Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-25
THE STATEHOOD EXPERIMENT.

which we publish to-day suggests a pc
sible solution for the Utah problem
There are many objections to the Herald
method of settling our difficulties an
there are many things in its favor. Ther
is very grave problem to be solved
Utah, but how to solve it none hav
known. Polygamy is crime under th
law and should be, but polygamy is tn
corner stone of the social structur
in Utah. 1t is this fact whicl
raises the crime of polygamy int
the dignity of social problem. How
shall it be done away with, and how shal
the idea which govern the family in al
other parts of the Union be made the
idea of the family in Utah? The grea
majority of the people of Utah have ne
acquaintance with the ideas which under
lie the whole theory of the American
Government, and what is making the sit.
uation in Utah more complicated is the
fact that the people OF Utah are making
no acquaintance with those ideas, while
a generation has grown up whose sole
education in state polity has been based
upon the theory of the polygamous sys-
tenn of the family, and that the family
is an instrument in the hands oi
God and not the unit of the State.
Another generation is growing up in Utah
under the influence OF the polygamous
theory of the family. The generation
now growing, like the generation which
has reached maturity, consists OF per-
sons born of polygamous marriages. To
deal successfully with this part Of the
problem is the great thing. The parents
of such persons have bestowed upon
them all the care and attention that
their circumstances in life have per-
mitted, and they see that in the sup
preston OF polygamy there is possible
conviction of father Is there any diff
fculty in understanding why such chill
dren do not lend themselves readily to
the enforcement of the Edmunds law?
This is not ALL These children are
taught from earliest infancy that
marriage is a sacrament. The law says
to them that marriage is civil contract
over which the law, and the law alone,
has jurisdiction. Behold the cause of a
great obstacle in the enforcement of the
law. What is to be expected from those
who are born of polygamous marriages
SO far as the enforcement of the anti-po-
lygamy law is concerned? 1t is vain and
useless to expect children so born to
array themselves on the side of the anti
polygamy law SO long as their parents are
living. 1t does not augur cowardice and
want of independence on the part of
such children that they do not array them
selves in opposition to their parents; and
that filial reverence and respect
which Nature herself has planted in the
bosom of man will ever be stronger than
the law of any land This is only part
of the difficulty.in this particular respect.
A great many of these children believe in
think that when the State seeks to claim |
its own that the State is entrenching upon |
their religious rights. The doctrine to |
which they give credence have been, and
are being, most industriously preached
throughout the Territory. Along with
this doctrine there is also preached
another doctrine, doctrine that equally
complicates the Utah problem. This
other doctrine is that this life is only
a probation. and that as it is made use
of in this world so will be the
reward or punishment to be be-
slowed in the hereafter. ANY one
who will stop to think for moment will
fully recognize all the difficulties we have
indicated. How shall this mighty prob
lem be solved? The Omaha Herald sug-
gests that Statehood be conferred upon
Utah. Whether Statehood is ever con-
ferred upon Utah or not, certain it is that
polygamy will always be crime upon
the statute book, and no attempt to make
it legal will ever be successful. There is
just as much danger of slavery being :
made lawful as of polygamy being legal
ized. If Statehood were conferred upon
Utah, no doubt Utah would experience
much the same times as Kansas ex-
perienced after its organization as
a Territory. 1t is not necessary
TO depict those times, but they were
times of murder, arson and riot. But the ,
struggle in Kansas was different from
what it would be in Utah, because that ,
struggle enlisted the entire country on
he one side or the other. Utah would :
would find no sympathy save from the 3
ldherents of the dominant church here.
i Statehood were conferred upon Utah,
{ is safe to presume that there would be t
minority representation provided for in !!
he Constitution, and such provision /
would certainly precipitate the conflict !
or the extirpation of polygamy Such :
,eing the case, it would not be at all t
but on the contrary most 5
that there would be large @
nfux of people from all quarters be- 9
ause they would readily perceive
hat conflict would be inevitable, T
nd they would likewise see that . =
he provision for minority representation a
Tould make it possible for them to infu- : :
nee the course of legislation with their &
otes For some years Utah would be .
nything but the quietest spot on earth, L