Show commissioner DS MINORITY REPORT THE minority report of the utah commission signed only by brave general mcclarnand ernand appeared in hift saturdays WEEKLY in company with the majority re p pirt rt it IR a fair and candid statement of facets and a consistent and co argument its ita conclusions will commend themselves to every unprejudiced reader and persons who may have been prejudiced must be convinced if reasonable that the minority report dissipates many erroneous impressions pres conveyed by the report of the majority COMMISS commissioner IODer mcclarnand ernand holds views that cannot be successfully con trover ted like judge carlton he takes consistent democratic ground ani and contends for the rights of mor mons in common COMMOD with other citizens cit izena who obey the laws and shows the wrong of any attempt attempt to take from them any political power unless for conviction of crime this gentleman does not hesitate to acknowledge that registration officers appointed by the commission have particularly in the large cities illegally st stricken the names of duly qualified citizens from the registration lists hots and have unlawfully deprived members of the peoples People lo party of their right to vou vote this Is important in view of the attempt of the maj majority crity of the commission to justify the action of their registrars and to maintain in face of the dA damning lAning facts patent to all utah and placed beyond doubt by testimony la in the courts courte to the contrary that the elections under their administration have been conducted honestly and fairly we do not agree with the gallant general that there is in no remedy for the evils he admits except the power of removal we believe that while A changes chang es to la the laws lawa governing elections are desira desirable blet yet if the present laws were administered according to their meaning and intent the trouble complained of would be greatly les lee amed if not entirely removed if proper prope r persons 1 were chosen as the law requires and placed under bonds to perform per forni registration and ancl election J Tu ties instead of strong partisans parti irresponsible und under er no obligations i waked out to serve a faction and promote its interests one evil would surely I 1 v be cured if other persons than vier the registrars were appointed to hear objections judicial officers as ai the law provides from whose judgments appeals could be taken 1 mat would be a sufficient remedy for another evil and the very provision that the commission recommends to make neglect of or refusal to perform an election duty punishable to is already in the election laws of utah but to is not enforced the commissioner takes no stock in the unsupported statements of registrars to which so much importance is by the majority and he be frankly supplies good evidence that their gossip is without foundation by citing the official statements of the judges of the district courts he also gives a condensed but accurate account of what the mormon Pl people have done in the way of bringing themselves into accord with the nation on the only question of dispute between them the question of division on party lines he treats with candor and the figures and facts he presents contrast forcibly with the petty quibbles and shallow sophistries sophis tries of the majority re port his statements are in the interest of no party or faction but are made regardless of any such consider actions we call him brave gen me Cl demand ernand because he be dares to tell what he believes to be the truth and to advise whal what he believes to be the right policy in spite of the hostility of those who have so vindictively ab abused used him for his course in his absence and he has bas the courage singly and alone to speak the truth concerning the mormons cormons Mor mons though it puts in a very bad light the concoctions concoct ions of his colleagues he has one cen consolation his statements and arguments have not been contro averted those who have assailed him have ridiculed and berated him while his narrations narration and conclusions have re untouched if we disagreed with gen me mc Cl ernand in his opinions and deductions we should yet entertain respect for the stalwart old veteran for for he is so evidently honest and fair in all that he says and believes but there is not a statement he makes which can be fairly denied and the sentiments he utters are beyond question american and republican to the core if the indisputable facts and patriotic suggestions of f the minority report reportage aft weighed and considered in connection w with alth the rumors and insinuations of the majority report we have no fears as to the result in the minds of reasonable readers general mcclarnand McCIer ernand nand deserves the gratitude of the people of utah |