Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-08
OUR CONDITION.


of their religion, and comparatively few
have thought of much else, and for poll
ties have cared less than is usual witt
those going to new country. Doubtless
the first great requisite to political and In
tellectual enlightenment and advance
ment is a material advancement, anC
heretofore the people OF Utah have dedl'
Gated their energies TO improving thel
physical condition, being well content to
leave to others the control of their spirit
ual and political welfare. The reason ior
this is in great part to he found III the
fact that the majority of Utah's in
babitants have come from countries
where their lot was poverty and In
whose government they had no participa-
ton in any way whatsoever. Coming dl-
rect from European countries to Utah,
they have had no familiarity with Amerl-
can institutions, and in Utah they have
found all things dominated by the church
to which they belong. To learn the
American idea of government, they have
gone to their spiritual leaders, and those
leaders have taught them that the more
nearly our Government approXimates to
the ideas Of the Old Testament the more
nearly it approaches to the ideas of its
founders, and that when the President
and Congress and Supreme Court have
departed from the Interpretation of the
Constitution given by the church authOri-
ties, the Government authorities have
departed from the true idea
OF the American Government.
This is not strange when we remember
that those who have come from foreign
countries have gained their knowledge of
American institutions through Mormon
elders, who have told them that in the
United States the New Jerusalem was to
be established, and that for this purpose
God inspired the men of the Revolution
and the founders of the Government to
establish a free government upon the
earth. Indirectly, then, the Mormon peO-
pie have come to think that this Govern
ment was established for them, and that
1t is built upon the theory of universal
suffrage that each man may help to
hasten forward the time when Christ
shall come to reign. Believing this, it
was but natural that they should surren-
der to their spiritual leaders the di-
rection of their elective franchise, as
that franchise was given them for a
special purpose, and their ecclesiastical
heads are divinely inspired to direct and
say what that purpose is. They have not
arisen to comprehension of the fact that
universal suffrage is given in America to
preserve to all citizens, without reference
to their religious persuasion, their politi-
cal rights, without which there can be
no freedom, as in the preservation of
civil and political rights is the safety of
religious rights. The exercise of political
rights is the exercise of physical force,
while the exercise of religious rights is
the exercise of moral force; but when
these two are exercised together, the in
tolerance of religion makes the force of
politics an engine of intolerance and
tyranny and oppression. In such cases
the Church directs, and the State obevs.
and those who are in authority have
power and pomp, while those who are not.
have persecution. Can it be other
wise, when that which claims TO
be infallible controls that which
is fallible? 1t is the theory of the survival
of the fittest, and the right of the
strongest to rule, put in practice. The
mind must ever rule the body, and when
there is a union of Church and State the
Church will be the mind This has been
our condition in Utah and is so largely
to-day, but things are slowly assuming a
different aspect, and those who have
thought that in the supremacy of their
church lay their protection, are begin
ming to see that in the supremacy of any
church there is a danger to the very
power which protects the church. If the
evil power shall become subordinate to
the ecclesiastical power, there is no GER
Lalnty as to which denomination will
control, and in the conflict that
would ensue to obtain this control, many
churches which now live would be lost.
This the people of Utah, the Mormon
people we mean, are slowly but surely
recognizing. 1t is true that they have
lot voluntarily learned this, but expert
nee is fast teaching it to them, and now
hey look upon far wider field than the
me to which they have heretofore been
lsed. The successful endeavor to enforce
he laws has brought about this change:
md error In regard to the law and the
government will always exist where the
aw is allowed to be overridden. The
people here are learning that the law is
he will of the people formulated and
and that it is no abstract
hing, coming from we know not where.
nd that the true and only legitimate
manner OF changing the law is to change
he minds of the people. When it is de-
irable to have a change in the law, the
means for effecting this is not by petition
nd protest to those who are merely its
but through agitation and ap-
zeal to the people who elect those who
the law. When the people of
Jtah recognize these facts, and act in
ccordance with them, our troubles in
his Territory will have come to an end
III questions will not be settled. for as
me rolls on new questions will evar !
rise, and il is for the good of rnnnl.;,,a