The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-10-11
THE Liberal PLATFORM.

The Liberals of Utah, IN conYentLoh
assembled announce as their principles
-onD0sitiOn to ecclesiastical rule IN
secular affairs, as it exists IN Utah, ana
to Che continued practice and spread of
Bofh of these practices and the
theories on which they a1e based are
alien. hostile and menacing to American
institutions. One Of t hem has long
been prescribed by law, but the Ia" Is
successfully nullitied.
In view of this fact, we four years
ago called upon Congress to take the
government of this Territory into It's
own hands, through a Legislative Com
mission, to be appointed by the Presl-
dent and confirmed by the Senate o. me
United States. The answer was the Ed
m5nds law, excluding actual polyg-
amists from voting or holding office.
The Mormon propaganda met this oy
renewed pressure to extend the practlce
of poiygamy, and it IS our CONVICTION
that it is now being EXTENDED more
rapidly than at any former period: a
session of the Utah Legislature has been
held under the operation OF the go
Inunds law without any response WHAT
ever to its requirement.. That Legs
lature was coinnosed OF monogOmlStS III
practice. but who were at the same
lime polvgamistS in theory, as their
The reasonable attitude of the Nor
mon leaders was declared by George u
Cannon to q great asSembiage IN the
Mormon Tabernacle on Sunday, Octo-
Der 5th, 1884, in these words, namely:
To-day we are confronted by the TACT
that the United States have pltted theIh-
selves, in their governmental capacity
against US, exactly as we have peeI
taught to expect. Shall we now latter
or give way. or become weak in the
knees, or tremble in the heart Wnen we
see this attitude so cleary detinedf God
forbid!"
We now cali upon the Government TO
accept this challenge, by substituting
the Legislative Commission before asked
for. for the existing pOlygamOus church
government in this Territory. The issue,
twill be seen, is understood and accept
ed by the pOlygamOus propaganda ana
for the Government TO allow the turther
denial Of its authority and defiance OF
its power with impunity will throw open
the door to the direct evils III the tu-
ture.
The above is the platform and declara-
hon OF principles adopted in and by the
Liberal Territorial Convention on
Thursday. THE HERALD publishes it
because it desires the declaration circu-
lated 1t wants the people to read the
platform, and understands how few
would ever see It If the matter were left
to the organ OF the Liberals. Why we
are anxious to spread this paper before
the public is because We want the PEG
PIE to know. the true character of the
Liberals and become fully acquainted
with the purposes, aims and objects OF
that organization. It win be seen that
but one idea runs through the platform
The party has but one purpose, anC
that it openly and brazenly states in {
demand for Legislative Commission
for the government OF Utah. 1t comes
before the voters Of the Territory, the
persons who are interested in the vel
fare Of the Commonwealth, the men ans
women charged with the duty, though
the proper exercise OF the elective fran
chise, of not only making good anC
= wise laws, but protecting themselves il
their property and personal rights, anc
of guarding al the rights of all TIT
people against the encroachments ant
wrongful assaults of others. The Liberal
would not only deprive the people of al
legislative, executive and judicia
power, binding them as only serfs ant
slaves are bound, but have the impu
.dence, the supreme audacity to ask TIT
people 20 assist them in the work 0
deprivation and binding.
A man has been nominated for tn,
office Of Delegate to Congress on thu
platform above given. He endorses ant
applauds it as declaration
of the principles entertained and adyc
Gated by him, and which he asks th'
people to adopt by casting their ballot
for him. Like those who nominated him
be appeals to voters TO cast away
the few remaining rights LETT them "a
American citizens, and forge fetter:
uDo2S their hands and feet. The Liberia
convention and the Liberal candidate
for Congress, in the presentation o.
this platform, declare themselves in
capable and unworthy self-govern
mert in "a republic where the
people for more than century have
known nothing but selfgovernment
and have used their knowledge and
power 70 build upth greatestnation or
earth. They not only make this humI
iating acknowledgement for themselves