Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-04-17
MORMONISM.
A Critical Condition of Affairs Existing
i'm Utah.
Interview With MIR. C. r. Barratt at
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Mr.. T.. K. Barratt, who has been clCl-
zen of Salt Lake City for twenty-five
wears, and who is thoroughly acquainted
with the people OF that Territory and their
social, intellectual and political condition,
spent yesterday in the city, the guest OF
Mr.. Charles Sigh, Sheldon street. A
Democrat reporter called at the residence
last evening, and Mr.. Barratt talked
freely with him of affairs in Utah, which
Territory is in most critical and unset
tied condition, in fact, upon the eve OF
social and political upheavals. Mr.. Bar
raft talked substantially as follows:
Eyes, am from Salt Lake, and have
resided there almost quarter OF a CEN
fury and should know something of the
history and peculiarities of its people. L
left the city on the 10Th of March. left
Washington yesterday, and while there
talked with some hall dozen of the most
prominent men. had letters from their
personal friends which, with my long
residence, gained me a patient hearing
and possibly gave some weight to what l
had to say. The present Secretaries
Lamar and Garland, Judge Field and
Senator Vest take special interest in
the tiresome Mormon question. The
President has been called a slow man.
He may be so, but in the matter of
polygamy and the Latter-day Saints, rely
upon it, it will be case of the mills of
the gods.
indictments Gas you know are still be-
ing found against prominent polygamists,
and matters are most unsettled. The
faint hope that some action would be
taken by the April conference has been
dissipated. Possibly the case now be-
fore the Supreme Court, and which will
be argued this week by Senator Vest on
the Mormon side, with Mr. McVeagh OPP
posed. may have something to do with
this action, or lack of action, on the part
of the church leaders to meet the require
ments OF the government and accommo-
date themselves to the sentiments of the
country. The jury law for Utah is pecu-
liar, and differs somewhat Il believe)
from elsewhere. Two hundred names are
selected, 100 by the probate Judge (Mor-
NOM, 100 by the clerk of the United
States district court (Gentile). In the
late trials forpolygamy offenses the panel
was exhausted without getting a Jury,
and Chief Justice Zane issued an open
venire. The Salt Lake bar is divided as
to the legality of this action. Mr. Rudger
Clawson, now in the penitentiary, was
convicted by jury obtained, in part at
least, IN this way. The case was appealed |
to the Supreme Court, and as before
stated, will be argued this week AsI |
understand it, if the jury is declared IL |
legal, those convicted will be entitled to |
a new trial and matters remain as they |
have been until Congress meets and adj |
ditional legislation is had
What we are anxious for in Utah, is to |
have the question settled After twenty
years or more we are sick of it, as are the
country at large and the authorities at
The Democrats of Utah
are endeavoring to build up a party, to
get the voters of 1.-THE Territory interested
IN politics. We do not care so
much how they vote, so long as
hey act and vote as their individual
Judgment dictates. Nothing can be said
against the Mormon people or their
church apart from polygamy and their
ilctation and meddling in affairs with
which churches properly have nothing to
10. The people are temperate, indus
rlous and law-abiding with the one ex-
,eptlon, but many, perhaps the majority,
ire foreign born and not English sneak
ng and have, as it were (for their emigra-
ION system Is perfect), been lifted up in
heir countries and set down in Utah.
showing nothing or little of the United
states, Its people or institutions, they need
political education (instead of eternal
preaching to about the hatred and en-
nlty, toward them on the part of the
'eople OF the States and if possible we :
mean to give it them. We have four
ally papers in the city, two church, one {
republican and one Democratic, the last
'sued first on March I'd. We mean TO
reak into the solid ranks of the church
arty, and If we meet with the encourage 1
lent we deserve at home and abroad we
I'LL do 1T, and in time correct from within
ne evils complained of, relieve the
.deral government Of the necessity of adj =
ltlonal legislation, and fit Utah to be
Omitted worthy member of the Union.
o matter what the Mormons NAV do
1ditional legislation will be asked of the
ext Congress, most likely legislative
To this peculiar kind of
glslation the majority of the Democrats
lere are opposed. They question the I
ght OF Congress to disfranchise and take \
ON the innocent all local and political I"
ghts, because 10 per cent. of the ponu-
ton are living in violation of the anti
'lygamy law of 1862. Surely some
cans may be devised to reach the
tenders without doing the masses this 4
justice. Grand Rapids Democrat