Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-12-20
THE NORTHWEST.
THE PROBLEM TN UTAH.
GOVERNOR MURRAY DESCRIBES
THE ACTUAL STATE OF AT
FAIRS.
Not Polygamy Alone to be Considered,
but Growing Polygamic Empire.
Bloodshed Inevitable Unless Prompt
Action Is Taken.


NEW York, Nov. 2S.-During 1888
more than $500 Mormon proselytes have
arrived at this port and have been des-
patched hence for Utah. Several times
during the year the officers and agents
of the church have expressed their joy
over the success attending the labors of
their missionaries. April II sixty elders
sailed for Europe to preach the Nor
mon gospel, and October there had
been eighty-one missionaries appointed
to gain converts in Europe and the
South. During the four months pre-
ceding June 5000 emigrants were con-
signed to the care of Mr.. Hart, the Utah
emigration agent in this city.
Governor Eli H. Murray, chief mag
istrate of the Territory of Utah, is in
New York and has been interviewed
by Herald attache. He says: "Ac-
cOrding to the last census our popula-
ton was l44,00O. Ijudge it to he in the
neighborhood of 10000 now, of which
10000 are MOrmons. Some are very
rich and some very poor. The church
is not cooperative government, but
collects taxes and tithes just as any
government would do. On these tthes
Che leaders live in fine style, but the
common people receive no benefit and
expect none. They believe and follow
religiously. what is taught them. To
pay tithes, to live regularly and obey
the priesthood are the three cardinal
principles inbred in the Mormon mind.
Their chiefapostle now is John Taylor,
an English or ScOtchman. He is about
20, of rather fine presence, shrewd,
calculating, polite person, fond of con-
ize the superstition and fanaticism of
the ignorant people with whom he has
to deal. He is a polygamist, and has
several families. He is quite the equal
of Brigham Young considering the diff
ference in the times-now and then.
He is strict disciplinarian, we'll in
formed, and far superior to his subor-
dinates.
"Polygamy is by no manner of means
the chief cause of complaint against the
Mormon people. The chief cause is
THEIR ESTABLISHMENT OF HER
ARCHY
in the United States territory, with
bishops in control, with ordinary courts
and appellant courts conflicting with
those of the United States. A combi-
nation to defy the laws of Congress has
long existed in Utah, and will exist
until it is broken up by military power.
The people obey the laws, but there are
two sets of laws. The territorial gov
ernment recognizes the laws of Con-
gress, and, so far as possible, enforces
them; but the people respect the church
government and look to it for control,
not only in ecclesiastical, but temporal
affairs.
"There are some surprising things.
The Territory Of Utah was formed in
1850. You will be astonished to learn
that since 1852 there has at no time been
lawful Territorial government. The
counties were lawfully organized, but
the Legislature, together with Brigham
Young, the governor of the Territory,
by pretext of different territorial stat
utes, and in order to place the Territory
out of future executive control and
beyond Federal influence, made provis-
ion for the appointment and election of
county officers in ways not authorized
by, but directly in opposition to, the
expressed will of Congress. So that the
Territorial government of to-day, which
has existed for over thirty years, is H.
Legal: gHon . ,4,o,..4 ,o,,;.,o 49,. -, -.
general government. How do you
think it will come about?"
''The collision will come in some
casual way through some incident of Or
dinary life, and sooner or later the Nor
mons will be on one side and the gov
ernment on the other. I have never
suggested the putting down of polygamy
or any other single crime or vice by
military force, and | must not he
swerved from my main point, which is
not to ccnsure polygamy, not desire to
make this, that or the other church
Odious. Those are minor matters in
view of the tremendous growth of q
carefully natured plan to establish a
government on United States territory
which is ~
HOSTILE TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE
UNITED STATES"
"How do you expect to overcome
this%'
'By law, through the. majesty of the
courts and the dignity of civil authori-
tyr
"From the tenor of your criticisms
the country will infer that in your .judg-
ment polygamy is lesser evil, and that
the growth of hostile government is the
chief danger. rs 1t sop
Exactly so. hold that the govern
ment, being fearful of an infringement
upon religious belief, has permitted
agencies deriving their power from the
government TO make laws in the past
that were, and some of them still are,
laws all of which were intended as far
rs possible to establish q religion. This
system continues in force with the added
growth of thirty years. That while the
government has permitted an unlawful
government to exist there under
usurped powers in part, it has regret
to say, allowed Its laws to be trampled
upon and nullified from year to year.