The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-09-18
TIE ADMINISTRATION AND THE
MORM0NS."

Way down in Vermont, the home Q
the able and distinguished author OF tn
Edmunds law, there is published
most excellent newspaper, the Burling
ton Free Press aud Times. 1t is sedite,
with rare ability, and 1t Yields not
little influence throughout New Eng
land, because it is much brighter
better and more clever than the aEerag
journal produced way down East
After saying this much, which we cal
do censcientiously we will reproduce
its leading editorial article in the las
issue that has reached the western slop,
of the continent, frst,oautioning people
not to smile or laugh, for the article /;
genuine, and was written by one Of the
most capable editors in Vermont. Here
it is-
The policy of the present administra
ton toward the Mormons is SO far
decidedly q non-committal one. Aside
from President Cleveland's .evas-
i've reply to the Mormon delega-
ton, assuring them, in a general
way that the laws shall be impair
tally executed, no attention whatever
seems to have been paid to question
which is uppermost IN the minds OF a
large portion of the American people
It begins.to look little rs though the
Presidents professions, in this matter,
as well as in.the case of civil service re-
form, were likely 70 end where they
began-in mere words. He has assured
the American people that the laws
against polygamY shall be lmpartlally
enforced 80 alse he has promised that
the principles OF civil service reform
should be put into practice in the
matter of appointments. Everybody
knows how well the latter promise has
been kept; and is it any wonder that
the indifferent attitude OF the admins
tration as regards the former promise,
is exciting doubts whether 1t will not
meet with the same equlvecal per-
Torrance?
There certainly. would seem to be good
ground for the suspicion, on the part of
many Republicans, that the present ad
ministration proposes 70 curry favor
with the Mormons by policy of
acquiesoence and virtual liberation.
And what lends more color
to this suspicion, is the atti-
NlNe'. d}fA open DIOlcSSkOA u SSAuO VI
the leaders of tie Democratic party.
For Instance, If the Salt Lake HERALD
has fairly represented General MeClel-
an, that prominent Democrat has ex-
pressed che opini6a that the policy of
the present administration toward the
Eormons in Utah will be liberal to the
utmost degree. One of the generalsre-
marks has an exceedingly suspicious
look. When asked his opinion of the
raid" made by the United States
against the MormonS by the recent en-
forcement of the EdR1nds law, General
McC' allan replied that he had not
investigated the facts in the case, but"
he added. "all people should have their
rights and the equitable protection of
the law, without regard 10 religion,
anything else. That is democracy,
pure and unalloyed. y In other words,
General Mcclellan falls in with the
whining argumentof the Mormon lead
ers that they have been prosecuted for
their religion, and deprived of their
rights and. Liberties as citizens by the
enforcement of the laws against polyg-,
amy. Ii this is what Feneral Mcclellan
calls Democracy. pure and unalloyed,"
the American people would vastly pre-
fer the adulterated article.
Out here in the west we do not know
to what length in deceit and misstate-
ment party politics will led the parti-
san newspapers; having had little ex-
perlence with political questions that
extend beyond our little local affairs,
most Of us do not understand how an
editor, to make point in favor of his
party viii deliberately MIST. te fact
and claim for his side what the opposi.
ton does. Those who read the above
viii understand how the political editor
manages things. THE HERALD tb;nko
that neither the Republicans nor the
Democrats are entitled to any credit
for the manner in, which they have
dealt with the Mormons.e There has |
been blundering from the first, aad de-
plorable lack of craftsmanship has been
apparent all the time; want of know.
edge has shown itself, and inability to
devise and enforce proper, effective,
methods has been conspicuous in both
parties. Neither party has done any
thing to call forth congratulations for
itself or praise from others. But upon
the assumption that it is praiseworthy
to punish the Mormons for polyg-
amy-the presumption entertained by
the Free Press and Tinses in the
above article-which party should
have praise and which censure? The
facts are that more than quarter of
century ago, the Republicans put in
their platform a plank declaring that
polygymy must go; for tTenty-four
years that party had absolute and IN
disputed control of the nation, with all .
Is executive and judicial machinery.
me most of the time of its Legislative ,
powers. there being no Democrat on tho I,