Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-19
AFTER THE FEDERAL OFFICIALS

The Omaha Ie,dld is after the Federal
officials in Utah. In an article on
Wednesday last the Herald, among other
things, says:
If President Cleveland will give to Utah
an entire new set of officials he will do that
which is in his power in the way of repara-
ton. Such change would have beneficial
.and quieting effect upon the public mind
and would go far to encourage the Mormons
to quiet acquiescence to the laws of the
country.
We should not mind seeing the change
for which the Herald calls, although we
believe there are several officials here
that it would be desirable to retain, de-
sirable because they are superior
men, and because the probabilities
are that their successors would not be
their equals. By many it is thought that
the welfare of Utah depends upon the re-
tention in Office of all the present Repub-
lican officials. 1t is nonsense Republi-
cans generally are of the opinion that
they are the United States, and that they
have a divine right to rule this country.
In this opinion a good many Democrats
seem to acquiesce. We have never
reached that degree of patriotism which
causes us to so think. Some of the Re-
publican Office holders of Utah seem to be
imbued with this idea of a divine right to
rule, and the quicker the President
unhorses them the better The
plea is made that the condition
of affairs is such in Utah that
it would be unwise to make change in
the officials, as new officials could not
possibly have such grasp of the situa-
ton. We are inclined to think that the
grasp of some of the Federal officials is
much firmer and broader as regards their
offices than as regards matters in Utah.
1t is doing the nation wrong to send such
wonderfully great men to Utah, because
their powers should have greater field
in which to develop. To confine their
abilities to Utah is, SO to speak, to confine
them within prison walls. Nothing but |
the freedom of the universe is fit for |
them. There has never yet been recon-
mendation by Federal official in Utah
which showed faith in anything but
their own capacity for settling %
the Utah problem. But if changes
are to be made, the new officials
who may be appointed should be an inn
provement on the present incumbents, or
the changes should not be made. This
is most important matter, for no polit-
ical principles will make man a fit per-
son to discharge important duties if
nature has not endowed him with the
capacity to perform the duties.
There is one part of the above extract
with which we do not agree. 1t is that
part which says that a change of officials
would do much to cause the people of
Utah to acquiesce in the supremacy of
the law. This would be the case if the
officers of the law should be content to
let the law be supreme as interpreted by
the people of Utah, but not otherwise.
Whenever the officers of the Government ,
attempt to enforce the laws of the land
rs interpreted by the Supreme Court of i,
he United States, the people of Utah .
will be discontented and will cry 'Perse-
'utiod." This is the great trouble the !,
avs of the land are in conflict with the =
avs of God, according to the Mormon
'elief, and whenever the law OF the land !.
enforced it is persecution. But not .
all this, we hope there will .
e some changes in the Federal offices.