Show k t I I A NEGLIGENT COiQIISSIOX I I There is a probability that another election muddle will arise through I the absence and neglect of the Utah Commission It will be remembered that after the passage of the Ed lii I I munds act the President delayed for weeks in the appointment of the Commissioners and after their appointment f pointment the members loitered at T I I their homes when their presence was demanded in the Territory t 1 I The time for the annual registration I tion went by and the work J t was not performed The local I election machinery had been i stopped by the Congressional l1 1 law and the new act was not put < 1 j into operation until it was too late I 1 I to be ot service that year The consequence was the muddle into J t i which official matters were plunged I and from which they have no yet t been extricated The procrastination l i I procrastina-tion and npglect on the part of the 1 i i President and his Commission have S I cast the people thousands of dollars I 1 in lawyers fees and court costs 1 besides casting a shadow upon the I f f titles of many officials and consequently 1i i conse-quently doubt upon important acts l i by those officers In many instances q l 1 men have held office two years i 3 1 beyond the terms for which they i I J were elected and in some cases at I least very desirable changes in lj 1 office were prevented At best i Il I two years more must elapse before b j t affaire can be straightened out and fj d 1 I f gotten into proper and regular toi i I j order hi Now another unpleasantness I threatens to arise because of the i absence of the Commission and the l I J f neglect of their duty Salt Lake t j I City and Provo will or should hold I i 1 I their regular biennial elections on L 1 t February 11th The law and the ril 1 j orders of the Commission require i 1 that certain things shall be done a 1 I f specified time before the election i these have not been done and the 11 I II time for doing them has long I since passed The law caunot t j now be complied with and it maybe JJ 1 i may-be questioned if an election held on n i the date designated in the statute 1 will be legal It is true the Commissioners I J t Com-missioners have a convenient way J of making or interpreting laws tot 1 to-t suit their own ideas and conveni t t I I 1 ence and they may undertake to I 1 legislate to cure the break which l + t their own negligence has created E fl x j but their action will necessarily and 1 I L properly be questioned and doubt J1 i thrown upon the legality of whatever 1 what-ever they may do out side their t ° j plainly marked duty Should the elections in the cities named be 31 I permitted to lapse we may expect t 1 another batch of lawsuits to I 1 settle disputed points as to the i rightfulness of parties exercising the functions of office and on the i l z other hand should the elections be F I t proceeded with in an irregular manner I man-ner as they must now necessarily f j 1 be if the polls are opened it will be j surprising if the courts are not called upon to adjust differences 1 and give the sanction or authorization t i f authoriza-tion of their opinions to official acts I I It is about time that a stop were 1 put to this business The Commis I f 1 sioners are paid fair salaries l i I for performing certain specified clearly defined labor their J duties require them to be in I j jl Utah and not roaming about the 1 I 1 country or lobbying in Washington l 1 II t 1 since their appointment they have made occasional visits to the Territory l I II 1 I Ter-ritory but most of their time has i been devoted to their own private business at their eastern homes i j i Neglectful as they have been of r their other official duties they have never failed to draw their salaries i sal-aries when due If these distinguished i distin-guished gentlemen cannot afford to a live in Utah they had better surrender Y s Yl l t render their offices and let their r r t J places be filled by men who will attend J f r at-tend to the business and not persist j a per-sist in keeping matters in an ugly 1 jumble There are plenty of able 1 men who are willing to take the pay jl t S te t J I I z Iflj s 1 oc Cr and perform the duties of the office and such should be appointed Poor Utah has trouble enough at best without being made to suffer more than is absolutely necessary |