Show IJ I PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES > > Adopted by the Democratic Club of Utah This club shall be known as the Democratic Club of Utah The members of this club do hereby reaffirm and endorse the principles embodied in the platform adopted by the National Convention of the Democratic party held Chicago on the eighth day of July 1881 For u more specific statement of the princi pIes > to which the members of this club will ad here and struggle to make predominant we do hereby declare FirstThat the affairs of government can be safely entrusted to the intelligence of free people Second That all just government is derived from the consent of the governed That every citizen should be allowed the exercise of the 1 largest liberty consistent with the public good and safety Third That in such government a trust is de volved upon every citizen after informing him self upon any question of policy or govern ment to act politically as his best individual judgment would direct absolutely free from I coercion control or dictation ecclesiastical or otherwise While the State has given a consti I tutional pledge not to interfere with religion there is > a reciprocal obligation on the part 01 religion not to interfere with the State For it to do so is dangerous both to itself and the ex istence of free government This would be come the more evident if each of the many denominations should independently engage in struggle for political supremacy Fourth Politically nil men arc created free and equal the priest and the layman must stan upon the same plane Therefore we reaffirm that the affairs of church and State ought to raid must be forever separate and distinct locally and nationally ithLocal selfgovernment is a cardinal principle of Democracy 1 and as such we aflirn and endorse it Onthe one hand a local political organization appeals for the abrogation of all local selfgovernment in this Territory by the establishment of a Legislative Commission On the other hand an opposing political organ ization has afforded by the conduct and declaration of its most influential members the means by which the former might make its appeal successful SixthThe withdrawal of all powers of gov eminent from the people implied in the estab lishment of a Legislative Commission would be to remove all inducement or encouragement to political activity and independence and by the lethargy which would ensue engender utter ut-ter indifference to the exercise of free and intelligent in-telligent political thought and action This would but aggravate the evils which it is designed de-signed to cure and can of course find no support sup-port except by those who believe the application applica-tion of free principles inadequate to human government Seventh To obtain local selfgovernment the Territory must be redeemed from the discredit that has been brought upon it EighthWe shall struggle to make predominant predomi-nant the sentiment that every citizen should and must obey every law until by legitimate agitation if obnoxious or unjust its abrogation or repeal can be secured Ninth Religious belief or fidelity should never be made a tet of political or ollicial pre ferment The application of such a teat tends to the Trninntimi of fill inferior rrflf1n of nfli daIs and often of persons tero ditqualifiec or unfit for the positions they are called to occupy oc-cupy In the selection of oihcers to administer and execute the las fitness for the office should be the only qualification required Tenth To the end that free local selfgovern ment may be secured and participation in national nflairs had and maintained upon the basis of these principles we severally pledge lledge ours to support them and to struggle that they may become predominant and invite all pood citizens who believe that the principles thus enunciated should be supreme irrespect ive of religious belief or previous political affiliations to unite with and aid us to consummate consum-mate this cud J L It VWLIKS President JOHN II BUUTOX SecrcUiy BYLAWS OF THE CLUB ARTICLE IThe officers of this Club shall consist con-sist of a President VicePresident Secretary Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer be elected annually to serve for one year or until their successors are elected or appointed ART 2The said election of officers shall take place at an annual meeting of the Club to be held at Salt Lake City on the Sth day of January Jan-uary in each year unless said day should hap pen to be Sunday in which event on the day following AnT 3ln case of failure to hold such annual meeting the election may be made at the next general meeting of the Club after the time when such annual meeting should have been held AnT JIn addition to the annual meeting general meetings of the Club shall be held nt Salt Lake City on the first Tuesday in April July and October in each year Special meet ings may be called by the President by giving rpnsnnnliln notice thereof AnT 5There shall be an Executive Committee Com-mittee of thirteen members which shall consist con-sist of the officers of the Club and eight other members to be appointed by the President It shall have the general management of the affairs of the Club with power to appoint Sub Committees as it may deem proper and to fill any vacancy which may occur in any office until the next election AnT Any male citizen of the United States may become a member of this Club after receiving the endorsement of three of its members and subscribing to its platform AnT 7All County Democratic Clubs adopt ing the platform of this Clubshall be recognized by the election of the Presidents of the several Clubs to a VicePresidency provided they place themselves correspondence with this Club and transmit a full list of their enrolled members with a correct statement of the transactions trans-actions of their organization from time to tme AUT Any member upon reasonable no tice may be expelled from the Club on a two third vote of the members present at a regular I meeting AnT 9These bylaws may be amended upon the twothirds vote of a regular meeting convened con-vened next after that at which the announcement announce-ment of the contemplated amendment has been made |