Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-15
WHO Is RESPONSIBLE?

the town. The MormOnS say tne Uen
tiles concocted the plan for political pur-
poses, while the Gentiles say that the
Mormons did il for the purpose OF show
ing their hostility to the Government ofii-
GERS To blame Il whole people, be they
Gentle or be they Mormon, is to go too
lar: TO make popular dislike by the one
OF the other serve for a reason is 10 make
prejudice guide where calm reason
alone can shed any light. Our own opin-
ion is that the outrage was perpetrated
by some fanatical and low-minded
Mormons TO indulge hatred, TO
vent spleen. To say that
the leaders OF the Mormon church
were aiders and abetors OF such low and
vile thing, is too absurd TO receive mo-
ment's credence from any man of intelli-
gence. To say that there are low-minded
and base men who claim a fellowship in
the Mormon church is 10 say the truth.
Low-minded and base men are to be
found in all communities, whether civil
or religious. Such persons are the
product Of the lower strata OF civil
lization, and their nature remains
the same no matter to what society
or association they may belong.
The NeaCS asks what have the Mormons
to gain by such proceedings as those of
Sunday morning, and it very truthfully
says nothing, but on the contrary they
have everything to lose. Yes, such pro-
ceedings can only harm those who in
dul5a in them But men do not always
act in accordance with that policy which
wisdom would dictate as the best; on the
contrary, when passion rules a low-born
mind, and such most certainly were the
minds OF those who committed the out
rage of Sunday morning, policy and
wisdom, like physic, are thrown TO the
dogs. Take the affair OF half-masting the
flag on the Fourth, thing that was done
by the Mormons, thing which was
sanctioned by a special committee OF the
City Council appointed on purpose to
investigate the matter, by the preachers
in the pulpit and the Mormon people at
large. Now, would not any man who
was able to see one inch ahead of his
nose, so TO speak, have said that it was
the most foolish and impolitic thing in
the world 10 do, rs il was bound to anger
the nation, especially when the feverish
state Of the public mind on the
Mormon question was considered?
Wisdom and policy too rarely are seen in
Utah 10 satisfactorily explain that the
outrage OF Sunday morning could not
have been committed by Mormons be-
cause they had nothing to gain by it.
The Nelcs says:
"Basing the theory as TO who perpetrated
the deed upon the hypothesis of who were
the parties TO receive the most benefit from
it, there is no escape from the inference that
it could not possibly have been done by
Mormon hands, unless it were by some
senseless, irresponsible fanatics incapable of
ordinary powers of reason. There are
circumstances connected with the nasty
affair besides the fact that the anti-Mor-
mons were the only ones to benefit by it,
that are suggestive, as pointers to 1t being
part of the anti Mormon conspiracy"
For anyone at all acquainted with mat
ters here and knowing the charactar of
some OF the people, it is impossible TO
place the responsibility for the outrage
upon the Federal officers anywhere else
than upon some portion OF the Mormon
people. The majority of that people will
keenly regret that any such vile means
should have been resorted to to show
disapprobation Of the course OF the Fed
eral officials in the Territory, and they
will severely condemn it, but still We be-
lieve that upon some portion OF their
members falls the responsibility.
On the theory OF the NelcS, and drawing
inferences byit methods. it is impossible
to come to anv other conclusion
concerning the massacre OF Nor
mon missionaries in Tennessee, than
that it was planned and carried
out by the Mormon people for the sake
of milking political capital ont OF it, and
to show how unjustly they were perse-
cuted No one else had anything to gain
by committing such atrocious murders.
On this theory, the agrarian outrages
and other crimes which are committed
in Ireland are planned in Downing street,
and Mr. Foster, Earl Spencer, Mr.. Ire
Il
ly been in Ireland TO see that outrages
were committed that Parliament might
have an excuse for the enactment OF re-
pressive legislation. The theory OF the
NeluS, carried TO its logical result, is absurd
in the extreme Ii. as the NeacS charges,
the Tribune IS to be held responsible
for the Tennessee massacre, which oc-
cured 4 year ago this August past, is not
the Tribune fully justified in making this
charge against the Ne,rS this morning?
''As though in direct response to the de-
mand of the DeSeTet NelCS on Saturday even
ing, that local self-government should be
extended 10 the blameless Saints of Utah,
later on, that same night some represent
atives of our holy church gave an exhibi-
ton of the way they would conduct local
affairs if they possessed full power?"
All people of decent feeling and hon
est instincts will desire TO see the per
petrators of Sunday mornings outrage
brought to justice and punished rs their
merits deserve. Such an outrage should
receive no condonement from anyone, no
matter who may have committed il nor
for what purposes. If the friends OF Mr..
Dickson, Mr.. Narian and Mr. Mckay
committed the outrage for purposes of
political gain, well may they exclaim,
Heaven save us IRON our friends"