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Show HI I lg The Layman and the Law Makers ip H J flf I AST week this paper had occasion to take B ' tho Democrats and Progressives to task for the Bj disgraceful proceedings Incidental to their at B tempt to usurp the organization of tho house. In Bj our exposition of the affair, we commended the Bj .Republicans for standing by their guns and for B upholding the honor and dignity of their high B offices. Little did we think then that they too B were soon to fall from grace and belittle both B their position and the parliamentary body to IB which they belong. B When tho Republicans consented to go into B joint caucus with the allies to consider the ques- B tion of the organization of the house, they B stooped to conquer. They did more than that B they dignified thevcause of their opponents. By B so doing, they seemed to say that the"y thom- B selves were partly responsible for the disgusting Bj situation. This was poor politics and bad states H' ' manship. Some were fearful over the probable K results of a continued deadlock. 'Others thought K that they could afford to be "generous," little i dreaming that what they claimed to be gener- K oslty on their part would, on the other hand, Hi show a semblance of self-confessed guilt. To be B consistent with their previous acts, they should r have stood pat and maintained their position, m even if it took the entire sixty days to break the P; deadlock. A break was bound to come sooner Bl or later, and it would have been far better for M all concerned to have it occur, on the floor of the V house in open session than at a secret log-roll- Hj ing shindig. It never pays to compromise right B with wrong, no matter what the stakes. B Then too, the discussion on the floor of the H houso last Saturday relativo to the election of j officers was raw enough to suit the taste of a m cannibal. Representative Oldham's proposition m to split the pie raised a howl, first from one side HI of the house and then the other, that suggested B4 hungry dogs fighting over a bone. For the first Bfij time in the 'history of the house, such words as ffjg "pie," "plums," "spoils," "whole hog," "half a IB loaf," "fifty-fifty" and "divy up," were fired back B and forth acrosB the floor without blush or shame B and with all the abandon of a game of craps. At H that, we fear that the estimable gentleman from B Cache was at fault by provoking tho row. He K should have known that his proposal would pre- B cipitate an uproar, else politics would not be pol-H pol-H ; m Likewise, those who proposed to spread upoa Bf; the records of the house a copy of the caucus Hi . agreement, together with all of tho preliminary B?1 proceedings and the newspaper reports relating Bu thereto, deserve honorable mention and a hero's BJ medal. If, as some say, it requires bravery to HI flaunt a disrespect for public opinion, then no Hit braver men over breathed free air. HuE Nor was this all it remained for this assemb- B&1 ly to smash all precedents by moving a recess HV of the house in order that the several political He units might go into separate caucuses to discuss H the distribution of spoils. When this occurred H the onlookers were treated to a spectacle, as H unique as It was undignified. There was a lively Hi scramble, and then the shouts. "Democrats, this H way," "Progressives meet in the back room," "Re. H publicans, come out in the hall," filled the dignl- H fled old chamber. All the would-be officers who H had been on the anxious seat for a week, be- H came fearful at the sudden turn of affairs and B added to the confusion. Finally the pow wow H i simmered down to a give and take affair, and a B reconciliation was effected on the basis of "fifty- B fifty" with the Republicans taking the choice of iBt' i positions. Thereupon all parties took their seats and assumed a dignified demeanor for the first time during the 1915 session. The compromise was forthwith ratified, the records whitewashed, adjournment taken, until Monday, and we suppose sup-pose they all went to church on the following day. Representative O'Neil hit tho nail on the head when ho said: "It's a dirty mess, and there's going to be a washing some day." He was dead right, for there is a day of reckoning coming for certain gentlemen of the house. Prior to the opening of the session, If any one had dared to venture the prediction that Parley Par-ley P. Christensen would become conspicuous in tho House because of his absence, that person would have been dubbed a false prophet. On the other hand, it was expected that he would at all times parade Ills bulky presence on tho floor of the House, and never overlook the slightest opportunity op-portunity to press his pseudo personality into the foreground. And it Bhould be said to his credit that he ran true to form for exactly one week. Then he flunked out altogether, and at the present writing writ-ing he is still out of the running. Many and various va-rious explanations have been advanced for his continuous absence from the honorable body, but an yet no one has ascribed bis absence and persistent per-sistent reticence to personal timidity or excessive exces-sive modesty. We suspect that the gentleman from Salt Lake is sulking in his tent and brooding over his loss of the speakership. Perhaps in his mind's eye he pictures himself a victim of chicanery, a plot of politicians for his downfall. Supposing this to be the case, which we don't admit for a minute, he should have accepted the situation like a man and guided himself accordingly. As it was, he pouted and became piqued and finally packed up his scenery and jumped the boards, just because he couldn't hog the whole show. Now, as usual with this perennial, he would make a grand stage play to the people, and Beek to justify this puerile performance on the grounds of "principle." But we know, as does every one else, that his sole interest In the whole affair Is as purely personal as 1t Is petty. When he says that they nailed him to the cross, he forgets to say that he himself him-self had made the cross to crucify another. When Parley P. Christensen was elevated to the speakership of the fusionist organization, even though his right to tho high office was disputed dis-puted and subsequently annuled, he was accorded an undeserved honor. Moreover, when he was sustained in the chair for a whole week and then given tho solid vote of his partisans for twelve successive ballots in the joint caucus, the double honor which came to him by chance vas as signal sig-nal as his deserts were small. Had he enough manhood, ho would have shown profound gratitude grati-tude to those men and women who stood unselfishly unself-ishly behind him and battled for him against unbeatable un-beatable odds. And when it was found that his candidacy was impossible, and the tide by force of circumstances turned to the veteran Democratic Democra-tic leader, Parley Christensen should have been the very first man to volunteer his support and the very last to desert the fight for his colleague. And so ihe proved a traitor to the cause, by deserting his comrades while they were still under fire. Be It said to his shame that when the shoulder, straps were taken from him he refused to enter, the ranks., an,d sulked to the rear. Not having the substance in him of which statesmen are made, he repudiated the obligations involved, abused his associates, betrayed his friends and w consequently fell from grace. He is now a politi-cal politi-cal derelict a man without a party or a political friend and we predict that he will bo pointed out for a long time to come as "the lonely member of the house." ' Tho governor's message to the legislature was noteworthy. The chief executive presented a splendid state paper before the lawmakers, the best of its kind we believe since statehood. It I is plain, pointed, and pertinent to the conditions ' and needs of the state which particularly deserve i tho consideration of the legislators. M " ' Aside from the comprehensive summary of the ' character and condition of the affairs of the I state, we were especially impressed with the ad- I monishment to the legislature that experimental laws are expensive, that before enacting such legislation leg-islation the need for It and the results obtained by other states enforcing it should be carefully weighed, and that the finances of the state will not permit "trifling with fads and theories in legislation." leg-islation." In making a plea for the enactment of necessary neces-sary and sane legislation, Governor Spry undoubtedly undoubt-edly voiced the sentiments of a vast majority of the citizens of the state. The legislators will do well by the people, and by themselves, if they give heed to his words. For the people of Utah are in no temper, to tolerate the flood of fads and reforms re-forms that have been sweeping into the legislative legisla-tive hopper during the past week. As we said previously, the patient is more in need of peace and quiet than of medicine, especially such as is i proposed by some of the practitioners. I It was right and proper that .the prohibition bill should be referred to the committee on irrigation. irri-gation. There is no other committee on interior decorating in the legislature. |
