The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-21
VOTE FOR ASTATE.
SALT LAKE CITY. May 20, 1892.

SALT LAKE CITY. May 20, 1892.
Editors Herald:
1t seems to me to be the duty of
every man and woman in the Terri
tory, who wish well to the commun-
ity, to vote on Monday for the
State Constitution. Some may say
they do not approve of every SEN
tence in the Constitution. Posi-
bly, not. Very likely not. / cannot
say that | do. 1t is doubtful if i,hy
body does. AL the members of the
convention which produced The
Constitution did not. But it was
the best majority could agree upon.
1t is a good Constitution, good
enough for the purpose, good enough
to provide for a liberal amount of
liberty, as much as most people en-
joy in this country, and much more
than this or any other territory en-
joys, or is likely to enjoy as long as
it remains in a territorial condit-
ion.
The vote for or against theConsti-
tuition on Mond2y is not meant To
be so much an absolute vote for or
against that instrument. as a vote
for or against state form of govern
ment for Utah. That is the great
point for acceptance or resistance,
acceptance [ hope, and for divers
good and weighty reasons.
If all the rights and privileges that
\
reasonably and rightly confer and
allow were enjoyed by Utah, then
the desire for a state government
would not be so urgent. But such
is not the case. Very far from it,
very far indeed, and apparently get
ting farther every year. Underline
present condition of affairs, this
Territory has not half the liberty
that Ireland enjoys, or might enjoy
If her people had more sense, less
inclination to violence and murder,
and were a tenth part as laW-abid-
ing and order-IoYing as the people of
this much abused and long suffering
Territory are. While the British
government is very conciliatory and,
so far as laws are concerned, even
indulgent to the people of Ireland,
being harsh only to the seditions
and perpetrators Of violence, the
government of the United States
has adopted policy exactly the
reverse of this towards Utah, 3
policy of irritation, evaporation,
and religious persecution. The
federally appointed officers for this
Territory are chosen because of
actual antipathy to the we'll known
sentiments and conscientious scru-
pies of the very large majority of
the inhabitants, and come here IN
der a pledge to do all they can in
opposition to those sentiments and
scruples. So a prominent New
York republican newspaper de-
clares. This is not only extremely
inconsistent in a republican govern
ment that processes and has ever
profeSsed the largest liberty, but it
is exceedingly despotic, savoring
more of RusSo-Polish policy than
Of what would naturally be expected
in the democratic republic of the
one of its embryotic states. But
the aforesaid New York republican
newspaper says there never was
political party in power which did
not abuse their power, a dictum that
is evidently very APPLICABLE to the
republican party. The despicable
attempt of the present executive of
this Territory to defraud the people
out of their right of suffrage must
have beer sanctioned by President
Hayes, President Garfield and Presi-
dent Arthur, for all these Presi-
dents have sustained that appointee
in the Office which he SO miser-
ably prostituted to party purposes.
With state government should
come the same liberties as are en-
joyed by all other states under the
Federal Constitution, and especia, ly
a release from the tyrannical domi-
nation of federal office-holders, ap-
pointed because of their avoWed
prejudice, and animosity towards
the people of this Territory. The
gospe. of hate is not the gospel of
my choice. The political policy of
irritation, evaporation, and relig-
ious persecution under color of law
is not the policy for me, nor for any
gentleman or honorable man of any
creed or party. But that is the
adopted gospel, that is the adopted
political policy towards Utah, under
the present territorial form of gov
eminent. 1t is mean, cruel, diabol-
ical. and ought to come to a speedy
emo. For this reason, for all these
reasons, / shall vote yea most de-
cidedly for the State Constitution
on Monday, whether the letter of
that document does or does not
altogether suit me as it stands.
PUBLICoLA.