Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-26
THE ADMISSION OF UTAH.

THE ADMISSION OF UTAH.
Mr.. George Ticknor Curtis does not
seem to be very srdent admirer Ct Sea
ator Dawes and crIticises tbs: gentle
mans article In the Forum with scathing
severity. Senator Dawes asserts: "C0n-
siderations Ike these (Which he had pre-
viously urged, arising solely cut Of the
deflsnt persistency Of large majority OF
her people in degrading and vicious social
ciate and maintain the higher and purer
life in which statehood can exist, alone
delay the admission Of Utsh into the
Union on an equal footing with all the
other states" To which Mr. Curtis re-
plies: "It is amazing how any man in the
position Of 6 Senator should have had the
temerity to write and print this sentence.
Gross ignorance is the cElY excuse that
can be made for it. Will Mr.. Dawes vote
for the admission Of Utah il I show him
inst this assertion is without the slightest
foundation OF truth? Probably not. The
whole population OF Utah is about 200. 600.
or this number &c, 600 are -Mormons,
or, as they are called in the territory,
i'Gentiles.' OF whatever other degrading
and vicious social relations the
Gentiles may be guilty, they do
not practice polygamy. and never did. Q!
the 100000 Mormons, there sre not SO
many SIS 2000 men in the whole territory
who now have or have ever had more
than one wife living at the sametime'
And The only relation that these men con-
tinue to sustain with their plural wives
who are living, consists in the acknowl-
edgement that they are their wives
according to their religion, and in sup
porting and providing for them, and in
such association as any man might prop
erly have with q female friend. The
territorial judges construe this to be the
unlawful rehabilitation" Of the Edmunds
set, for which they send the husbands to
the penitentisry without the slightest
evidence of any sexual relations. The
residue of the Mormon male population
OF adult years, all who have married 81
all, are monogamists. They, and not the
polygsmists, or those vino have ever been
polygamists, constitute the body OF Nor
mons who have framed the proposed
state constitution and are asking to have
the territory admitted under 1t as state
What, then, becomes of Mr.. Dawes
Charge majority of the people OF Utah
who "defsnily persist in degrading and
, vicious social relations" and thereby PIE
vent the admission of the territory IS G
stste?
'In reference to marriage, there Is nc
arithmetic that can make a ms jority Of
the people without adding the Gentiles
to the homogeneous Mormols. Ths
aggregate, made up CT these two classes
sre OF ore purpose and ore practice il
; respect to marrisge. It will be hsppI
dsy for the people of that territory Whe'
the Gentiles and the homogeneous Nor
NOES can act together in all internal snt
, domest C concerns, SO that G line OF divis
ion, very much worse tnan the "colo
line" in the south has ever been, can b
r oblitersted. II there is apy consistenc,
, az all among the GentiIes-I believe there
, | is nothing bat ring, hostile In every va.
to their Mormon fellow citizens-theL
, should do all they csn TO promote the ef'
q forts CT the homogeneous MormoDs.
. Utah becomes state there is no con-
? ceiysble reason why Gentilcs CT suitable
qualifications should not have just al
9 good q chance OF filing any OF the office!
OF the stste IS the Norm ons can have
The fear that it will be committed to
, "band OF polygamists" TO execute th'
laws against polygsmy and the bugbea
OF struck jaries and conniving sheriff
= are wholly born OF Mr.. Dawes excited
Imagination
Again when Senator Dawes propound
the interrogstory: rs is no part OF TIL;
argument, but one is strongly tempted Il
, make the inquiry why this loud and snx
, ious voice is raised In behalf OF Utah
while absolute silence is maintained owe
the postponement OF Dakota, with three
!, times the number Of Inhabitants there ar
. in Utsh, homogeneous, Intelligent, law
, abiding citizene, living the life and pfac
, ticiDg the virtues upon which alone
q Christian people can build republican IN
! stitutons Why are Washington an
a Montana entirely Ignored il this zeal t.
a erect new state in Utah?" Mr. Cofti
. replies: "Tnis implies that have SOM
political motive in my efforts to aid "a
, admission Of Utah. Perhaps Mr.. DAVE