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Show A LITTLE PREVIOUS. So to speak, the Legislature of Utah went off at half-cock, when the members grew hysterical in their joy over the dispatch announcing the seating of Mr. Smoot. A little later, those of the members whb can read, learned that it is the rule of the senate not to enter upon any contest In an extraordinary session of that body, called for a specific purpose, but to administer the oath to all new members whose credentials seem regular on their face, and to leave all contests for the regular session. But in their ignorance and malicious joy certain members assumed that the sacred right of petition peti-tion had been ignored by the United States senate, sen-ate, and gloated over the discovery, which merely made' clear that such members have not yet even begun to read the underlying rules which govern legislation in civilized countries. One savant, Speaker Hull, was sure that the fact was established estab-lished "that the right of individual religious opinion opin-ion shall be no bar to political preferment." The congratulatory dispatch prepared by the state senate referred to "the clamor, prejudice and bigotry" of those who do not believe that Apostle Smoot has any right in the senate of the United States. To those who know, those epithets by the church slaves who formulated them, the dispatch reads like a stupendous joke. As to Speaker Hull's remark, that may go, with the remark that in a free country, no man should be elected senator by slave votes. But never mind, until later, only keep in mind that a fish, after he is hooked, is permitted to play before being hauled in. |