The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-10
LET THE LAW BE OBEYED.

LII TIE LA w bG OGD ED,
Whep the chosen representatives Of
the people. in legislative and executive
positions. refuse 10 obey the plain
mandates OF the law, a very bad cS.
ample is set. We have pointed out re-
Gently some glaring cases Of ignoring
the law, such as the Governor 8 refusal
to call a special election to fill the
legislative vacancy created by the death
Of Mrs. Read. and the refusal of the
successive Legislatures to apportion
this State into Senate and Eeprescn-
tative districts for legislative pur-
poses. These are but samples of many
cases Of ignoring the law.
That this is all wrong and tends to
demoralize the civic spirit OF the com
munity is unquestionable, The only
safety in governments, especially IN
popular government, is the faithful OBJ
servsnce of the law by the officials
and yielding to the dictates of stern
duty by all in administrative positions,
so that the law may be faithfully car
ried out,
We submit the following article GU
this question from a respected citizen
Of Utah as bearing directly upon this
general question, and inculcating
wholesome doctrine in this respect:
Salt Lake City. Feb, s. 1918.
Editor Misunderstanding OF consti-
tutional amendments. the present legia-
ltt,y has ,,,,t- to pI
statute making effective constitutional
amendment which has become aged and
gray. and all but forgotten, This amend
ment va was adopted by the people of Utah
met, run their course, and adjourned,
without having passed a law TO put this
amendment Into force and effect, and,
therefore, six legislative sessions have
ignored the viii OF the people OF Utah
as expressed in that amendment 10 the
organic law OF the State. The amend
,nent referred 10 provides for the inita-
tive and referendum. By virtue OF this
it is the constitutional right
OF the people OF Utah to Initiate and
propose legislation, and II is also their
right to have any law passed by the
legislature submitted to them before it
shall take effect. II they so desire When
II IS considered that for more than q
decade these important rights have been
from the people OF Utah by
reason of the failure and refusal of their
legislators to make laws whereby these
rights may be exercised.
the magnitude of the wrong which the
people have suffered because OF neglect
Of duty by their lawmakers becomes
manifest 1t may be said that the poo
pie had the right during the past ten
years to have submitted TO them for
their approval or rejection any law
passed by the Legislature, except such
avs as may have been enacted by a
.wo- thirds vote of the members elected
to each house OF the legislature. II
.hls amendment had been made effective
.owns OF the State would not have had
forced upon them arbitrarily the new
.orn OF government. They could have
approval or disapproval, and thus the
people would not have been deprived OF
al voice In the matter OF changing the
'orn1 of their local government. As TO
ter than another is a question which
ought to be submitted to the people to
be affected by the proposed change
The failure of the past legislatures
amendment has practically nulliAed that
atoEs may argue that they are not in
avor Of the initiative and referendum
people have vested the legislative power
# the State in themselves as well as
n the legislature, and they have COM
lnder which the people may exercise
heir legislative power regardless OF the
egislat ture, and ii is the duty of the leg
stature to enact such laws. The people |
're the master. and when the ma ster
peaks the servant must obey the man
late, even though he holds an opinion
ii1erent from his master, 1t is as if
he legislature should say. Yes, the
ID the constitution thai It provides that
he people may propose legislation and |
prevent legislation which they do not
Ike, but AS we disagree with the people |
ney, and know better than they. what |
S good for them, we will not pass a |
aw whereby they may either legislate
alton OF which they do not approve"
t is observable that those constitutional |
amendments which meet the approval
,,ciS,. }, me poilt1ea party in power are very
my provisions OF the constitution or
my amendment thereof not be made |
Effective because II does not meet the |
I the legislature can ignore one provis- |
on OF the constitution, 1t can ignore the |
entirely. The legislature |
Would lllcn be supreme and the constl- |
utlon would he abolished
When the legislator holds up his right |
iand and swears that ne Will obey and |
'upport the constitution. Is he true TO |
lis trust when he takes the position thai |
'reme law as shall be pleasing to him
'ut that he will not obey such parts
is do not seem wise to him.
~ remains 70 be seen whether the
present legislature will be as recreant |
n calculating the peoples will In ref
'rence to this important constitutional
amendment as have been the legislatures
u The past. surely the people will not
much longer forbear chastisIng those
representatives. who stubbornlv refuse TO
hey the instructions contained in the
fundamental law OF the State C
TILE GETTYSBURG CELEBRATION.