The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-14
UTAH's CONSERVATISM. ;

| UTAH'S CONSERVATIVE -
The attitude of the State of Utah
with respect to her acts on some re-
cent occasions is causing comment,
moro or less unfavorable, toward the
State. Utah voted for President Taft,
and was one of two States that did so,
Vermont being the other. And now the
Utah Senate has rejected the amend
ment to the Federal Constitution pro-
viding for the direct popular election
Of U. s. Senators. This causes the
Springfield (Mass,) Republican TO make
the following editorial comment;
The political conservatism OF Utah Is
becoming very notable by contrast with
most OF the States In the vicinity. Its
| Legislature has now rejected the amend
viding. for the direct popular election OF
United States Senators. Utah also was
one Of the few States that rejected the
OF the few remaining strongho!ds OF
! standpatism in tariff legisla tion and Its
| United states Senators, Smoot and Suth-
erland. are among the most conservative
| members OF the upper branch OF Con-
gresS. There Is no reason TO believe that
| they mlsrepresent their constituents, We
do not attempt to account for Utah's po-
although the question naturally Will be
asked whether the States conservatism
does not emanate largely from tho rich
church hierarchy that Is still said to
dominate IN all OF It's affairs.
With respect to the rejection Of the
income tax amendment by Utah, that
was an act OF party perfidy that can
not possibly be excused. The State
platform Of the dominant party eIplic-
| lilly approved that amendment, and
pledged the party to its ratification;
but when the Legislature met there
was opposition, and the amendment was
unwisely and treacherously rejected.
Not one word can be said in favor OF
that rejection. 1t was shameful be-
trayal OF pledge to the public, a re-
pudiation Of an election pledge which
must react to the shame Of all CON
cerned in II.
With respect to the support Of Pres
ident Taft in this State, no excuses
are necessary. We believe that his
tory will vindicate the action Of Utah
and of Vermont in this, and will show
that these two States, comparatively
small and insignificant as they arc
when sized up against the great States
of the Union, were the two that kept
the better faith and preserved the high
er traditions Of this country. The de-
feat OF President Taft was altogether
unjustifiabIe, and the regret at that
defeat viii in our judgment be i'm
mensely keener little further along
than it is now, and viii bo generally
displayed.
With respect to the rejection Of the
constitutional amendment providing
for the direct election OF u. S. Sen
ators by popular vote, the rejection
Of that by the Utah State Senate for
the reasons stated by Senators, seems
to us to be unjustifiabIe; but on the
general proposition, We see no reason
for the ratification Of that amendment,
since any State is at liberty now and
has at all times been at liberty to Sc
]ect its Senators by popular vote if it
so desires. In Oregon the popular vote
determines the legislative choice, and
although Republican Legislatures are
elected, they choose Democrats to be
United States Senators, because Demo
Gratis have carried the election before
iority, Throughout the Southern States
primaries dictate the choice of the Sen
ators, and the Legislatures are merely
recording bodies to register that choice,
precisely as the electoral college is a
recording body to register the choice
of the people at the previous Novem-
Der election for President and Vice
President. 1t is always a good rule
to avoid overlegislation, and to leave
out unnecessary clauses in a Coustitu.
tion; and since the proposition to
elect U. s. Senators by popular vote is
wholly unnecessary, as this can be fully
done without such amendment, we con-
slider that the rejection Of that amend
ment was entirely proper, not only for
Utah but for any State.
The criticism which our Massachu-
setts contemporary makes upon the
Utah Senators is entirely correct. They
are standpat of the standpatters, and
they must assume their full share of
the evil responsibility for the split in
the Republican party which lost that
party the election last November. The
| further surmise that the States con-
servatism is largely based upon the con-
servative views of the rich Church
hierarchy is undoubtedly correct The
outcry in the News to the effect that
there is no hierarchy in the Mormon
Church, of course, must be rejected,
as so much of the protestation and
whining Of that paper has to be thrown
aside from time to time.