Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-26
AFTER THE RETURN.

.IilSt IOM ITtS4Uttlt n -CNNleliih 10 AN5NA
eating in the Adironddclis, and enjoying
a well-earned and much-needed rest. lie
will return to Wash. ngtOn in about three
weeks. when the work of the year will
begin. BY that lime the majority OF the
State conventions viii have met, and the
course of the Administration will have
been pretty thoroughly discussed, and
either condemned or approved. The
meeting OF Congress in December will
soon follow, and then the President will for
the first time definitely outline his policy.
What that policy will be it is difficult
10 say. but it is reasonable to assume that
il will be a continuation OF the policy of
the past, and enlarged. There are many
things of the greatest importance to be
considered, among which may be named
the silver question, a question OF inn
portance not only TO the West, but to the
whole country the Panama Canal and
the modification of the Bulwer-Clayton
treaty; the commercial treaty with Mex
leo; the Chinese question; the Utah ques-
ton, and others. These are all legiti-
mate questions while the condition of
the navy and the illegal occupation
of the public lands by the cattle kings
and such things may be called
quasi questions 1t is satisfaction
to know that none of the foreign ques-
tions are complicated by strained relations
with any government, and to know that
the people are disposed to consider all
domestic questions with moderation and
reason OF the domestic questions that
which most directly effects rs in this Ter
ritory is the Utah question. That ques-
tion to-day presents Il phase that it never
before presented. For years all efforts of
the Government TO enforce the laws
against polygamy, and lately the law
against unlawful cohabitation, were futile
and fruitless, SO much so that the people
here laughed to scorn these efforts. To-
day it is different; and those same laws
which were once the derision OF the
people OF Utah are now their dread, for
they know that those laws can be and
will be, and are being, enforced. Polyga-
my and its suppression in Utah were for
many years the question in Utah, but to-
day it is us certain as that the sun rises
in the east and sets in the west that
polygamy here is doomed, and whether
Utah be Territory or be State, its practice
will be marked crime upon the statute
book. That the law against it will con-
tinue TO be violated now and again is
probable, but as an institution, as it has
existed heretofore, it is fast going, and will
soon disappear forever. There remains
the other question, though, the question
of the-control OF the political affairs OF the
Tearitory by the Mormon church, that
control is absolute, and while some who
are under it may murmur, still they obey
it. That such a control is inconsistent
with a republican form OF government
is too patent to be argued. Wherever it
has existed civil liberty has always been
in danger, and has often been suppressed.
That any such danger threatens the whole
of the common country from the domina-
tions OF the church in Utah is absurd but
still that domination exists in Utah, and
how to abolish it is 4 grave and serious
question, grave and serious because some
of the methods suggested for its solution
are equally as inconsistent with republi
can form of government as union of
Church and State If the institution of
polygamy is fast going, and this few will
deny who look at things as they are, issit
not reasonable that that from which it
had its life and through which it was
possible having lost the power to pro-
tect it, will likewise lose the power to
protect itself? SO we think from care
full survey OF the whole field, and that
disintegration having begun in one part,
will not cease until it has invaded all
parts. Ii the process seems slow it
should be remembered that the life OF
nation is not measured by the same span
that mans is. In the meantime all will
anxiously await the words which the
President will send to Congress on the
subject.