Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-04

New York Herald, %.
1t Is more than tweuty>seyen years
since Republican national conven.
ton, seeking for the most opprobrious
way TO stygmatize the establishment
or The federation Of slavery in,Federal
territory, associated II with polygamy
in resolution denouncing both Of
them. -
NNhatever duties that party then
Undertook with regard 10 slavery have
been very thoroughly perlormed-and
in certain particulars indeed some.
what over performed. as regards con.
stitu.ional limits, according TO the re.
cent decision of eight Of the nine
judges Of the Supreme Court, all 40
pointed by Republican Presidents
But from one cause or another polyR.
amy, which 30 long ago as 1856 was
recognized as so barbaric a practice
that The worst Thing found to say about
slavery is that il is twin relic" has
been suffered TO flourish in Utah Ter.
ritory like a green bay tree. The Re
publican party meanwhile has enjoyed
control Of the Federal government 10
all its branches, with few exception
al years In which the Democrats have
controlled one branch Of Congress
But 1t has not pulled pvlygamy up by
the roofs. The utmost thas tried 10
DO isto prune II with such dull and
clumsy instruments as the Poland the
Edmunds bills.
In our opinion, often reiterated.
DOlygamy 10 Utah, so long as the Nor
mons refrain from overt rebellion. is
matter that involves much more astute
stateemanship than was needful IN the
case Of slavery after the slave States
simplifed the treatment OF their
relic" BY rebelling. If the slave
States had limited themselves to null.
iheation the difficulties Of the Federal
government IN deal ng with the twin
relies would have been pretty evenly
balanced. That Is Just what the Nor
mons have done. We print an inter.
view with General Eli Murray who
was appointed Governor Of Utah six
years ago, which explains last how
they have done II and lust how Il
puzzles him TO invent way TO circum-
vent them, notwithstanding his long
Official study Of the ease.
Governor Murray admits that tao
Edmunds bill is an utter failure, lust
as, without pretention 10 extraordi.
nary powers Of prescienoe, we pre.
dicted that It would be, from tho time
the Vermont Senator first took Tho
Utah job in hand, moved perhaps with
a sense OF peculiar responsibility IN
remembrance that Joseph Smith Ard
Brigham Young both were
natives Of his State. The mos
trum" the Governor now calls 70,
Congress 10 administer is the altera.
ten Of the organic act OF Utah, SO a.
to vest its government 10 commission,
Gre, after the ancient fashion Of the
Northwestern Territory, and the re
cent fashion Of the District Of Col.
umbia, with the addition that the
army Of the United States shall be
used as process servers. There is
nothing new in this suggestion any
more than there is 10 the demonstra.
ton that the Mormons are nullifers.
The Governor cannot take out pat
ent for il. II has been discussed by
the press over and over again, and at
the time Of the debates on the Ed.
munds bill the Herald recommended
i as desirable substitute II Congress
should persist 10 the theory that tho
civil power is adequate to deal with
TIE Utah problem. But Governor
Murray deserves the credit Of arguing