The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-10
A FAILING POLICY.

It was in their national cOnven.
ton of 1860, we believe, that the
Republicans first proclaimed against
the "twin .relic," and every foul
years the reafter up to last week.
they repeated themselves with little
if any variations from the original
text. Two years after the first full
minstion, or in 1862, the anti-polyg-
amy law was enacted, and has now
been In force twenty-five years.
Annually on the assembling of
Congress, the five Republican Pre-
sidents have embodied in their
messages recommendations or
suggestions with reference
to the marital practices of
the Mormons. With remarkably
few exceptions the federal officials
appointed to this Territory have
been selected with special regard to
their anti. Mormon sentiments; if
now and then the administration
was mistaken and ssnt a man whose
views were not quite as pronounced
as they might have been, or who
manifested disposition to be less
earnest in his opposition than was
thought consistent with the Repub.
lican platform and sentiment, the
error was quickly remedied by the
displacement of the lukewarm indi-
viduaI.
This has been the history Of
the position of the Republican
party on the ''Utah problem" The
history Of its practice may be sum-
married. with this brief declaration.
1t has waged active. persistent,
vindictive warfare against the Nor.
mons, instituting malicious prose-
BUTTONS. employing it's authority in
a questionable manner, and keep.
ing continually on the alert to not
only enforce the law, but to show
that its "twin relic" plank was
something more than an idle senti-
ment. We need hardly refer to the
results; they are Insignificant and
are familiar to ala people perse-
cuted and annoyed, one CO We
ton under the law, d
the Mormon Church stror- E
and it's adherents firm-r
in their faith to-day than twenty
four years ago when the Republican
convention said they must go.
It will occur to intelligent,
thoughtful men who read the
history Of Republicans in connec-
ton with the Mormons, that the
"grand old party" has gone wrong
with reference to Utah, however it
may have gone as to other matters.
1t must also be apparent that the
error has been one of policy, rather
than of practice, for the practice has
been enthusiastically and vigorously
in line Of the policy as declared In
convention, in Congress, and
on the stump. In the Chicago
convention of last week there was
a suggestion Of change of policy
that is to say, the anti>Mormon
plank was enlarged somewhat and
made to carry recommendation of
an application OF the military In
case the civil power should fail to
erect the cure. This military pro-
position is simply nonsense, un-
worthy serious consideration from
the fact that it can never be acted
upon so long as the Mormons retain
their sanity, and they bid fair to do
that while the Republican party
continues.
In view of the past and in the
light of the present wisdom would
suggest to the Republican organiza-
ton letting the Mormon question
alone for time. Notwithstanding
the earnest and vigorous efforts that
have been made by the party, during
the twenty~four years. crusade, the
solution might seem further off than
ever. If there be way to solve the
problem, the Republicans have GER
tainly not hit upon it.