| Show growling AT THE UTAH commissioners WE notice that several newspapers which draw their inspiration concerning utah from eyll evil fountains in this vicinity which continually belch forth 49 bitter water have been exhibiting their invincible jg norance ol of affairs la in this terr territory I 1 tory by finding dault lault with uhe the commis sio blo ners their complaints extend to things alleged to be dene and things claimed to have been left un on that mormons cormons Mor mons aro still permitted to vote at the polls is put down as the work of the commissioners that any mormons cormons Mor cMor mons especially alleged are allowed to remain in offida Js Is pointed out as the fault 0 of the commissioners if a ru wro rumor r g goes goeb oes butas it frequently does without u t any fount foundation lation in fact that some prominent mormon I has married another wife or two the commissioners are berated for it when any supposed infraction of the laws of the united states Is said to have taken place la in staby utah those papers papera want to know what the commissioners are doing all the time lime now this appears to us very ridiculous as well weli as extremely unjust if anyone has causero cause to complain about tho the commissioners bent sent here bere to j regulate our election malra maira af it is the mormon people who alone have been adver adversely eely sely affected by their pres preE presence ence and proceedings yet we make mako little or no complaint while persons and papers that have not the slightest alloh test teat cause for grumbling raise a sem eless howl about something that they beem seem to know nothing about the utah commissioners obtain their powers from section nine of the edmunds law in that their duties dutie wand sand and powers are clearly defined they have none but what are there designated before finding fault with those officials or expecting wonderful revolutions and transformations from their administration would it not be at lenat prudent to read the section and find out what they may legally do it will not need a lawyer to explain that other things than those therein specified they may not legally and officially perform it will be found on examination examinations that they are not only not authorized to donny do anything thing to prevent mor mons from voting but are expressly forbidden to exclude from the polls any person eligible to vote or refuse to count a vote on account of 0 the 0 opinion anlon of the perso ix casting castling it on tre tee the subject of bigamy or j polygamy s neither have they any authority to inta interfere with persons already in office on account of any alleged incapacity because of polygamous marriage or otherwise they are not required or empowered to prosecute any one for bigamy polygamy or any other otence against the law their office was not created for the purpose of constituting them a tribunal to hear complaints or determine charges against the mormons cormons Mor mons s they are not even a committee of inquiry or investigation into mornion mormon affairs they are simply appointed to appoint the officers necessary under the laws of the united states and of this territory for the conduct and management of elections also to receive the returns of the votes for members of the legislative assembly and to issue to buch such persons who being eligible shall appear to have been lawfully elected they are to continue in office until tho the legislative assembly shall make maake provision for filling the offices which the commissioners are authorized to then their official existence ceases if they have any other duty to perform except to draw their salaries we would like to have it pointed out i have the commissioners done anything in tho the direction sought bought we think they have and more than they were required to do they have added to the election laws of the terri territory tory a rule of their own en acting compelling all persons persona who desire to vote to take an oath not found in any statute book my by this means they have shut out from reci reRi registration and consequently from voting a large i number of men and women who are not practical some of whom are not now Mormon mormons Mor mons ss in any sen fien seana soana seand many of whom never brase any law of the united states whether in reference to bigamy unlawful cohabitation or any other of fence in this wo we think they transcended their legal bounds but they think otherwise and it re mains for tho the courts to settle settie the question when test cases are brought before them although we take this view of the doings of the commissioners we hav have never enever taken occasion to abuse them for their excess of zeal our oun people have quietly submitted and those who have been injured are waiting a judicial ruling and looking anxiously for some ome cabe or cases caseb tob to ba brought abrought on which a decision c can an be rendered why then should anti antl mormon papers find fault with the commissioners they 1 have done all that has been required of them and more too Is it not because absurd not to bay say impossible things have been expected of them do not our enemies want the commissioners te to trample upon law and right and prevent any one but anti antl emor luor mor imor bonss mons from voting at any election do they not expect the commission ena ens to revolutionize tho the territory and all republican government therein and turn over the immense majority of the people here into the hands of a few unprincipled ambi bious and avaricious persons that in our opinion is all that is the matter with the prowlers growlers grow lers if they cannot be just nor keep their dior imor mony mon eating appetites within rea honable bounds jet them at least look at the law and at what has been done by the commissioners under unger ita and then theng if possible let them exercise a little modicum of plain commonsense common sense |
