The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-07
sENsELEss COMPLAINTS.

The grumbIers are finding faul
because in the late conventions il
this Territory the Mormons nomln
ated Normons for Office. Now tina
the election has been held, as
matter Of course there will be {
howl over the result, the Mormon
tickets having be81 elected. Did il
never occur TO these fault-fndeTs
that republicans usually nominate
members Of their party, and for the
past twenty years have been
IN the habit of electing them? that
democrats nominate democrats and
vote for the nOminees2 that even
Zreenbackers take up men of their
peculiar political faith? Then why
not the people of Utah elect their
own friends 60 office instead of
their enemies? IT. IS true, the Ed
munds law contemplated the de-
struction OF the Mormon political
power, It was the design of the
trainers of the act to legisiate the
control Of the Territory into the
hands Of the minority; but they
reckoned without their host. The
number of polygamists had been
recklessly magnifed. The astute
legislators believed that by dis
franchising the muchly married,
male and female, the homogeneous
members of the church might be out
voted by the anti-Mormons, and the
Sproblem" put in fair way for ad-
iustment by the peaceful and easy
agency of the polls. How griev-
ously they were mistaken was
shown at the election last fall, when
4 larger vote and a larger Mormon
majority than ever were thrown.
The DISTINGUISHED actually nuns
bered so few as to appear insignif-
cant when the votes were canvassed.
And now the doIeful COMPLAINTS
heard Jhat the acknowledgements
amount to nothing, because the dis
frsrchised exercise an influence in
The nominating conventions, and
an say who should be put into the
Offices. This may be true, or il may
not, buff it be true what is ANY,
body going to do about it? It would |
be an exceedingly difficult thing for |
even the able Congressman to Iegis- |
late against a man exercising his |
influence in the community. The |
a5tute statesman, Senator Edmunds, |
aided by the best trained anti Nor
mon talent in Utah, would not know |
how to frame a bill that would |
prevent citizens listening to the |
or following the lawful |
advice of an alien even. Suppose
were to express his con-
yiction that it would be- wise to |
elect Tilden President again, could
Senator Edmunds make a law to
prevent the voters of this county !
with the British states !
man? There are some things that
may be done, and others that may
not, and it strikes us that legislat-
ing against a political party making
aWful nominations, and legal citi-
ems voting for eligible candidates
g one of the things that cannot be
lone. The EdmundS law declares |
nat certain persons shall not vote
,r hold Office, it does not say their
friends also shall retire from the
ield Of politics and ofice-holding;
lor is it among the proba bilities
hat any law can be enacted that
will attempt the latter.
The disappointment and chagrin
3f certain grumbIers come from the
act that they magnified what they
ne pleased to term the Utah evil"
ut Of all proportion, and the
-uth being made known they
re annoyed at their own folly
nd previous Yerdaney in accepting
ock-and-bull stories about the
Iormons. Nobody can find Just
ause for censuring the Mormons
or what they are doing with refer
nee to the local offices. They have
he power to say who shall admin
ter public affairs for them, and the
nquestioned right to exercise that
over. It is very natural that they
ill exercise it in their own interest
nd in their own way, just as Meth I
lists. Gentiles, Catholics republic
rs or any body else would do; and I
is altogether improbable that they s
ill work to the mischief OF them
lives by aiding their enemies or 8