Show why the discrimination i much has been read and heard recently regarding the eligibility of W D hammond grand county representative to serve in the state legislature mr hammond in addition to being a mem ber of the lower house is a member of the grand county board of education ake state constitution it is claimed specifically disqualifies as members of the legislature men who hold other positions of profit and trust either federal state or local the utah state press association in pursuance of a policy announced nearly a year ago has protested the seating of mr hammond as a member of the legislature action against the moab legislator has been taken by the newspaper men because he frankly admits that he holds a school board position he has not tried to evade the issue contrary to a belief that may be prevalent in the state as a result of the wide publicity given the matter mr hammond is not a job seeker he did not ask for nomination re to the legislature his party chose him because he was ithe logical man for the place from a political standpoint his previous experience in the house and the fact that his stand on the tax question met with the views of 90 per cent of his constituents made him the natural nominee of his party and the other political party virtually endorsed him by failing to nominate an opposing candidate thus mr hammond became practically the unanimous choice of his county for representative and so it cannot be asserted that he is an office seeker so far as the state legislature is concerned and what about his school position mr hammond was appointed a member of the board of education a year or so ago to fill a vacancy caused by the death of J P miller upon the conclusion of this term mr hammond consented to become a candidate to succeed himself he was in no way active in asserting his candidacy and undoubtedly would have withdrawn had any other cap able candidate entered the field he had absolutely no opposition every voter in his district supporting him so the insinuations of writers in the daily press that mr hammond is attempting to corral the positions of profit and trust in grand county aie disproved by the facts lest the times independent be misunderstood in its attitude regarding this matter we wish to state here and now that we aie in sympathy with the motives prompting the bah state press association in its actions relative to mr hammond the newspapers without any ulterior motives are trying tor force observance of a provision of the constitution which to them seems to be important the press association and the times independent shares these views does not believe mr hammond can legally ibold a position in the legislature and at the same time be a member of the grand county board of education article 6 of section 6 of the utah state constitution does not mince words when it defines the qualifications of a state legislator so far as holding other political or municipal office is concerned and in our opinion the supreme court will hold that this article embodies a fundamental principle of our form of government that must always be upheld briefly the times independent can state its position thus while we have the utmost admiration for W D hammond as a legislator as a school man and as a citizen while we believe he is rendering the taxpayers of grand county a real service by his work in the legislature and on the school board and while we know he is a loyal and influential friend of this newspaper at the same time we believe he is holding his position as member of the tate legislature in violation of the state constitution this is our honest and conscientious belief the times independent is a member of the utah state press association and is in sympathy with the aims of the association which we know are altruistic even though the newspapers attitude regarding the hammond matter may not meet with the approval of the people of grand county the times independent wishes frankly to state that it will support the association wholeheartedly in its move to test the constitutionality of the moab members service in the legislature providing that the press association does not confine its activities to mr hammond alone it is a well known fact that other members of the state legislature hold other positions of profit and trust it is no secret that other members of the legislature have resigned municipal positions with the understanding that they shall be re appointed upon the adjournment of the nineteenth session of the legislature which procedure of course is a subterfuge and an evasion of the law mr hammond has not tried to evade the issue he has not denied his membership on the school board he does not wish to violate the constitution but how about some other members of the legislature why have not the salt lake newspapers broadcast the fact that state senator john E booth is the mayor of spanish fork city and has not resigned this position and does not state senator herbert maw hold a lucrative and responsible position on the faculty of alie university of utah a state institution which he has not resigned and there are other members of the legislature who in our opinion can not come forward and say that they do not hold other positions of profit or trust for forty years laws have been written on the statute books of our state by legislators who have held cither positions and were thus in violation of the constitution if section 6 of article is now to be enforced why single out a legislator who has the courage to frankly admit that he ards another position who has not attempted to cevado the matter by filing a temporary resignation why penalize honesty why place a premium on subterfuge and evasion why confine all this publicity to W D hammond the representative senta tive from a little cow county down in southeastern utah why the discrimination ai f t hast ar i |