The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-11-02
MORMON POLITICS.
What Will Become Of POlyg-
amy at Last?
WHATCONCER NsIDAHO VOTERS
"Mormons "a People who Mind ths1s
Own Business, aud d" not Intelfere
With that of Others"

SODA SpRGNes, Idaho, October l2.-
Corresponds zee of the New York
Evening Post. l-Wnile the waole coun-
try outside Of US is exercised ola the
most vital political question that hes
been presented to it for many years,
my neighbors are Indifferent to the
great issue. What concerns them is,
Shall the pres Mt delegate, who happens
to be Republican, but whose claim to
the office consists in his being violent
anti Mormon" OR shall Mr.. HaWley,
who is liberal Gentle, but, as it hap
pens, a Democrat, be sent to Congress
for the next term? We're these two
ncidates to change places in their
opinions of nationa! policy, it would
not materially interfere with their
chances.
The Mormon imagines that the
ewes of the whole world are fixed upon
Utah and Idaho. His grievance here
tofore has been that the Mormons were
polygamists, and, although they did
not select their wives from members OF
his family, his virtue was shocked by
the contamination of their neighbor-
hood. 1t was pet grievance in which
he could enlist the sympathy of the
community, and he regrets as much as
the genuine philanthropist rejoices,
that the Mormons have discontinued
the reprehensible practice. He is now
attacking the hierarchy of the church"
To be sure. the hierarchy does not in
terfere with him. # what he asserts is
true, and 1 think it is, that the rank
and file of the Mormons vote according
to the dictation of their leaders, he does
not stop to consider that the people at
large, himself among the rest, ale led
politically or rellgiously by the nose, v
and that if man chooses to be so led,
it is nobody's business but his own
Sectarians of all kinds, and Republi-
cans, Democrats, PrOhibitionists follow
their leaders, and the only politicians
that l know against whom this charge
may not be laid are the nicknsmed
Mugwumps, the Independents, men
who will vote for President, not be-
cause he is Dem ocrat, but because he
| is an honest man, and who will not vote
for a governor, whatever his politics
may be, if he is rogue.
! | have heard a great deal about this
Mormon hierarchy, bet in all my ex
perierce in these regions, have never
seen any of its base effects. Truth to
say, the Mormons are as clannish as the
ancient Israelites, who, like them, fol-
lowed the lead of their prophets. They
have about the same ideas of Gentiles
although they do not go for them with
fire and sword, as perhaps they or any
other sect of religionists might do, il
civilization and the law did not restrain
them. Possibly they were inclined thai
way in the early days of their settle
ment in Utah, as the Puritans of New
| England were somewhat of that minC
when their power were supreme; but il
| l we're asked, What of the Mormens g,
to-dayP 1 should say that they art
eminently people who mind their owl
business, and who do not interfere with
that of others.
The heinous sin of the hierarchy il
Gentle eyes is that it reprobates re-
course to law, advising its followers tc
settle their disputes by referring then
to juries mutually selected, and pre-
sided over by bishop. This inexpen-
sive method generally proves satisfac-
tory to them as it is unsatisfactory tc
the lawyers, who. as in the days of old
Glade men with burdens grievous to bt
borne" which the Mormons prefer no
to carry. On the other hand, the law,
yers who, as elsewhere, are apt to bt
ringleaders IN politics, touch not the
burdens with one of their fingers.
Their real objection to the hierarchy is
that it interferes with their profits
Until lately, the Mormons have heVt
the balance of power in Idaho. Repub
llcans and Democrats alike intrigued
for their solidly united vote. Their
was no objection to the hierarchy from
the party which became uppermost b!
securing it. The cry came from tn
little dog that was down in the mud
At length q new party, irrespective o
national issues, was organized on tn
principle of anything to beat tn
Mormons." As it did not succeed q
the polls by ordinary methods, 1t struc
an effective coup d. etat by inducirg tn
Territorial Legislature to.pass a sum
mary edit that every voter should b
compelled to take the following ties
oath: