Show THE constitution BE DAMNED 11 early last fall members of the utah state press association in various district meetings throughout the state adopted a resolution to the effect that he organization ion would fight to the bitter end the seating of any member in the state legislature who already held public office such seating the press association holds is contrary to the utah state constitution article sl six x section six of which says wo no person holding any public office of profit or trust under authority of the united states or of this state shall be a member of the legislature the adoption of the resolution was made with the knowledge fresh in mind that several previous ious legislatures had illegally held as members men who simultaneously served their respective cities as councilmen or recorders or their school districts as members of the board of education this disregard of the state constitution the members of the press association desired to prevent in the present and future legislatures when the present legislature convened he file press association through its offic officers erb protested the seating of IV D hammond of moab on the ground that he already held one public office in utah that of member of the board of education of the grand county school district the state legislature referred the matter to its committee on elections after due deliberation that committee spoke of course no one was surprised to hear the decision you could hardly have expected anything else from LAWMAKERS in substance the committee said that although the constitution of the state indicated that mr hammond was not entitled to be seated still they held that ONLY the house itself had the authority to say who is entitled to sit as a member of the legislature in other words THE constitution BE DAMNED WE IVE ARE LAWMAKERS AND CAN DO AS WE PLEASE ABOUT SUCH MATTERS it funny that some legislators mayors city commissioners county commissioners and police officers who have been elected or appointed by the people to MAKE and ENFORCE laws seem to get the idea that laws are arc only for the other fellow and NOT for them they are above the law and can do as they see sec fit without fear of reprimand this is not a personal fight between the press association and mr hammond its a fight for a principle for a law which is just as important as any other law in the statutes we hear much nowadays about LAW enforcement undoubtedly the members of the election committee who have decided that mr hammond should be seated regardless of the constitution have made more than one speech before getting to the legislature on the question of LAW enforcement can it be that they like thousands and tens fens of thousands throughout the nation have the idea that LAW enforcement ONLY CONCERNS ONE LAW prohibition we be at all surprised if such is the case because thi thia country appears more every day to have become a ONE LAW NATION if the members of the utah state legislature in session now assembled desire to set a good example for LAW enforcement they should see sec to it that the constitution is obeyed in the hammond case if they dont they merely serve notice on the people of utah to do as they please law or no law one law should not be considered more holy than another they should ALL be enforced or removed from the statutes immediately the LAWMAKERS who have byorn to uphold the constitution of the state should not discard it a week after taking such an oath logan daily herald |