Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-28
DR.. GEO. |. MILLER.
His Reflections Upon the Mormon
Question as Viewed In Its
Stronghold.
No Alternative For the People Of the
Territory but Final Submission
to the Laws.
The Utah Commission "Superflu0us
Fungus" Of $4,000 Year.
SAT- LAKE Cry, Utah. Sept. 81.

SALT LAKE Cry, Utah, Sept. 81.
Some notes of my journey to Utah were
sent TO the Herald yesterday, to which l
venture to add few more to-day, with
special reference to "the Mormon ques-
tion," which is as old MS the memory of
Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. l
find the Utah air heavy with the bitter
ness of unreason in the passionate con-
flict between Mormon and Gentle, and
between Mormons and the federal
executioners of the Edmunds law
for the suppression OF "the twin
relic" Assaults upon this peculiar
institution in the last sixteen years tended
to harden the elements here into soidity
in support of polygamy that could not
have been done in any other way. That
is very natural result. Left to itself,
polygamy would have died of its own
weight in free contact with the outer
world. Such contact given, and the seeds
of dissolution were self-planted within it.
No such institution could live anywhere
this side of the Orient against destroying
association with
THE HIGHER AND BETTER ORDERED CIVIL
IzATIoN
That has ruled in Christian countries for
nineteen centuries. 1t cannot live now.
Oppression will come, if my Mormon
friends do not find the solvent and seize
the opportunity, and it will come in such
form and with such force, under the COM
mands of vehement and venemous
public opinion, that the injustice Of to-
day will to them mere child's play
in the comparison. Argument has ended
There is no room for debate. No religion
can successfully stand in revolt against
the solemn resolves of u great and power
full nation of people whose highest judi
cial, legislative and executive tribunals
denounce the practice of its leading article
OF faith and doctrine as a crime against
the State. 1t is sheer madness and I'M
mixed folly to contend otherwise 1t
simply invites destruction and degrees of
incidental wrongs upon the people of
Utah OF which an angry pub
lie opinion will take no note, and
with which it will not stop long enough
to have the least sympathy. Legislative
commissions, arbitrary power, universal
Acknowledgement, confiscation of church
property, and all the resultant evil, are
among the possibilities of these Mormon
people unless President Taylor, Mr.. Can
non, and other brave and able men i'm
prove their opportunity to avert the COM
ing storm. Can there be any doubt
about this? Can my powerful neighbors
and friends fail to see it2 "But," says
one IAN honest and sincere man of in
telligence), eve may be driven out again
as we have been BEFORE" as if ready foi
the sacrifices and sufferings OF the past
"Where," was my answer, "will you be
driven to? Not under the sun of heaven
this side OF the Oriental countries is there
q spot on the round earth
IN WHICH PoLYGAMY WILL DE TOLERATED
Any more than il is here in the Salt Lake
valley" / have heard no intelligiblt
response to this argument in respect t.
the remedy OF second migration. This
however, | may say, is not seriously
contemplated by these people. The,
hope, but hope in vain, for better solu
ton. The recent brave act and exampl,
OF Bishop Sharp, in which he registered
in his own heart first, and in the cour
afterward, the solemn vow that he woul,
obey the law rs his highest duty to hi
religion, believing still that his religion
was right, points the way to the only pos
sible ending Of this difficult and danger
GUS controversy. George @. Cannon il
prison will not prevent the most disast
rous consequences to all that is dear t
him and to his people, in my opinion
The way is 80 clear to this people that
cannot comprehend their hesitation +
accept it. But | have no word of abus
or insult for these founders of Utah
&c pt,;
and they have done n great work. The
are entitled to every possible considera
ton, and have abundant sympathy fror
one who has known their work and thei
worth these many years. Abuses hav
been here. Wrong acts have been CON
mitted by the controlling men in Utah
Ambition for power and the lust of il
natural human hunger for place an
wealth here as in every other age an
time, have wrought injustice and wrong
Copceding all this, and the concessio
amounts to no more than that what ha
happened here constitutes the warp an
wool of the worlds history since this
history began. Behind it all, and befor
it all, lies mountain of blessing to
great many people in this world VIII
o never knew what it was till they wei
9 transplanted here under Brigham
Ioung's system to own spot of eartl
pig, a cow, or SO much as hut or hove
in their own right, nor did they have
shadow OF hope that such OWNERSHIP
could be theirs in all their weary live
used to say twenty years ago that tn
government in Utah was the best an
cheapest government in the Union.
believe it can be said now. Capital erin
is so rare that prosecuting officers of IL
law for its punishment know very lit
about it, The public morals, represente
by GENTLE and Mormon, are high an
good, although the gambler is here
force. He was not here at all when
. first saw Utah.
Federal officers here are not charge
with corrupt oiienses. The commissiC
under the Edmunds law ought TO be abe
ished as costly and superfluous fungi
/. at $50 600 year" unless it can DO COZ
he posed of first rate statesmenIwho could
b. instructed to do something more than Q
i. ecute II law that could easily execute
self without the help of this useless cor
mission.
ID BUSINESS is DEPRESSED IN SALT LAKE CT
~ From other causes besides those that a
Is general throughout the country. Con
IS dence is shaken by the "irrepresst
ts conflict" and business is dull. AT I