| Show PARALLELS AND COMPARISONS f i Comparisons are odious said Dr Tohn J eon and Dr Johnson was right Likewise J Like-wise parallels are odious as they bring rt into prominence the shortcomings and f failures of both parties This was done r by the 1 furs last evening in a manner the News alone can do a thing That this article licle 1 is sincere none will doubt that the article is a two edged sword will not be questioned That our governors have been men of mediocrity as a rule is but too true that the members of the Legislature Legis-lature have been men of marked mediocrity medioc-rity is eminently and sorrowfully true Governors have refused their assent to laws the most wholesome but has not i our Legislature refused to pass laws that the common decency of half civilized people have insisted upon It is true and 1 it is wrong that the Governor is given an 1 absolute veto over any measure that the thIt Legislature may deem it well to pass It I is also true and likewise wrong that the ecclesiastical power of the Peoples Party does dictate and control the introduction and passage of all bills of whatsoever nature na-ture in the Legislature of Utah Territory The General Government has taken away the elective franchise from a large number of our citizens but have not a I few and a very few of the citizens who are the leaders of the Peoples Party always al-ways directed and used this inestimable privilege this elective franchise Did the Constitutional Convention which has been so long in labor include in its Bill of Rights the elective franchise Did that august body do anything save adopt the Constitution of the United States and I declare that the Constitution of the State of Deseret should be the basis of their work But we were about to forget that t they did do some other things among which they refused to submit to the vote of the people the proposition whether the proposed Constitution should or I should not contain a guaranty of the right to have the polygamic system in Utah Upon what grounds was this refusal re-fusal based Upon the grounds that we dont want the people to put themselves on record And this a free people whose shouts for liberty rend high heaven 1 The re1plv was fit for Satan when he led away onethird of heavens I host And the Convention was to give Ito I I-to Utah freedom in fact religious freedom was peculiarly its ward so much so that the members of the Convention held a secret caucus in the private office of the President of the Church of Jesus I I I Christ of Laterday Saints and to which some three members were uninvited I they not being of us I Too many of the Federal officers have I sought and probably will cekj to veto I I many bills that would have been of ben I efit to the community arid possibly of more benefit to Mormons than to Gentiles I Gen-tiles But has not the Legislature refused re-fused in many instances to pass bills I merely because the measures wej recommended I rec-ommended in the Governors message I The Governor of the Territory has thought it was the sole duty of the Legislature to carry out his recommendations and when it has not lie has shouted treason called for commissions with absolute powers and written about the flag rending itself loose from the staff because of the insult I offered to the Nation through him when the Legislature refused to do his bidding I The true cause of the fall of the flag that memorable day was an old rope I I I ana a strong wind j that simply that only But have the legislators leg-islators of Utah elected by the people df Utah been more considerate of popular pop-ular rights To do the bidding of their church has been their sole aim and if in any way they have furthered the interests i in-terests of their constituents it has been incidental and not intentional The Governor Gov-ernor and the Legislature have been hostile hos-tile the oneto the other eachhascham pioned a party parties whose principles have simply been antiMormonJand prc Mormon and theso principles have decided de-cided all questions of jH kinds The errors er-rors and blunders of the Governor have been egregious and numberless but no I one man not evena governor can commit com-mit so many enors and of so great variety as thirtysix legislators On the pages of the statutes of Utah I there stands no law against adultery incest in-cest or crimes against the marriage tie u t Thesellaws the Governor has repeatedly recommended and the legislators1 Jiavo as repeatedly refused to enactSurely the I blame here rests not with theGovernor I In proceedingsfor divorce adultery is aground a-ground upon whichit may be granted in the catalogue of crimes adulteryis not found Upon whom rests the odium here In Utah there are prohibited degrees within which the marriage relation rela-tion may not be formed Is this the I Governors fault The Legislature of Utah adqpted a California code in which i a criminal is not allowed bail after conviction I con-viction and the Governor signed it but I the Governor did not ask its adoption The law is harsh but the peoples lawmakers law-makers made it so No the Governor and the Legislature j should remember that they are but parts of a whole and ought to try and work in harmony and not in hostility Let legislation legis-lation be enacted upon a broader principle i princi-ple than Mormon and Gentile and we shall have better laws better feeling and better citizens the principle is petty not I patriotic I |
