OCR Text |
Show WITH THE LAWMAKERS I WEEKLY RfcVIEW OF LEGISLATURE AND LEGISLATORS I AND SOME COMMENT Did you read that letter on tho I front page of this Issue? Like it? It I wasn't framed quite as diploma tlcal-I tlcal-I ly as some letters we have met up-with, up-with, but tho author Qf It cannot bo criticised for failure to reach tho point without a roundabout approach. ,You might find fault with his use of tho words "Sargent of arms" instoad of sergeant at arms, but his un-famlliarity un-famlliarity with spelling didn't blur his vision of the best house stationery station-ery and the stamps purchased by the state for the transaction of state business busi-ness through the house. The letter which reached tho theaters thea-ters early this week, and a reproduction reproduc-tion of which appears on the front page of this issue, was dated Inst, Saturday, several days prior to the death of the Cardon bill declaring for Indigo Sabbaths In Utah. Thoro is a subtle connection between thoj significance of this bill and the moaning moan-ing of tho written demand upon the theatres which hold open on Sundays. Sun-days. Salt Lake institutions are biennially biennial-ly regarded by certain non-residents as legitimate prey. Not only are the playhouses looked upon as fertile fields for the manipulations of these visitors who are either sent to the legislature by their constituency and those hangers-on who come for legislative legis-lative appointment In the wako of election success, but many other Institutions In-stitutions are also sized up as beno-flclarles-to-be of the biennial attendance attend-ance of these strangers in our midsr. So much &o, in fact, has the habit grown that the expectation of perquisites, per-quisites, favors and commercial blessings bless-ings has spread to the most menial sen ant of either branch of tho logls- IH Jature. It is what some persons H might designate as a, "situation." H Thore are about thirty officois of H the J louse. If the playhouses In Salt E Lake would only hood the Import of UlLthe billet-doux of the "Sargent of i PFl ms" nn( come "cross with the at-Ktracthe at-Ktracthe pasteboards, It would moan Bthe loss of about ?30 per day to the JHplaj house. If the graft could bo w'otked so adroitly that seven amuse-Hment amuse-Hment places could be Induced to ix-Kpond ix-Kpond to tho demand It is not a co-t miest -he officers of the House could ffe entertained each night of tho week j& a minimum expense. It wouldn't Rko long to discover that the play-scs play-scs of Sa.lt Lake would be giving oer ?200 each week to ease tho sciences of those who are unfoi-itely unfoi-itely thrown into contact with tho 'hinery of lawmaking at the ex-sp ex-sp of tho commonwealth, Thoy supposed to servo tho stuto in-d in-d of using that service as a lover ry patronngQ, porquisltos and pet-favors pet-favors from all who may bo ro-Jod ro-Jod as tho target of legislation, iK lie prayer of the House chaplnln --.. should be worded something on this order: Now I lay mo down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to Iteap; if I should die before I wako, 1 should worry! The House should be congratulated for killing the Cardon antl-smllo bill. A Sunday passed under the strictest observance of what the Cache countv Socrates proposed as law would make the day of rest seem a great deal more like a day of agony. It was tno drastic to survive even the eccentric tastes of tho lower House, which, in itself, is traveling at some speed. Salt Lake would be the hardest hit by a Sunday closing law and tho fact that most of the support for the measure came from the outside leads us to believe that some folks want to come to town and toll us how to behave. be-have. Many pof&ons who come In from the rural district for a time on Saturday night and probably a little hang-over on Sunday would feel the irksome restrictions of the Cardon bill quite as much as we hero at home. During tho argument against the bill Dr. Jane Skolfield, a woman member from Salt Lake county, raised tho point that tho majority ul peoplo could not be legislated to church, She said that not over ton per cent of the population of Salt Lake City Is a church-going population. popula-tion. That does not mean that th great bulk of the people are unmornl or are not law-abiding. Jt simply means that tho average American citizen still reserves the right to spend the Sabbath as he chooses. if After all of these years of yelling for an income tnx, it is humorous to note that tho Democrats of the lower House went to sleep the other day and permitted without protest the slaughter of tho resolution declaring for aii Income tax amendment to tho Federal constitution. The Hooper bill to place tho ban on "ragging" at Utah dances still has a spark of life, although It was at tho verge of death in the House this week. Tho bill goes over tho heads of the officers in political subdivisions and prescribes the style of dancing that is taboo. Tho turkey trot, tho Toxas Thomas, tho bunny hug and kindred gyrations are discountenanced discounten-anced by this quiet Torpsichore of Weber county. Tho committeo reported report-ed adversely on the measure, but u tio vote failed to sustain tho ropoit and tho bill went on the calendar. Both Houses passed tho untl-rac-Ing and untl-poolsolllng bill and the governor signed j.t without lyjaltatjon. It is now a law. This week saw an oxoflus of hop-heads and eoko-fitinaVj, sloigh-rldors or what you will, and thn separator that operated upon so re munerative a basis at the outskirts of the city beotvme a thing of the past. H. T". Wilson, general manager of U12 Lagoon Racing association, which has erected a fine plant at Farmlngton, calls attention to tho fact that Utah for years tolerated horse-racing of the bushwhacking order and when a real plant dedicated to high-class spoit was erected, the legislature comes along and puts a quietus on tho sport. There is a lingering suspicion in the minds of a great many persons that when the Lagoon plant is out of commission the old order of racing will be gradually resumed throurhout tho statoi Lawyers appointed by the court to defend porsons accused of crime who lack the funds with which to employ counsel will be paid for their services ser-vices by the county In which the trial is held if tho bill which passe 1 the senate becomes a law. Th measure provides that the lawyers-serving lawyers-serving In such cases shall be paid a reasonable compensation to be determined de-termined by the court, but In no cas to exceed $10 per day. At present attorneys servo In this capacity without with-out compensation with tho result that the service often works a hardship on lawyers who neglect a Iucrntio practice to donate their services in i H criminal case that often lasts sew il H Senator D. O. Hideout of Salt LtUe H Introduced a bill in the senate whieh H provides that in murder cases whfi H the defendant is convicted on purely jH circumstantial evidence he shall l. H deemed guilty of murder in the see- H ond degree. Senator Rldeout hnius H ""(Continued on following page, H |