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Show 'CONSTITUTION OF UTAH IS NOT RESPECTED. A contributor to one of the Salt Lake papers calls attention to the disregard which our legislators show for the constitution. A day last week certain Republican senators, In explaining their votes In opposition to the ratification of the amendment! to the constitution providing for the income tax, dwelt on the sacred-ness sacred-ness of the federul constitution, at the same time displaying no respect whatever for the fundamental law of their own state The writer says Speaking of constitutional amendments amend-ments the present legislature has ap opportunity to enact a statute malt Ing effective a constitutional amendment amend-ment which has become aged and gray and all but forgotten. This amendment was adopted b the people I of Utah In 1900 Six legislatures have j ! met, run their course and adjourned. I 1 wlthoui having passed a law to put I I this amendment Into force and effect, land, therefore, six legislative sessions I have Ignored th will of the people of Utah as expressed in that amend mnt to the organic law of the state The amendment referred to provides for the Initiative and referendum. B, virtue- of this amendment It Is the constitutional right of the people of Utah to Initiate and propose legisla-i legisla-i tlon, and It Is aUo their right to havo any law passed by the legislature submitted sub-mitted to them before it shall take effect. If they so desire. When It 1t considered that for more than a decade dec-ade these important rights have been withheld from the people of Utah by reason of the failure and refusal of their legislators to malt laws whereby where-by these constitutional rights maybe may-be exercised, the magnitude of the wrong which the people have uf-j uf-j fered because of neglect of duty by their lawmakers becomes manifest. I It may be said that the people had the j right during those past ten year to ! have, submitted to them for their up-j up-j proval or rejection any law passed I by the legislature, except such lawt. as may have been enacted by a two- thirds vote of the members elected) i to each house of tin; legislature. If this amendment had been made ef- I teethe by proper legislation the c't-' lea and towns of the state would not have had forced upon them arbltrar- i Uy the new form of government Tbey could have had it submitted to them for their approval or disapproval, and thus the people would not have been deprived of all voice in the matter ot changing the form ol their local government gov-ernment As to whether one form ol i government Is better than another is n question which ought to he submitted sub-mitted to the people to be affected by the proposed change The failure of the past legislature to enact statutes to make effective this amendment 1ms practically nullified nulli-fied thai part of the state constitution constitu-tion Legislators mav argue that thev are not in favor of the Initiative ir.d referendum, but that is not the pom' All political power is inherent in the i people The people have vested the legislative power of the state in them-selves them-selves as well as In the leglrlature. and the y Save commanded the legislature legis-lature to provide laws under which the people may exercise their legislative legis-lative power regardless of the legislature, legisla-ture, and it is the duty of the legislature legisla-ture to enact such lavs The peo- pie are the master, and when the master mas-ter speaks the servant must obey the mandate een though he holds au I tpluion different from his master The present legislature has an x-cellent x-cellent opportunity of offering proof that it is not recreani to the trust reposed by enacting such a measure as the constitution of Utah demand? Those Republican Btate senators with an abiding faith In constitutional lav I have the way opened to them lo dem- I jousiratc that they are not simply offering of-fering lip-service to the OOMtltU-; OOMtltU-; tlon. no |