Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-11
TAKING COUNSEL.

men and women of Provo and Utah
county as to their duties in the coming
August election. OF course the Enquirer
praises the Peoples party as being all
that could be wished, and more than
could be had other ways. The Peoples
party is neither so good as its
members claim it to be, nor
so bad as some of its opponents
say 1t is. 1t is the party OF dictation, say
what its members may, and man as an
individual has no consideration with it.
The welfare of its members, and of citi-
zens at large, is an incidental object, not
the main one. The main object of the
Peoples party is the control OF the po-
litical affairs of the people for the fur
therance of the interests OF the Mormon
church. The Peoples party is probative
kingdom OF God on earth. All mem
bers OF that party are counseled
not to follow the advice of men OF expert
ence, but to follow the advice OF their
leaders, be those leaders aged men or
young men with the down of youth upon
their faces; be they wise men or be they
rash men the capacity and character OF
the leaders have no weight in determin-
ing the advice which is given TO the young
men and women of the party in the mat
ter of following the example OF men OF
experience. The leaders of the Peoples
party are appointed, not chosen. To the
young people who are just coming OF
age, and who will cast their first vote
this August, the Enquirer gives
this ADVICE: "We say to the young men
and women, choose, but let your choice
be wise" That advice means choose
the Peoples party, no matter what con-
clusion they may arrive at after the most
careful and thorough investigation of the
facts as they are and a survey Of the poll
teal field as it is. IT is the advice OF the
timid and conservative, which holds that
the wise is the established; it is the ad-
vice which says there is but one object
oiiO Dut Ol0 lI6IJOu VI dlldlulilS llldG
object, and it is not confined to the
Peoples party alone in this Territory. 1t
is the position Of the Liberal party as
well, which says there is but one method |
OF making political fight in Utah; and |
that party also has said that in union |
alone is any hope and strength and that |
party, too. has told OF the experience of
some Of its great men, and it has been
held that age and profession of political
creed entitle them to great and
reverential consideration. The character
and ability Of the man, together with
he breadth of his view and the
iepth of his thought, are the
hings which make mans experience
't value and worthy OF consideration.
Age gives opportunity for experience, but
lge does not give weight and worth to
experience; they are tested by other
'ules.
Further on the Enquirer says: at is
'etter for blind man to be led by an
acknowledged and tried friend, than for
'ne who is not blind to follow in the foot
'teps of corrupt and vicious men," Is it
quite certain that those who would al
ways lead are not blind themselves? And
I one does not follow the conventional
cad, does he always walk sin the footsteps
II corrupt and vicious men?" There is
Tery much talk in Utah about the wisdom
'f following tried and trusted friend.
md OF how much better it is to pursue
he old beaten track, no matter how
ough and out of repair it may be, or
whether there is better one, but if one
rles little different path, it is strange
low soon the tried and trusted friend for
'akes the poor wayfarer, and says there
aever WAS any good in the wayfarer. The
acknowledged and tried friend" stands
~ the blind and inexperienced lust
o long as the blind and inexperienced ,
blow the leadership of the "acknowl- :
dyed and tried friend" but not any
onger no, not even during the 'twinkling
an eye" Then the Enquirer puts the :,
'ase just rs it is. "ln plain language. il
better for the young and inexperienced
listen to the councils" (the italics are !,
ars, but the word is the Eaguirer's) "of
heir honored and experienced fathers. :
han to go to destruction initiating the :,
xamples of rogue" This is true if the :,
Dung and inexderienced are going toimi =
lte the example OF rogue and thereby - =
TO destruction. But is TO quit the Peo- y
es party necessarily TO initiate the ex-
nples OF rouge and go to destruction? =
the last sentence from the ENQUIRER is -
q true keynote to politics in the Peo- -
e's party, that keynote is the advice ito :,
stem to the councils of their honored and -
Iperlenced fathers" That is the whole 8
ouble, listening entirely too much to the % "
1t is the council of the First -
resideney and the Twelve that domi- =
ltes and controls Utah Territory, and 40 -
Sobey that council is TO lose the only '
acknowledged and tried friend that =
9 Peoples party have in Utah Terri =
ry. Subordinated to this Council of -
veive, which in Utah plays much -
e same part that the Council OF =.
N played in Venice, are the ~ ~
lgh Councils in each Stake, whose -
vice, when none comes from the higher
lrce' is usually followed in county
litics. In city and ward politics. the
lncil OF the bishop predominates. solely an