Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-03-31
A MOST DOUBTFUL PAPER.


The Tribune this morning recommends
to all readers in Utah, "and especially to
that company which styles itself The
Young Democracy" an article published
in the supplement to its Sunday morning
issue, as though that article were a sec
ond Sermon on the Mount We read the
article and read it carefully, but failed to
find in it anything wonderful or brilliant.
We admit that it is a well written article
and that its chronology is good, but we say
that its application is bad. 1t is a legal
argument and not political one. Neither
the writer Of the article nor the Tribune
seems to recognize the great fact in gov
ernment that politics are psychical, while
laws are physical; politics determine the
method to be adopted, while the law en-
forces the method after its adoption
Politics deal with mans reason in goys
ernment; the law controls a mans ac-
tions, and pretends not to touch his rea-
son. The article is based on precedent
and power, and finds its inspiration
in dislike of individuals more than
in its love OF individuality. The article
calls for the resources Of civilization, and
ignores the resources Of argument; the
article declaims against the teachings of
the church to which the majority Of the
people of Utah adhere, and says ''they
are further taught, as a cardinal tenet of
their creed, that this temporal power
which they see established here, shall, at
no distant day, rise to universal sovereig-
nifty over all governments instituted by
man" Surely, then, the greater need to
free them from such actual errors, no mat
ter how true theologically, and if they
be already so obedient as to seem
serfs, is it not wrong to fasten the chains
upon them?
And then how meet, how Just, how
like the lion and the lamb lying down to-
gether it is to see an old time Democrat
who, for aught we know, antedates the
Missouri Compromise, and an ultra-Re-
publican, a dyed in the wool Black Re-
publican paper shaking hands across the
long years of bloody strife and bitter
hatred, calmly, solemnly, as brothers,
as brothers OF the whole blood, as
brothers whose natural love for each
other is like that of Cain and Abel,
declaring this to be Democracy, pure and
simple, and commission for us is the
panacea to heal all wounds, to make glad
all hearts. How beautiful is this union
whose strong bands seem made of Sam
sons hair! How sweet the peace which
pervades these bosoms. this peace that
was only to reign after a thousand years,
and which has been accomplished
in a day, yea, in the twinkling of an
eye. And as this twain gradually,
but surely and certainly, ascend the Hill
Difficulty, we who are mired in the
Slough of Despond can but exclaim as we
see their little golden slippers on the
heavenly stairs, GLOW beautiful are thy
feet upon the mountain"
But does the Democrat of the article
(can he not give us the remaining thirty
eight, so that we-may have a new creed?)
seems not to remember that in 1877 there
was another commission composed of the
same ingredients as this one is to be, and
that the kindly light which led that body
was shed from Republican lamps. He
forgets also that there it was eight
to seven, and that eight Republicans beat
seven Democrats every time, stole the
Presidency and swindled the nation.
But in reply we may be told that those
days are gone, and let bygones be by
cones. So it is in Utah to a great extent,
and let the bygones of Utah be bygones.
The championing of Democracy by the
Tribune is a most wonderful sight, and
suggests the ballad of the Vicar of Bray.
Behold how it speaks: "That is what |
should have been done when those good |
Democrats, Stephen A. Douglas and
Frank P. Blair, recommended that COM
mission should be sent to govern the Ter
ritory which the Mormons had settled
in" Seeing that Douglas is in fashion
for Utah politics, We recommend to the
Tribune his article entitled, Popular
Sovereignty in the Territories, f" published
in Harper'S Magazine, 1859, the month
we do not now recall. The Tribune
ends its editorial with this: "It recon-
mends the only true, swift and Just
course for the government to pur-
sue towards Utah." and in its very next
one, on Mr.. Hanilton's address, saws:
But it is reasonably clear that under Its
present pretensions Mornonism has
reached the summit of its power It will
have to make certain reasonable conces-
sions, or it will not hold great many of
is own people through 1885. The reason
8, that what has been transpiring here
luring the past one hundred days has
set many hundreds Of Mormons thinking.
Some honest thought has convinced them
hat they have been defrauded, and their {
'ouls rebel against further slavery"
Having thrown off one tyranny why inn
pose another?