Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-28
DIR. MILLER ON THE UTAH CUES
TION.

Elsewhere we publish a letter from
DR.. George L. Miller, to the Omaha
Herald, OF which paper he is editor In
it he gives his views on the ever discussed
and never settled Utah question. Among
men of influence and reputation, DR..
Miller has been pre-eminently the friend
OF the Mormon people. When others
have spoken Ill OF them he has spoken
well OF them. When others have con-
demned their faults harshly he has
looked upon them with leniency When
others have stood the foe Of the Mormon
people Dr. Miller has stood their friend.
Such has always been his attitude towards
the Mormon people. Very recently he
has been in this city, having left the city
a week ago this morning, looking on the
Utah question as it is. He is fully aware
OF the feeling which exists throughout the
country in regard to polygamy, and he
fully realizes that that feeling is as intense
against pologamy as was the feeling fthe
North that slavery must be abolished and
the Rebellion crushed on the morning
that Fort Sumpter was fired upon. Do
the people OF Utah know what that feel
ing was? 1t was the feeling that their
cause was the cause ofhumanity and free
dom; that to further it they would sacri-
flee home, friends and life itself; and it
was the intensity OF this feeling which
carried them through to victory 1t is
this same feeling that DIR. Miller SO fully
and keenly realizes as existing to-day
throughout the North and the South,
the East and the West on the
Utah question; and his great desire
is, if we mistake not, to have the
people of Utah realize and appreciate the
existence OF this feeling. What does he
say regarding the doctrine and practice
of polygamy? He says there is no place
in the world outside OF the Orient where
it viii be tolerated for moment, if estab-
lished. Do the people of Utah think that
if they were to emigrate to the islands of
the South Pacific the Continental Powers
which are striving for supremacy there
would permit the establishment of polyg-
amy upon any OF the islands, that is, by
the Caucasian race? They are mistaken
If they SO think. But it has been said
that the Mormons are looking toward
Mexico and that already they have pur-
chased considerable tracts of land in
Northern Mexico with the hope OF estab-
fishing polygamic colony there. What
is the latest news from that quarter
1t is that the Mexicans have
begun warfare against polygamy,
and the telegram announcing this
says there is well founded rumor afioat
that demand has been made upon
President Diaz that he rescind the grant
OF land in Northern Chihuahua to the
Mormons. At the back OF all this there
is the Roman Catholic church urging it
all, and it should be remembered by the
people of Utah that the Catholics are as
dominant and intolerant in Mexico as the
Mormons in Utah. If the establishment
OF polygamous colony in Mexico is con-
templated it would be well for those who
contemplate it to look at all these facts.
DR.. Miller gives them no hope in this di-
rection or anywhere this side Turkey and
the East. The Doctor thinks it would be
best for the Mormons and all parties
concerned if the Mormons would put them
selves in accord with the institutions and
laws of the country, and he is right. No
people can be forever breaking the law,
and defying the authority OF a govern
ment without some day coming into
conflict with that government. The Gov
ernment of the United States accords
religious licerty to all, but the Govern
ment cannot allow that this shall mean
liberty TO set up unit OF the State en-
tirely different from and repugnant to the
Government as founded Under no pre-
text nor conviction can the Government
allow any church TO usurp and exercise
the powers OF sovereignty; and that is
exactly what the Mormon people in Utah
are endeavoring to do. The Government
of the United States was not established
for the benefit and protection of those who
desire to override its laws and say what
shall be and what shall not be constitu-
tional. The Mormon people assume that
it was established for this very purpose
but it was not. The people OF Utah are
in a great dilemma, and they are anxi-
ously and eagerly enquiring to know how
they shall extricate themselves therefrom.
They can do it very. easily by needing
and taking advantage of Dr. Miiler's
. comment upon the action OF Bishop Sharp
in promising TO obey the law. This is the
comment. 'eThe recent brave act and ex-
ample OF Bishop Sharp, in which he reg
istered in his own heart first, and in the
court afterward, the solemn vow that he
would obey the law as his highest duty
to his religion, believing still that his re.
ligion was right, points the lcay to the o1als
possible ending of this difficult and dan
gerous CONTROVERSY" Dr. Miller, the
friend of the Mormon people, points the
way, and the only way, by which they
can escape their great dilemma, and we
sincerely and honestly hope they viii
tread it.
Utah AT NEW ORLEANS