and. in
the meantime. until that power gets
ready TO issue its decree, all other legis-
lation on the subject treated Of must
be held in allegiance, and bills that are
not supposed to conform TO the de.
sires and intentions OF that power are
TO be at the foot of the calendar as
matter OF course
Mr.. Page has gone so far in this
matter that he cannot afford To let
the subject rest He should tell the
people all that he knows about this
mysterious rough rider, and explain how
the power which he so much breads and
yields to, acquired such control over
the legislature, and how that control is
exercised.