Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-14
DEFINING THE ISSUE.

When Governor Murray propounded
certain pertinent questions to the Legis-
lature, he, so to speak, put the Legis-
lature in box. The second and third
questions propounded by the Governor
define the issue in Utah. 1t would be a
bold man, even in Utah, who would say
that the laws of Congress are not para
mount to all other laws in Territory OF
the United States, and only bigoted hardi-
hood holds to the theory that it is not the
duty OF Territorial, county and precinct
officers to aid in actively upholding the
laws OF Congress 1t is true when the
Governor says:
Questions No. /, and 8, agreed to and
laws passed by you embodying these require
ments of the country, will quickly terminate
Congressional action, and relegate to the
people here authority in matters now with
held from them.
The chief source of our trouble in Utah
is the persistent refusal of the Legis-
lature of Utah to legislate upon the lead
ing local question. That question
is the suppression of polygamy and un-
lawful cohabitation. These practices are
contrary to the fundamental idea of the
family as established and recognized in
every State and Territory in the Union
and every civilized country. These prac-
tees were just as criminal under the laws
of the Colonies as they are to-day, but
they were of such rare occurrence as
never to direct particular attention to
them. In no country of Christendom
have they ever been Incorporated in a
religious or political system as being fun
damental, except in Utah. To suppress
them here is the issue, and the questions
above referred to make it impossible for
the Legislature to ignore the issue
without bringing upon themselves
the reproach of tacitly sanetioning
lawlessness. That Congress has legis-
lated upon this issue is true, but
primarily it is was and is the duty of the
Territorial Legislature to legislate on
Territorial questions. The Legislature of
Utah has done as much as the Republi-
can party to centralize government in the
United States. That is a strong and
broad statement, but we believe that any
one who will take the time and trouble
to reflect upon the course of legislation in
Utah will come to the same conclusion.
How has this been done, is it asked? By
the Territorial Legislature absolutely re-
fusing to legislate one way or the other on
the Utah question, neither declaring the y
polygamous system OF the Territory legal
or illegal, thereby forcing Congress to
take cognizance and control Of the mat
ter. The people of Utah are continually
talking about the rights of the people of
the Territories, chief among which is the
right of local self-government, but the
people of Utah, through their Legisla
ture ignoring the local issue, force Con-
gress to legislate for them. Local self
government in Utah Territory is the most
centralized government of any State or
Territory in the United States. The
Legislature OF Utah by their re-
fusal to aid the Government in
the solution of the Utah problem
each day invite the establishment of
Legislative Commission in Utah. 1t is
well that the people know these things,
for in the day when Legislative Com
mission is established they will have
themselves to thank for it. The Legisla- |
ture now in session is the last Legislature |
that Utah is apt to have for many years
if this Legislature refuse to meet the is
sue which is now upon them.