Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-16
THE PEOPLE OF UTAH.

discussion The people of Utah are moi
thoroughly understood by the world; in
fact they do not thoroughly understand
themselves. The people of this Territory
have many and sterling virtues, but they
have not all the virtues which they claim.
What has been their work in Utah, and
what is the claim they make consequent
upon that work? We will endeavor to
show what their work has been and what
their claim is, and whether the work JUS
titles the claim.
The work OF the people of Utah has
been the work of the pioneer, valuable
work, and one requiring many valuable
qualities to perform. They came to Utah
a band OF exiles, and they thought here
to find the rest from strife and contention
which they found not in the lands OF
their fathers. They found Utah a wild
and uninviting place but. filled with hope
and dreaming OF the world which is be-
yond the grave, they felt contented, be-
cause they felt that haven of rest had
been found. Rest was found, and with
rest there came prosperity, and the land
which at first sight was their sorrow be-
came their joy. Isolated and alone, 'far
from the madding crowd ignohle strife, :"
they built up a commonwealth, not upon
a political basis, but upon an ecclesiasti-
cal basis. 1t was, as Bruton has said,
democratic theocracy. The people had
the forms and the political divisions of a
State founded upon the plan OF the States
OF the American Union; but all this was
had to further the purposes and power of
the church to which the people belonged,
namely, the Mormon church. Ii man
became recalcitrant politically, he was
chastised enthusiastically. The validity
and policy of law were determined not in
accordance with the interests of the State,
but in accordance with the interests Of
, the church. The State, with its forms
and authority, was the means, while the
church was the end All this was for
one purpose, and one purpose only-the
preservation of religious rights 1t was
the privilege of the church to determine
and define these rights, but it was the
duty of the State to defend and uphold
them after they had been determined and
defined. Many rights were claimed in
those days that are not pretended to in
these days. Among the rights claimed
in those days, and to which pretension
has not been relinquished in these DAYS,
was the right to define the status of the |
family and say upon what basis it should
be founded. As every student of gov
ernment knows, and as most people ac-
knowledge without question. to deprive
the State of the power to establish the
status of the family is to deprive the
State of the power to be. And yet it is
this power which the people of Utah
claimed, and exercised, as religious
right
The people of Utah claimed and exer-
cised this power and gave the family
status in accordance with their ideas.
What was the family SO founded, and
what status was it giveno The family SO
founded was founded upon the polygamous
system, and this system was chosen be-
cause it was the system of the PASTORAL
patriarchs of the Bible Ii the men of
ancient Israel were polygamists, and
these men were chosen of God, why
should not the modern Israel found the .
family upon the polygamous system of
Israel OF old? 1t was SO founded, and
The people of Utah persist in maintaining
t upon that basis. .
As one OF their great works, the people
'f Utah say they have turned this Terri 7
ory from a desert into smiling and
,ounteous fields; and this is true.
hetaphorcally speaking, they have made 8
The desert to blossom as the rose."
they have built many towns and villages,
md through their system of immigration, q
which is church system, they have =
iven homes and plenty to many who : :.
therwise would never have had homes,
r known of plenty save through the dis :, :
ress OF want. They have been sober =.
nd industrious, and have greatly helped :,
civilize and open up the Great West :
hese are their virtues, and due credit
as not always been given the people for a,
hem. v.
til
M what are their claims? They
aim 'dse night to found marriage sys- r.
I'M which is in direct antagonism with :.
he civilization of their own country and g. g.
cN2ry Christian country on the globe. a..
vstem which they claim a right to -
und and practice is forbidden by law, a =.
w that has stood the test of an appeal u, ~
the Supreme Court of the United States
nd declared valid; but the people of Utah ~ ~
i'll persist IN their practices, and as a ~ ~
stidcation for their claim and as a pal- ,,r
alton OF the charge against them of -
10 ,aw, they cite the works a.,
hich thcy tare accomplished in the
,rritory. Doe heir work justify their p't
aim and then violation of the lawp y"
lrther, is that work of such a nature
ID OF such value that the State should W
needle to the church a right more es- a,.
ntial 20 the STATE, perhaps, than any 49,,
her? Orto put tiie question in another r., 1:e
m, is the WORK o' tlie people of Utah s;s
developing the mate ial resources of m
Territory, ard psriiaps advancing the -, -,
rk OF civilization, and making habita- =,
} the Great West, quarter of a century. ,''
ch as to justify an addiction on the f''''