The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-10

ready to enforce respect for itself ano
neonIe but on the individuals own ac-
connt without reference to his citizen
chin IF Cleveland can have his way
the limited States will be regarded oy
the nations of the world in better hght
than it has been for these many years
tits painful to note the PTesloen'
transition from the plane OF loly
craftsmanship to the level OF the vulgar
nolitician. Mr.. Cleveland gives I"o
columns to the silver coinage que9-
ton. treating it as the veriest slave OF
the money lender would do. He az
noses of the ocean mail subsidy matter
| in a manner That must commend MN
as the careful executive. bent only OIL
seeing the law properly enforced anu
the public money honestly expended iof
the best good of the people; and dro-s
down TO the level of the yiolentiypartisan
newspaper editor or hired press CORES
nondent IN the treatment OF the Nor
mon question. How does:this read IN
the most important State paper
that will come from the President, doc
umens that will be a part of the ex-
ecutiye and legislative history OF the
country:
The strength, the perpetuity and the
destiny OF the nation rest upon our
homes. established by the law OF COO,
guarded by parental care, regulated py
Parental authority and sancnhed by
narenfaI love. These arenot the homes
| IF nolvpamv. The mothers OF our
| land who rule the nation as they Wouio
the characters, and guide the actions OF
their sons, live according to Coos holy
! ordinance, and each, pure ana nappS
| in the exclusive love OF the 1atner
of her children, sheds the warm
light of true womanhood, :, upper
verted and unpolluted, upon all WITHIN
! her pure and wholesome family
circle. These are not the cneerless:
crushed and unwomanly mothers OF
nolvgamv. The fathers of our families
are the best citizens of the Republic:
wife and children are the sources OIL
patriotism, and conjugal and parental
| affection beget devotion to the country:
The man who undefiled with plural
marriage, is surrounded in his single
home With his wife and children, has a
stake in the country which inspires
with respect for its laws, and courage
for its defense. These are not the
fathers of polygamous families.
This would sound all right in an anti
Mormon newspaper, and might be
looked for in missionary tract designed
for the conversion of the Saints to
an abandonment of their belief
and practices regarding marriage; but
who will say that it is appropriate
language for a Presidential message?
Old man Hoar might be expected to
talk in this way when pleading for the
passage of a bill for Furnishing the
MormonS, but it is undignified and i'm
proper in an executive message. Vulgar
politicians and bowling demogogues
excite the people with such language,
but Presidents ought not to resort to
this method 1t looks as If Mr.. Cleve-
land were stopping in order to catch
popular applause. No one for a
moment ever hoped the President
would pass the Mormon problem by in
silence, all expecting be would call at
tention to the condition of things in
Utah and that he would make sugges-
tons to Congress; but few thought he
would be otherwise than dignifed and
statesmanlike in his utterances. That
he has not been so will grieVe his
friends and admirers outside OF Utah
who are as much opposed to the
Mormon system as he can possibly be.
We regret that Mr.. Cleve lands
first message which began SO well
and which is generally so able
and brilliant, should have been
marred and dimmed by SO much
that is ordinary and commonplace. 1t
drops him as a man and a President,
and one rises from its perusal with his
opinion of Mr.. Cleveland somewhat
lowered.