Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-11
A DEMOCRATIC TICKET.

Wednesday, July 18th, 1885, at s o'clock
pm. The purpose of the meeting, as
stated in the call, is for the nomination
of five members to the Legislature
and one selectman. 1t is proposed to
put ticket into the field and make
a fight against the party in power here
on Democratic principles. No such fight
has ever been made, all fights heretofore
against the Peoples party having been
made on fusion tickets. The platforms
adopted have been of a decidedly Repub-
lican type; in fact it may be said that all
the platforms have been Republican
under another name. When the County
Committee was in session there was some
talk as to the advisability of attempting
to put a Straight Democratic ticket
ia the field. The questions in
Utah are not new, only the
field. They are questions with which
all governments have had to deal. In
America they have assumed less magni-
tude than elsewhere on account OF the
recognition of the rights of man. Pri-
marily- the problem in Utah has been
polygamly, but this has grown out of the
peculiar religious and political condition
of affairs in Utah. The true source of
all our difficulties is the domination and
dictation of the political affairs of this
Territory by church. The vast majority
of the people of Utah are adherents to
this church, and they have done
its bidding in all things. The
church has claimed a divine right to
rule, and the members of that church
believing in that doctrine have rendered
ready and willing obedience to its man.
dates. To prevent malfeasance in Office
the people have been absolutely power
less, and when things have become out
rageous and unbearable the people have
received their remedies from their &C.
clesiastical rulers. AS power they have
been. absolutely impotent. Many of the
people have deprecated such a condition
of things, but have not dared to declare
against it and assert their rights as citi-
zens and voters. The Mormon church
claiming this power for itself, it was but
natural that it should deem any Of its
members who used it contrary to its will
and wishes as losing their faith, and
if they persisted, as being without
the pale of the church. To vote in ac-
cordance with the church's wishes is as
much part of Mormonism as TO accept
the authenticity of the Book OF Mormon.
All this has been done in the belief that
were any other party to be put in power
except the Peoples party, that their
church andoSii+ connected with it would
he endsngered. The Peoples party have
looked upon all who were not of it as
being not merely political enemies, but
deadly enemies, who sought not merely
their political downfall, but their
individual downfall The consequence
has been that there has grown up hos
tility between the two parties in Utah
that is, the Mormon and the non-Mor-
mon-that has been bitter beyond COM
pare Heretofore when an opposition
ticket to the Peoples party has been put
in the field the members of the Peoples
party have been denounced because they
were Mormons, and the opposition has
not been to their party and politics. A
Mormon is not to be reprehended
because of his belief any more
than any other religionist, and when
he or any other religionist or
non-relgionist breaks the law he should
be punished. The law should not take
cognizance of sects, but only of citizens.
1t is this that the Democratic party does,
and it neither asks nor cares to know
what are a citizens religious opinions. 1t
recognizes the people as the only
source of power, and when any
other power seeks to set up its
authority it viii ever oppose such claims,
no matter under what pretense made
For this reason it is opposed to union OF
Church and State. 1t is not necessary
that there be legal recognition of
union Of Church and State, as in Eng
land and France and other European
countries, but whenever any church as
an ecclesiastical organization undertakes
in any manner to interfere with the poll
teal action Of the citizens, no matter for
what party or for what end, there exists
practically union of Church and State,
and must be combatted. In the State
the civil power must be supreme and free
from all dictation and control other than
that Of the citizens. 70 81 saI5t5lsr,se
The Democratic party in Utah for the
first time proposes to enter the political
arena, and although victory may not
perch upon its banner, yet every effort
should be.made to dessiminate the ideas
of Democracy and make them tri-
umphant. Every Democrat within the
county should rally around the ticket and
see that all members of the party are
at the polls ON election day and cast
their votes for it. They should be as
active and jealous to make the ticket tri-
umphant as though foreign foe were
upon the soil and they sought to repel
him. Neither should they give
heed to any such arguments as
that SIT won't do any good -
"why do you wish to divide the Liberal
party" and such like. They should re-
member that no honest, earnest effort to
rectify political wrongs and abuses was
ever yet without its weight and influence.