The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-02
THE MORMON PROBLEM.

Many methods have been suggeste
for solving what is widely known as tn
Mormon Problem. Some of thes
methods are inspired by a pure patriot
ism, and desire to do justice 10 tn
people of Utah; bat more frequent.
they are prompted by the interest AM
ambition of the parties making the sug
gestions. and not infrequently by thei
sordid motives. The question is one o
great moment, not only TO the peopl
of Utah whose interest and liberties j
directly concerns, but to the nation a
large, as the question involves some Of
the primary principles underlying oul
system OF government, and questions
that do this cannot be over estimated in
their importance.
1t is held by the opponents of the
Mormons that Mormon posygamy is a
menace TO the purity of the family, and
the Mormon priesthood's interference
in political matters threatens the de-
struction of that wall built up between
the affairs of church and state. The
head and front of the Mormon's Offend
ing is that he clings tsnaciously to his
idea of the rightfulness of plurality of
wives as practiced under the sane
ton and restrictions of his religion:
and insists upon following the
advice or counsel Of his spiritual
leaders. Aside from these crimes
(?) it is admitted even by their
inyeterate enemies that the Mormon
people are freer from the social evils and
crimes than their fellow-citizens in other
Territories and States. Aside from his
polygamy and allegiance to the priest
hood the Mormon is regarded as a
pretty good fellow. One writer. in fact,
recently admitted that the Mormon
will be pretty good stock for producing
American citizens as the years roll on.
So the Mormon problem is narrowed
down TO fight against Mormon polyg-
the one hand, and a desire for their
continuance and perpetuation on the
other. Because the Mormons will not
renounce their views on the marriage
question, and throw off in some way or
other their alleged allegiance to the
priesthood they are denied the priv
ilege of Statehood or even that amount
of local self-government usually granted
to the people of Territories. Nor
does the Mormon's trouble end
here; designing demagogues find it
to their interest to plot against his
hbeSties and misrepresent his motives,
knowing that if the Mormon question
we're settled their occupation would be
gone. Hence we have the power of
Congress invoked TO crush out the con-
victions Of the Mormon people; and I'M
der the pressure of a manufactured
popular sentiment that body has en-
acted laws that in the future will be
acknowledged disgrace to our statute
books and still Congress is urged to enact
more vigorous measures-such in fact,
as would strike from the hands Of the
Mormons every vestige of political
power and deliver them into the hands
Of their enemies to be 1eeced at their
good pleasure. Congress doubtless can
do that, and the sentiment of the
populace in the United States would
possibly sustain the national legislature
in doing it. But while Congress can, by
brute force, destroy a Republican gov
eminent in Utah and order the dis
reimbursement or even the slaughter of
her people, Congress has no moral or
Constitutional right to do either. Should
the nation at last listen to the clamorous
voices of its evil advisers and enact the
cruel measures now proposed, and by
those violent methods advocated stamp
Mormonism out of existence, such q
triumph would be a more lasting. dis
grace TO the nation tran if Mormon
polygamy, even If twice as black as it
has been painted by the most heaTtless
writer who has taken up his pen against
it, should continue forever. There was
an impressive scene enacted only few
days ago in the British House OF Com
mons. England's greatest living states
men stood up and told that proud ma
ton that for 800 years her policy in
governing Ireland had been wrong.
The Indictment was terrible, and should
England now refuse to right the wrong
so tardily admitted, she will for
ever be covered with shame.
Will not the United States learn les
son from the experience of England. or
inrst our government. like England go |
ON in its injustice towards Utah. as
England has done for centuries towards
Ireland, until some statesmen more
fearless and more just than those
living to-day shall tell the nation in a