Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-22
AN OLD DEMOCRAT
wants to Know If the People OF
Utah are Really Democrats
Some Interesting Facts.

EDITOR DEMOCRAT: A correspondent in
the Salt Lake Herald OF Tuesday, over
the signature which heads this brief note,
uses the following language, regarding
which desire to make few brief COM
ments:
us the Democratic party SO strong that it
can afford to jeopardize the representation
of a prospective State and sacrifice two Sen
ators and one Representative at the shrine
of an unjust and purely Republican partisan
measure directed exclusively against the re-
ligious practices of its citizens?
And in view of the rapid growth of the
Mormon community and extensive settle
ment in the adjoining Territories, will not
several other States be jeopardiZed as well
as Utah, and finally lost to the Democratic
party? For whoever absorbs the Mormons
will find them such tower of strength as
will assure success every time they enter the
field
l suggest that the Democratic party is
so strong that it can afford to see that
the laws of the United States are enforced
in all the States and Territories, whether
such laws are enacted by Republicans or
Democrats; and in thus enforcing the
laws, the Democratic party is $50 strong"
that it will not stop to inquire what effect
such enforcement may have upon the
political status of any prospective State"
The Democratic party Is so strong that 1t
will not panGer to any so-called religious
community, even though so extensive
that it may spread over and jeopardize
several other States and Territories, and
lose them to the Democratic party.
L = n l.. Il I
largest body Of Mormons who were in a
position to vote lived in the State of Iowa,
and their votes were cast in favor of Gen
eral Taylor, the Wing candidate evil
dence of this fact may be found in letters
printed in the MiHeniaI Star, as well as
from the election returns in Iowa.
The Democratic party, though not re-
fusing the honest support of its ticket by
"Mormons, does not desire to "absorb"
them en- mdSSe.
The Democratic party, especially those
who are cold" and well posted, give but
little heed to the implied threat of the
Democratic Queriest," because they are
aware of the past history of the Mormons
when voting at popular elections.
To illustrate how Democratic the Nor
mons have been in the past, | need
only refer to two occasions:
In 1872, when we were trying to gain
admittance for Utah as a State, Consti-
tuition was adopted; elections were held
all over the Territory, which ratified the
Constitution adopted by the Convention !;
legislative body elected, which assem-
bled and elected two United States Sen
ators. But were they Democrats? Tom
Fitch and George O. Cannon being the
persons elected, the reader can form his
own opinion as to the politics of the Sem
ators.
At the election the people also elected a
Representative to the lower house of
Congress. The person elected was Mr.
Frank Fuller, a lifelong Republican.
Had Congress admitted the Territory as
State at that time, the Democratic vote
gained thereby would have been remark
ably small indeed. From the result of
these elections it would seem that in 1872
the Mormons were "absorbed' by the
Republican party, and that in 1913 they
were absorbed by the Wing party.