The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-26
@THE CRISIS IN UTAH"

Governor Eli 81. Murray, OF Utah,
is the magistrate who has earned
some renown By giving his certificate
of election to man who was notori-
ously not elected Delegate to Con-
gress from Utah, upon the ground
that he suspected the man who was
elected OF being ineligible. by reason
Of being an alien o. polygamist or
something. This practice OF giving
certificates according 20 the Cover
nor's view Of the equities OF the case
and not according to the votes cast
would save Congress q deal of trouble
if it were generally adopted, and as
long as the Governor decides q ques-
ton be has no business to decide in
favor of the republican contestant
he will not get into trouble with the
present Congress. Governor Murray
has taken advsn tsge OF the promis-
cuous hospitality of the North Ameri-
can RerieaO to contribute an article
to that periodical on "The Crisis in
Utah." It is the kind of article one
would naturally expect from that
kind OF q Governor, except there is
more patriotic eloquence to the page
than any other article ever contrib
uted to q cold and .heartless magazine
and seems to have been originally
calculated for delivery at " barbe-
cue." Just listen to this:
I'm the present Legislature, during
the discussion OF an insulting report.
unanimously adopted, upon that part
OF the Governors message referring
to this sovereignty of the church over
the United States, the old flag that
floats over the legislative hall rent
itself free and fell from its high and
accustomed place. Its folds, crimson
with the blush OF shame, fell for the
right that was being outraged. the
dignity Of its representative Muir.
ray?] that was being insulted. and
Liberty that was being throttled."
This is what one may cali talking!
CArpere may object to it that it does
not tend so:much to give an accurate
notion OF "The Crisis in Utah" rs to
excite accute emotions touching that
crisis. This criticism may be passed
upon the whole article. AS demon
stration how the Governor of Utah
can 'sling English" it was an
overpowering success. As an indica-
ton what it may be just or expedient
to do about polygsmy in Utah, it has
its drawback. What chiefly excites
the emotions OF Murray is that child
req should be "born into the
world with the brand of il
legitimacy upon their innocent
ioreheads." This state of things
ia undoubtedly very bad; but to Muir
ray it seems 40 awful, and the figure
offs peech 10 which he describes it so
impressive. that he repeats his meta
phor four several times. Even Has
kell ia not 80 consumed by bis indigna-
ton at Mormon atrocities as is Murray;
II is to be regretted that Governor
Murray does not tell US something
about the actual condition of things
in Utah, of which it is impossible
that be should not know more than
his paper contains. But il ia not
given to one man to supply at once
all the eloquence and ell the intorma-
ton that the orisis in Utah demands,
and Governor Murray hes only taken
. contract to supply the former de-
mspd. It is of first necessity, ;or
example, to any national discussion
Ut toe subject. to know what are the
relative numbers of the Gentiles and
he Mormons. Governor Murray,
who tells us everything about the
"Asg" and the "brand," does OF
mention this. He simply admits that
the Gentiles are in a minority"
II they we're not in a small minority,
he would be apt to say 40. The bill
lust passed by the House ia therefore
q bill for summarily disfranchising
| q considerable majority of the people
LOT Utah and leaving all its affairs to
be administered by minority. Such
a project is sure to end in mischief.
It is merelsnd sheer religious perse-
cution, acting not after the judgments
Of courts of Law but by the irresponsible
and arbitrary decieions of ambitious
politicians. To know just how much
mischief the bill will do. We need to
know what Governor Murray might
tell us if he were net so devoted TO
patriotic eloquence. 1t is a great
shame that there should not have
been single public stasemsnt made
thus far that people outside OF Utah
can infer what will be the result of
the law which Congress has passed,
partly as . matter of partissnship
and partly as a gush of sentiment.