Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-02
A HARD NUT TO CRACK.


A HARD NUT TO CRACK.
Now that the Southern question is in
fair way to settlement through the adop-
ton by Republicans of Democratic doc
trine in that part of the country. leisure
will be afforded to consider the Mormon
problem, which has for SO long time been
source of irritation, and which has re.
fused to yield to any of the specifics APP
piled to it thus far. Governor Neal, of
Idaho, evidently takes an alarmist view of
the situation. He believes that the Nor
mons are reaching out for the centred Of
the Pacific slope, and that they are plant
ing colonies in Idaho and Montana with
this end in view. We cannot 60 as far as
this with Governor Neal. We are not
afraid that the Mormons will ever be strong
enough to obtain control of the Pacific
slope, though it might be too much to say
that they would not do SO if they had the
power. 1t is, however, plain enough that
the increase of this people cannot be re-
garded as the growth of an American COM
munity, and this is serious enough. The
Mormons are virtually foreign organizes
ton, and foreign organization of very
undesirable character. As to what has
| been SO often said about their industry and
thrift, in the first place it has been exag-
gerated, and in the second place there ls
nothing satisfactory in industry and
thrift which are devoted to the establish
ment of gross and degrading superstition,
entwined with a social system which is in
compatible with any progress in civiliza-
ton, and political system which Is more
in conflict with democratic ideas than the
most bigoted Ultramontaniam. Industry
and thriftsare good things when they are
the agencies of worthy objects. Industry
and thrift as displayed by the victims of
slavery, however. are mockeries, and the
Mormons are in many respects little better
than slaves.
The system of proselytism by which
their numbers are recruited, is such as to
winnow from the population of Europe
the least desirable elements. Mormon
proselytes must be fools, to begin with, if
they believe the despicable nonsense
preached by the Mormon missionaries.
If they are not fools enough to believe
that stuff, then they are allured by the
prospect of indulgence in animal seRsu-
atty held out to them. They are as a
rule men and women of very low order
of intelligence, and fitted therefore to be-
come the dupes and thralls of the band
Of shrewd knaves who rule the Church,
and who in virtue of their authority ap.
propriate to themselves all the plums in
the porridge. The Mormon immigration
consequently is a most undesirable element,
aud even if Mormonism was abolished it
would continue to be clog upon national
progress because of its mental inferiority.
There is, in fact, 20 single reason why
Americans should look upon the Mormons
with favor or satisfaction. They are an
eyesore to the country, and their continued
presence has become discredit to our
boosted civilization. It must, however, be
admitted that the difficulty of dealing with
the Mormon problem arises chiefly from
the breadth and liberalism of American
institutions. 1t is hard to manage these
people because the spirit of American gov
eminent is dramatically opposed to every.
thing in the form Of arbitrary interference
with the freedom of the citizen. Every
effort to put the laws of the United States
in force in Utah has failed, because public
opinion was against them, and because
when that is the case, SIS we found long
ago by our Southern experience, trial by
jury and the administration of criminal
law become futile.
When whole community is opposed to
law it can never be enforced according to
the normal methods. In such case it is
necessary to choose between abandoning
the purpose aimed at by the law, and CO.
ing outside Of the normal methods for relief.
| There have been many who believed that
if the Southern States had not been "re-
constructed" nominally when they
were, but had been kept under military
government until the changes consequent
upon the war had had time to become ia.
miliar, the long period of semi.anarchy
and corruption which ensued would have
been avoided, and the time of reconciliation
would have been fastened. The same
kind OF question now confronts the nation
in Utah. With our Southern experience
we have no excuse for committing the
ted the fact that it is useless for Congress
to enact laws for the government of COM
munity which, after all, must have the
last word as to their execution. All that
Congress has done in the way of Mormon
legislation is dead-letter, and all further
experiments of the kind are certain to
produce similar results. 1t is therefore
necessary to determine whether the United
States is prepared to acknowledge itself
worsted by the Mormons, or whether it is
resolved to change its modaS operandi, and
adopt measures the success of which will
not be dependent upon the will of those
upon whom they are to be enforced.
The saariter in modo has been tried, and
has proved to be anything but tortiter in re.
1t would be mere waste of time to go on
in that line, and it is evident that SO long
as the application of the laws depends
upon Mormon concurrence, they will fail
of effect. There is, however, but one other
way of solving this problem. It is by de-
priving Utah of her Territorial Govern.
ment, and putting her under an arbitrary
one. No doubt such step is, abstractly,
obnoxious to American ideas. Just SO sal
utary medicines are often repugnant to the
taste. But unless this is done it seems i'm.
possible to expect any reform in Utah, and
that means the practical triumph Of polyg-
amy and priestly government over the
United States and the democratic princi-
pie. Nor is it as though such drastic