Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-17
DOES IT MEAN AN EXODUS?

We have been informed on good author
ity that Apostle Erastus Snow has gone
TO Mexico, and gone to remain there per-
manently. Recently he was in this city
and his departure was quite sudden. Mr..
Snow has been in Mexico quite frequently
within the past year or two, and the gem
eral impression is that he has been there
i'm the interests of his chnrch. That the
Mormon church has secured very con-
siderable tract OF land in Northern Mex
leo is also known. Does all this mean
that there is to be an exodus by the Nor
mon people from Utah to Mexico? 1t is
an important question both to
the people OF Utah and the
people OF the United States. Such
move would certainly solve the
Utah problem. The people of Utah are
beginning to realize as they never real
lied before that the Government is in
earnest in its effort to suppress polygamy.
This fact they have never fully sensed
heretofore, but now they are made to
sense it. The leaders of the people have
been in hiding for nearly Il year now, and
the conditions which caused them to 60
into hiding are unchanged, or il changed,
the change has been such as to cause
them to be more secret III their move
ments than heretofore. Quite q number
of prominent Mormons have preferred to
suffer the penalty OF the law for their vio-
lations OF it than to promise obedience to
it in future, but their action has had no
other effect upon the public mind than
to cause the public to say that these men
have chosen the unwise course. 1t is q
most difficult matter to judge OF mems
motives, but the general belief is that the
men who are now in the penitentary for
violating the Edmunds law went there
because they were so advised and not
from choice. The explanation offered for
the giving OF such advice is that it was
thought that ii all who were found guilty
of violating the Edmunds law would pre-.
fer to suffer the punishment the law i'm.
poses for such violation, that public
sympathy would be created in their be.
half, and that eventually this public sent
iment would cause cessation of the EN-.
forcement of the law. The result antici
pated, if it were anticipated by the Nor
mon leaders, has not come about, while
the determination of the Govern
ment and of the people OF the
Government to vindicate its laws
has become stronger. To-day the
people themselves are discussing the
question, and this is Il thing they never
did before. But this is not ALL. We are
satisfied that the leading men here are
casting about for some haven OF refuge
and they are seriously contemplating al
entire change OF policy in regard to til,
general management of political affairs il
the Territory. That they are still unde
cided as to what course to pursue in re
gard to an abandonment of polygamy il
true. They have been shown what will
be the consequences OF IL persistence il
the practice OF polygamy, and while
they dread those consequences, We
they dare not avoid them, ant
dare not meet them. They are a.
blind men at sea who hear the
storm coming, but know not which wa,
10 steer. With such condition of thing
in Utah, and the purpose and intent o
the Government clear and determined
can any one doubt what the final resul
will be? In view OF all this, and in an
ticipation OF all that is to come, does tn,
decision of Apostle Snow to make Mexic,
his permanent home mean that there i
TO be an exodus to Mexico?