The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-02
The Gentle. "AgnOStiO," Again
Speaketh.
Religious Liberty and Local Self
Gov eminent.
Theocraey and lPolygamy Scare
crows.
.'The Sect of Pnritans is InSuffer-
able in any Well Governed
Commonwealth"
Editors Herald:

One of England's greatest poets
and profound philosopher withal,
the author of the Essay on Man,"
Alexander Pope, wrote:
For forms of government let fools con-
test;
Whute'er is best administered is best.
I am reminded of this couplet
when rejecting upon the form of
government of the United States,
under which bare majority (2O) in
caucus, of United States senator's of
either the republican or democratic
party in the Senate, whichever
party may have majority in that
body, can and often does instigate
or prevent a particular class of
legislation, confirm or reject trea-
ties and the thousands of appoint
ments or nominations to Office in
civil and military stations, etc., etc..
but also when contemplating the
anomalous mode of governing the
territories of the United States, and
especially the proposed change in
the matter OIL regulating the
dor" "stic affairs of Utah by
adventurous, irresponsible commits
sioners, sent here to lord it over a
free people, and to fill their itching
palms with illgotten gain wrung
from'this busy beehive. The people of
the United States generally believe
that that government is best admin
istered which places the control of
its domestic affairs in the hands of
the people directly interested, and
that the majority should rule. And
this principls-the most distinctive
of all our governmental institutions
was bequeathed to us by the Pill
grim Fathers. Even that astute
French statesman and diplomat,
Talleyrand, in 1915, writing King
Louis XVIII, said: sThe spirit OF
the present age in great civilized
states demands that supreme au-
thority shall not be exercised except
with the concurrence Of representa-
tives chosen by the people subject
to it."
Local self-government is the real
essence of our republican form of
government, from the school dis
trict or city. ward to the state. It is
one of the most precious of all our
rights, and was plainly intended,
by the trainers of the United
States Constitution, to be in
Guided in the right to life,
liberty and the pursuit of
happiness" for all rights and priv
leges not specifically given by the
federal government, or logically de-
ducible from those granted, to make
them effective, were reserved to the
states. Thus the federal Union is a
government of limited, specified
powers. The necessities arising
from an open aggressive armed re,
bellion, in which the federal govern.
ment was struggling for its very ex.
istence, forced it to contest this
principle Of local self-government
when carried into the crime of Sc.
cession from the Union, and thereby
becoming treason to a legitimate
and necessarily unprecedented eX-
tent. As a war measure purely, the
slaves were emancipated. The woe
and misery and vast bonded indebt.
edness, resulting from that rebellion
| of the southern states, have natur.
ally tended to enShroud the vital
doctrine of local self-goverment
or states rights" with a hateful as
pect. But that armed rebellion be.
ing put down, those states that par
ticipated in it were rehabilitated
with the sovereignty they had pre-
viously held-the only penalty gen.
erously and justly imposed being q
compliance with the Constitutional
requirement to establish "republi-
can form Of gOvernment'-as to
which Congress was the judge. The
point relevant here els that those
states now enjoy the full right OF
local self-government, and are ire
publican" IN form.
Does this cherished principle con-
stitutionally extend to the terrific
ries of the United States? If not,
why not? In common with other
Gentle permanent residents of
| Utah, I am interested to no incCn-
siderable extent in tbs subject. ]
| SAohAAA Iha0 Oll1O ShSllo1Oy VI 4OOol
Self-government is hot only equally
applicable to territories. rs viii as
states, but also, that, notwithstand-
ing the scarecrOw of Mormonism set
up by alarmists, sickly sentimental
lists, satirical wits, adventures, big
OTIS, spectators and spoilsmen, the
entire people here would be in q
more stable, and therefore more sat
isfactory condition, if Utah were at
once admitted as a state into the
Union. She has all the requisites.
A rare opportunity is now offered
the coming territorial convention
called to frame a constitution, etc.,
to show to the world the true senti-
ments of Utah's people, not only
their loyalty, but also their broad
liberation of opinion and their gen
uine republicanism.
The present form of terrific.
rial government is simply that
ofEvassalage, for practically now
all power-executive and iegis
lative, by virtue of the abso ute
veto, is lodged in the power O. the
goYernor-an app0intee of the Pres
| ident of the United States, and who
| is responsible to no one, during his
tenure Of Office, save to the Presi
| 5oD+ OftoD IameOtabIU io0ora f.