Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-28
AN INVESTIGATION FOR UTAH.

The Petition and PrObeSt winch were
presented to the President last spring
asked for an investigation for Utah. Ii a
thorough investigation of the condition Of
things in Utah could be had, we are salts
fed it would be a good thing for Utah.
Probably there never was an honest and
impartial investigation in this world, and
probably there never will be. Ii the
actual condition of things in Utah could
be made known to the President there
would be no need OF making any sugges-
tions for the cure of our evils, because
with true and complete knowledge
the President and Congress could
diagnose the case and apply the
remedy. This knowledge they have
not got, and this knowledge they
viii in all probability never have.
The great trouble in obtaining such
knowledge is that no two persons look at
the matter in the same light, and all
parties may be thoroughly sincere in their
views and think them true, and still these
views may be directly opposed to the
views of another equally as sincere.
Another great trouble is, that entirely
separate and distinct things are con-
founded. Many things are charged
against the Mormon people which have
nothing in the world to do with law or
politics. One of the most frequent charges
against them is that they are superstiti-
GUS. Well, what if they are, has that
anything to do with the actual question
in Utah? No doubt every religious sect
thinks every other religious sect super
stitious, while non-adherents of re-
igion look upon all religions as
superstitions. In one case there is as
much ground for the charge of supersti-
ton against one as against the other
Superstition is generally the belief of one
which another disbelieves.
Another charge brought against the
Mormon people is that they pay one
tex of all their property to their church.
ta.., is that any persons business save
.4s PERSONS who pays the tenth? What
concern can it be of another's whether a
man pays one tenth of his property or
nlne-tenths Of if to his church so long as
he is contented, and no one is harmed
IS man any more unfit to be citizen
Of country because he believes in
modern prophet than one who believes in
al sncient prophet? These are among
the things which have been confounded
with the -olitical condition of Utah by
those who have desired to see needed
changes rr5t hit.
The Alollncn people themselves have
confounded separate and distinct things
with the real question in Utah. When
the charge is made that Utah is continu-
ally agitated because of the discord which
exists between her and the rest of the
Union, the Mormon people invite an in
spection of the work they have done in
Utah, and they ask, and ask Justly, if the
homes of Their people do not show in
dustry and thrift? The homes of the
Mormon people do show industry and
thrift, and are the evidence of MANY
sterling qualities. But the fault with
this evidence is the same as that of the
evidence cited against them and referred
TO above, it is totally irrelevant to the
issue. The issue in Utah is whether
polygamy shall be suppressed or whether
it shall be allowed to continue unmol-
ested. That is the question in Utah.
Where such a doctrine and practice are
among the cardinal principles of re-
ligion, and they have been legislated
against and the practice made crime. it
is strange that in country like America
there has never been any political agita-
ton OF the question by those processing
belief in the doctrine and the right to
practice it. But such is the case with
polygamy in Utah; and although it has
occupied the attention of the entire ma
ton, more or less, for quarter of a cen.
tury, still no mention OF it is made in the
statutes of Utah, and it has never been
mentioned in any platform of the Peoples
party, and very rarely by the Delegate in
Congress. This is an anomaly in Ameri-
can politics, for in America all questions
which assume any political Importance
are fully discussed upon the stump, and
the views of different political parties
upon such, questions find expression in
their platforms.
While we have very little faith in the
good to result from investigations, still
we are not sure that some good might
not come from an investigation of the
situation in Utah. If the right sort of
men are placed upon any investigating
committee that may be sent, they can
easily make the people of Utah define
their attitude on this question of polyg-
amy and force the issue upon them
whether they purpose to desist in the
practice of that doctrine or to persist in
it. AS we look at it this is the Utah |
question, and We should be glad to see it
thoroughly investigated by Congress and |
finally settled.