Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-03
A STRANGE COMPARISON

Aii''' lIIe poltlcal condition of af-
fairs in Utah is anomalous. all adj
NIT; that the laws against polvg-
amy have been defed and
broken so often as the violators of them
have chosen, all will admit. We believe
that with the exception of the common
and notorious breaking of the laws
against polygamy it will generally be
admitted that the people of Utah have
not been a lawless, but on the contrary.
they have been sober, hard-worlyinp
ana thrifty people. The only justifica-
tlon OF the practice Of polygamy which
they make is that it is a part of their re-
lgIon. In this they are as sincere as the
majority Of the religious world is in its
professions of religion. That protesting
the teachings and practices of Christ does
not raise them to His unapproachable
standard of life in all things cannot he
brought against the Mormons anv more
than against other religious communities.
Ihat a person or people claim the right
10 DO as they choose under the belief that
they are but following the course nre-
scribed by their religion is no more reason
for according them that right than it is
Tor according it to a person or people who
claim the same right on grounds entirely
secular. In the matter of the relation Of
husband and wife, and all that that i'm
plies, there should be but one authority
to regulate it, and that authority the
State If people under any claim what
Soever Interfere with that authority and
break the laws which it has passed for
the regulation and protection of the mar
riage relation, they should be punished:
but they should be punished for their
acts and not for their opinions. The
practice OF polygamy is the thing that the
law condemns, and that alone. That the
obedience of Mormon people to their
ecclesiastical leaders is almost absolute.
lew, If any, will deny. But is that obedi
ence to church authority, when it does
not infringe upon the law, sufficient iusti- !
fication for carrying into effect many of
the drastic remedies that are proposed
for its cure? That is the important oues- |
ton in Utah after the question of DO t
lvgamy.
Such being the question, we were
somewhat surprised that even the Tri-
buae should make the comparison be-
tween the case of the Mormons in Utah
and the Poles in Germany History re-
cords no more infamous transaction than
that of the partition of Poland; and the
cause of the Poles, and their oppression
by Germany, Russia and Austria,
has aroused more sympathy than
the wrongs OF Greece under Turk
ish rule ever did. The Tribune lauds
Bismarck and condemns the Poles. Bis
marck is great man, one Of the worlds
greatest men, but Bismarck is also bad
man. That Gin the decree banishing the
Poles from Germany our, Mormon friends
may findfood for reflection ''is true. There
is food for reflection in thatdecree, but the
reflections which it induces are that the
Poles have been wronged people,
wronged not that right might be, but :
wronged for greed and gain. Germany is
great and is becoming greater, but though
she were TO dominate the world :
and her word were to become
law throughout the universe, vet she
could never live down the shame of '
her conduct toward the Poles. 1t is
strange sight to see an American paper I
commenting the example of Bismarck to
Americans and justifying the conduct of II =
Germany in banishing the Poles. The q
Tribune says: y
The order simply means that Germany is .
to be at all times ready at all points for war, p
and that men shall not remain upon Ger Ii
man soil, occupy German lands and receive g
German protection, who cannot be relied =
1pon for help and sympathy in the event of q
danger. "
That order simply means that Ger Sc
many is governed by military despot- re
ism, ,tand the only inference to be drawn G
rom the Tribune's remark is that L
{ would wish to see the same despotism th
established in Utah 1t speaks in these tn
erms of the Poles; III
They are but little band, and it is but vi
'etty work for great empire like Germany in
o proceed against them and Danish them, -
ut the act shows how sacred Bismarck WI
olds the covenant of citizenship and how bc
inpatient ne is that any residents of Ger
lany shall continue to refuse TO be Ger eV
lans. In
To talk about Bismarck holding the Sc
ovenant of citizenship sacred sounds like he
rony The act hanishing the Poles tn