The 28th Utah Territorial Legislature met in 1888. The regular election for the Territorial Council and the House of Representatives was held August 1, 1887. Earlier in the year, the Edmunds-Tucker Act had further overhauled elections in the territory, disenfranchising women voters (most of whom were Mormon) and requiring that men registering to vote take an oath that they would obey anti-bigamy laws (in particular, the earlier Edmunds Act of 1882). The territory was also reapportioned into new electoral districts.
Session The legislative session convened on January 9, 1888, in Salt Lake City, and ended on March 11, 1888.
Territorial Council President: Elias A. Smith People's Party: 10 Liberal Party: 2
Members
Name Party District County William A.C. Bryan People's 10 Juab John E. Carlisle People's 1 Cache Richard Howe People's 7 Salt Lake Thomas Marshall Liberal 5 Salt Lake Christian F. Olsen People's 2 Cache Lewis W. Shurtliff People's 3 Weber Elias A. Smith People's 6 Salt Lake Abraham O. Smoot Jr. People's 8 Utah Luther T. Tuttle People's 11 Sanpete John P. Wimmer People's 9 Emery Edwin G. Woolley People's 12 Washington John M. Young Liberal 4 Salt Lake
House of Representatives Speaker: William W. Riter People's Party: 21 Liberal Party: 3
Members
Name Party District County Clarence E. Allen Liberal 8 Salt Lake John Clark People's 10 Salt Lake William Creer People's 15 Utah Philo T. Farnsworth Jr. People's 22 Beaver Abram C. Hatch People's 18 Wasatch Levi P. Helm People's 14 Salt Lake Robert W. Heyborne People's 23 Iron Enos D. Hoge Liberal 12 Salt Lake Joseph Howell People's 2 Cache Ricy H. Jones People's 3 Box Elder Elias S. Kimball People's 1 Rich William H. King People's 19 Millard Anthon H. Lund People's 20 Sanpete David C. McLaughlin Liberal 7 Summit Nathaniel Montgomery People's 5 Weber James H. Moyle People's 11 Salt Lake Charles C. Richards People's 4 Weber William W. Riter People's 9 Salt Lake Thomas F. Roueche People's 6 Davis William H. Seegmiller People's 21 Sevier George M. Spencer People's 13 Salt Lake William T. Stewart People's 24 Kane Samuel R. Thurman People's 16 Utah Lyman S. Wood People's 17 Utah
In a possible attempt at subterfuge during the election, at Park City in District 7 there was an independent ticket circulating which matched the Liberal ticket except that it substituted a different candidate for the House in place of David C. McLaughlin. While McLaughlin still won the seat, a saloon debate over the matter resulted in a man being shot and killed.
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