Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-19
The Speck OF War In Utah,

The state OF affairs In Salt Lake City Is re-
ported to be serious. and ARRAYS between Nor.
mons and Gentiles may occur at any moment,
but there Is not likely to be any forcible resist
ance to the Federal authority. Several causes
have conspired to create irritation amongst the
Mormons, one of which Is the confinement In
the penitentiary by Judge Foreman of Bishop
George @. Cannon, the Mormon delegate In
Congress, and his two associate executors of
the will Of Brigham Young. for contempt of
court. Judge Foreman seems to be carrying
things with a pretty high hand, and 1t Is
thought by many who have no sympathy with
the Mormons that his action In this mat
Ter was Illegal and altogether unJustif1aole.
This and other grievances brought about a
state of feeling In Utah that found expression
In the Deseret Ne,cs, the church organ, In utter
ances that have been construed as threatening
opposition to the L. s. laws. Some heated re-
marks Of Joseph Fl. Smith at the Tabernacle
services on the succeeding sunday, In which
he advised the people to arm themselves and
to keep their powder dry, was held to be q
further Indication OF a determination by the
Mormons to make armed opposition to the en-
forcement OF the laws. The Deserct Ne,cs of
the 18th, however, denies that 1t has ever
made threats against government officials, or
has said anything against the enforcement of
the law. 1t defines the Mormon position as
follows:
The M,cs has expressed, In a small degree,
fhe Feelings OF the large majority In regard to
the vile crew that seek to stir up strife and in
woke hostility. The possible collision to which
we have alluded Is none Of our making. And
our structures were applied only to the gang OF
unprincipled adventures who have been libel
ling US without stint or disturbance for years
and who have recently given us an example OF
The Christian manner Of dealing with diff
cultieS OF this nature.
We ale against the sneaking, cowardly vii
lains who defame our leaders, heap opprobious
epithets upon our wives and children, lie
against us by lightning and by the press and
Introduce Into our midst the vices and cOrrup-
tons which are running the world, and who
when Tebuked for their 1niguity raise the cry
OF rebellion against the government II there
are any such among the officials foisted upon
the people by this free and liberal republic, we
are opposed to them Also not because they are
Federal appointees, but for their damnable
W1ckednesS and miserable meanneSs. 1t makes
no adherence to US whom the cap fits. Those
10r whom 1t Is not suitable need not try 1t on.
But II 1t Is the right measure for any dlgn1tary
or attache OF church or state he can understand
Il as meant for him. We are not to be scared
Dy the bogus ghost OF government force, nor
stricken dumb by threatened terrors invoked
by the carpetbaggers who are disappointed
at not making money out of the "Mormons."
plainly Of and to Them
While the Mormons will get little sympathy
In their attempts to sustain their peculiar In
st1tutton OF polygamy, 1t Is doubtless true as
they assert, that the crusade against them in Salt
Lake City by certain Gentlles, Official and other
wise, has selfish purpose. There Is no doubt
that ring OF spectators are at work there to
egg On collision between the U. s. government
and the Mormons In the hope that the latter
VIII De driven from their possessions In Utah,
and that they can gobble them up easily. In
dealing with the Mormon problem care should
be taken by the government not to play into
the hands OF this greedy gang OF speculators.