The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-05-21
CHICAGO LETTER.
CHICAGO LETTER.
The Political Situation Discussed,
Garfield, the Republicans and the
Morm0ns.
Some Suggestions.
Correspondence Of the HERALD.l
CHICAGO. Nav Is. 1881.

j 1 cannot positively neglect the
HERALD any longer, though The
long interim in this correspondence
has been caused rather through lack
of leisure than from disposition to
avoid the labor. There is plenty to
write of; indeed, too much, when
one has so many things in his head
iOf politics we have a surfeit, and
perhaps it would be hardly worth
while TO mention how utterly con-
temptible to the majority of bust
ness people appears the fight trans
piring in the Senate of the United
States. When the democratic party,
a few years ago, attempted to create
a political contest over an apprOpri-
alton for United States marshals,
the controversy seemed foolish
enough, but the present quarrel is
one Of the most absurd of all the
ridiculous features of our political
life, and only demonstrates what an
utter and pretentious show the party
in power has come to be. If there
were any principle at stake beyond
the mere offices involved it might be
more interesting to the average
spectator, but it is difficult to see
any reasonable ground of prefer
|ence between the pretentions of
COnkling and the assumptions of
Blaine. Certainly the question of
civil service reform does not enter
into the controversy, which assumes
the aspect of personal qnarrel be-
tween the two factions of the repub-
lican party. Never was an Admin
istration presented in a light so
disgraceful as that which now
Eliminates Mr.. Garfield's. The
republican coquetting with Malone
for the purpose of securing the
organization of the Senate was bad
enough, but this has been rendered
by subsequent events.
/ judge that the republican press
and the religious influences of that
party have determined to force a
fight against the MOrmOns upon the
Administration, which it is likely
Mr.. Garfield will take up if he
thinks he can divert the opposition
within the ranks from their attacks
upon his political policy. l am not
in the secrets of that party, and so
imagine the war will commence
upon your congressional delegate in
earnest, and anticipate that he may
be excluded, or at least that his
case will be postponed until near
theJ close of the first session
of the next Congress. If the infu-
ences that hate Utah so intensely
make the show that they are able to
do they can doubtless control the
action of the House of Representa-
tives, by virtue of which they will
hope to stir up new develop
ments in Utah and elsewhere that
will give them a firmer grasp of the
and more favorable op-
portunities for continuing their
fight effectively. If they could only
annoy MormOndom into some overt
acts, their fortunes and those of
their political apostles in your terri
tory would be made. But l see no
other way by which such action can
profit them. If the MormOns could
only be pushed to the verge of re-
bellion, as the south was, the way
for. their extinction would be COM
paratively easy. Whether the end
sought would justify the means, the
political parties would hardly stop
to consider.
For one American, l am thor
oughly Disguised with the methods
by the general govern
ment in dealing with the Mormon
question. l am not a believer in
pOlygamy, or in the union of church
and state. L despise a politico-re-
ligiOus hierarchy, and think politics
and religion should each be governed
by distinctive principles and differ
ent leaders. But l do not see how
this government is to discriminate
between religious beliefs, or to pres
cribe what forms such beliefs shall
take, unless the practice under them
is clearly contrary to public morals.
But if there be such right reserved,
why don't the government exercise
it, instead of eternally talking about
it, and threatening to do some
thing. This constant reiteratlOn in
presidential messages of the evil of
the Utah institution of polygamy is
placing us in a most ridiculous posi-
ton before the world. The United
States, with 100000 people, con-
fesses its inability to cope with an
alleged original conspiracy against
its laws carried on by few thou
sand persons isolated from the great
bulk of the community by mountain
barriers and by thousands Of miles
of space. To think, too, that the
morals of the entire country are seri-
ousiy endangered by the practices of
this distant community. and that
the legal resources of the govern
ment are utterly inadequate to cope
with the evil The constant repeti-
ton of this nonsense from pulpit
and press unchallenged, shows that
the people of the United States are
losing their reputation for hard COM
mon sense and practical methods
of dealing with questions of public
policy. 1t is high time that the re-
publican party should be called upon
either TO put in force its ancient
platform for the suppression OF
pOlygamy, or withdraw it altogether
and confess the scheme too large for
it to grapple with. Which will it
do? The people are patient, but not
likalv IN stand Such trihinp much