Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-20
BoYcoTTING IN UTAH.

The Mormons appear to be strongly in
clined to adopt system of Boyeotting
against tie Gentle inhabitants of Utah and
the rest of the country, and while the Utah
Gentiles are not cowed by the threat, it
may well render them uneasy. Whether
the Mormons can do altogether without the
help of their neighbors is question which
perhaps can only be settled by experiment.
They have however entered largely into
business relations with the outside world
since the completion of the transconti-
mental railroad, and it viii not be an easy
matter for them to cut off all their connec.
tions. Indeed it is by no means probable
that the business Mormous would consent
to be ruined at the command Of the church,
for however subservient the Mormon
masses may be, the mercantile class is
composed of far higher order of intelli-
gence, who cannot be dictated to and brow
beaten. The enactment of the anti polyg-
amy bill has naturally created very
sore feeling Men who have been allowed
to defy the law of the land for genera
ton with complete immunity, are not
likely to submit without protest when at
last they find themselves cornered. But
it is for them to consider what possible
advantage Boycotting can be to them. II
they could drive out all the Gentle pop
ulation Ct Utah, they might, perhaps, be
able to continue their illegal practices
some time longer. But this they cannot
hope to do, for there are enough Gentiles
in the Territory to support themselves, and
there can be no doub. of their ability to
subsist, even if all the Mormon trade was
hand, it may be said that Boycotting the
Gentiles would throw all the Mormon
trade into the hands of their co-religionists,
and thus strengthen instead of weakening
the community. This would result to a
certain extent but it is equally plain that
the plan could not be carried out without
injuring the projectors of it almost as
much as the Gentiles.
Persistence in such a method would of
course have the effect of compelling the
Mormons to fall back upon lower plane
of living and civilization. For if all inter
course between them and the Gentiles was
cut off, they would be entirely dependent
on themselves for everything and they
would have to curtail their demands, and
to go without great many conveniences
and comforts. 1t is true that they would
probably not be worse off than they were
fifteen years ago, but even such retro
erosion would be a severe blow to them,
and the most pertinent consideration is
that it could not after all prevent the ap-
plication of the law. In fact, it is not pos.
sible for the Mormons by any such policy
to evade their obligations. Their leaders
have for many years been preparing their
own humiliation by telling the people that
they did not care anything for the power
of the United States. Now they are
brought face to face with the necessity of
submitting to that authority, and of course
it goes against the grain. But Boycotting
or Lo BoYcotting, the work of the Commits
sioners under the new law will have to be
done, and the heads of the Church may as
well realize first as last that they do not
possess the means OF either resisting or
evading the law.