The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-22
REASONABLE SOLUTION FOR a
DISTURBING QUESTION.

The report of the Utah commits
sion has brought the Mormon question
before the country as one of grea
magnitude, fraught in certain event
with dire consequences to its peace
Quite as much attention is nov
paid to Utah and its peculia
social features as was ever giveI
to any issue, calling Tor govern
ment consideration. 1t is therefor,
hoped that both Democrats and Re
publicans, since it is not a politica
question. will join in an earnest effor
to solve impending troubles for thu
good of all concerned. The foreign
as well as the home press devote;
much space to the discussion Of the
Mormon question, and almost with
one accord it is agreed, that if the sug
gestlons of the commissioners and the
territorial governor be adopted wal
must result. The London Tele.
graph thinks harsh intervention might
lead to war, and considers the
Mormons no mean opponent
even for the United States: but it
suggests peaceful remedy, which, if
adopted, would certainly prove more
efficacious than armies. The Tele.
graph discusses the question in the
following fascinating style:
That any civilized country which
has fully recognized the social rights
and position OF a woman could ever
sympathiZe with polygamy is, of
course, out of the question. 1t is IN
fortunate for the United States, how
ever, that they should have set them
selves to redress an evil by means
which their own leading lawyers have
declared to be unconstitutional and
tayrann1cal, and that, when those
means failed to obtain the result
aimed at, they should seem to be on
the verge vi taking the last and most
characteristic step of baffied power,
and call in the army to effect that
which the law could not accomplish.
Of course, it is more than probable
that congress will not consent to the
issue of the necessary orders, for not
only are the elements of that body
more fairly equaliZed than when the
first coercive measures against the
Mormons were enacted, but it. is no.
Iorious throughout the state that,
owing to variety of reasons, the
American people have within the last
two years grown far more just
and unprecedented on the Mormon
question than they were before.
For long series of years
the enemies of Mormonism = not
merely the opponents of Mormon
polygamy, who are of course the
most intelligent and honorable adver-
saries of the saints, but the foes of
Mormon prosperity and cooperation,
who are ''carpet-baggers" and wild
cat spectators" of all kinds, have as
siduously piled the American public
with versions of the state of affairs
in Utah which were drawn entirely
from fancy. Hearing nothing from
the other side, the American public
naturally accepted these versions as
being correct, and the Mormons, be-
cause they practiced the odious Gus
tom of plurality of wives" as they
call it, were set down as so degraded
community as to be blot even upon
a country containing such fearful
types of contemporary society as Ne
vada, Arizona and New Mexico. A
law called "the Edmunds bill" was
accordingly passed, which punished,
and other penalties, all who held opin-
ions favorable to polygamy, and a
commission was sent across the CONT
nent to Utah to find out all the polyg-
amists and proceed against them ac-
cording to the provisions of the bill.
These co nmissioners did their spirit
ing with no unnecessary gentlenesS,
and some fifteen thousand Mormons,
men and women, were declared unable
to vote and deprived of the rights of
citizenship. At the same time these
officials gave to the world their opin-
ion that the Mormons were not at all
what they expected to find them; that
they appeared to bein all respects, ex-
cept as regards this fanatical devo-
ton to what they considered a divine
injunction, excellent citizens. Stimuli
taneously with this revelation the
leading Democratic journal of the
states commenced long series of let
tiers describing Utah and it's people,
giving, probably for the first time, an
unprejudiced account of the surpris-
ing community, and denouncing the
Edmunds bill and its subsequent COM
mission as a Republican job got up for
the advantage of certain partisans,
and altogether unworthy of the spirit
of freedom and generous liberation of
which America boosted. All this
tended to persuade the public that
perhaps they had heard too much of
one side only, and the result was that
congress, when the Mormon question
came up, exhibited marked depart
ure from its previous sentiments of
unmitigated hostility. For this the
Mormons duly offered up their pious
thanks in their tabernacles, and they
began to think that the gust of pop
ular ill-will had blown over. Now,
however, it appears that Gov. Murray,
who is brave soldier and deserved
ly popular man, but very Indifferent
official, has advised that the garrison
of Fort Douglas, which, with its guns
turned upon the Mormon tabernacle,
dominates Salt Lake City, should be
employed for fresh crusade against
the too uxorious saints, and, if by any
freak of congressional temper, Presi-
dent Arthur should see fit to act upon
Gov. Murray's advice, the ground is
all prepared fof one of the most inter
esting conflicts of modern times. Set
tied among the deserts, which theiI
own astonishing industry has con.
verified into gardens, and shut out by
the walls of great mountain ranges
from all their neighbors, the Mormon
people have developed a spirit of in
dependence which has latent in it al
the qualities that a mischievous leader
would desire to kindle disastrous
conhagration. AS a military position
they hold ground which would require
very costly force of all arms, and CO
operating from at!least two sides tt
| make permanent occupation possible
while, if matters come to q head anC
guerilla warfare were the order of the
day, the states would find themselve;
engaged in a war of no trifling dimen
sions. For the Mormons are almos
to a man Of hardy habits, admirabl,
horsemen and mountaineers of tn,
true type. The alternative of anothe
exodus, however, is always open t.
the saints, and though probably the,
would fight rather than abandon thei
hard-won homesteads, 1t is quite pos
sible that they might, like the Beers
"trek" once more beyond the reach O.
American laws--Mexico, for instance
is anxious to receive thern-and ALLOW
their beautiful territory of orchar
and garden to relapse into the deser
savagery of similar gentle" expert
ments in adjoining states. A year O
two would suffice to reduce Utah t.
its original Wret ehedneSs of alkali an