The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-30
ON AFFAIRS IN UTAH.
The indianapolis Sentineps
Correspondents Views.
POLYGAMY Is AT AN END.
The Credit Due to the Democratic
AdmInistration-The Utah of
.d8y-The Prospects.

L
Especial. President Cleveland, in
his message, says: "Polygamy, within
the United States. is virtually at an
end" President Cleveland is right.
Polygamy is virtually at an end, and
the credit is due to the Democratic ad-
ministration.
Prior to March, 1885, there had been
but six convictions for polygamy and
unlawful cohabitation in the Territories
of Utah and Idaho. Since that time
there have been 600 convictions.
The Democratic policy as to Mormon
affairs has been conservative, in con-
tradistinctiol to the rabidness of their
Republican predecessors, whose vindlc
tive administration resembled rather
crusade against the Mormon Church
than against the practice OF p lygamy.
One of the first acts of President
Cleveland was to remove Governor Eli
Ii. Murray and install in his place
Caleb w. West of Kentucky. Murray's
insane hatred of the Mormons was his
chief characteristic, and was shown in
his execution of the laws. Governor
Vests policy was conciliatory. He
brought about better feeling between
Mormons and anti Mormons. Through
his agency a chamber of commerce as
established in Salt Lake City, and those
who had been socially estranged were
brought together and the bitterness al
layed. As an instance of the good feel
ing that exists between the Mormons
and a majority of the anti Mormons, on
the Fourth of July last, both Mormons
and Gentiles made patriotic speeches
from the same stand-a thing never be-
fore heard of in the history of the Ter
ritory.
The coterie of Republican ex-office-
holders, who have stranded upon the
shores of Utah during the twenty-four
years of Republican rule have insisted
that the only solution of the Mormon
problem" lay in the Acknowledgement
of the Mormons, by requiring them to
take an oath las condition precedent
to the right to vote and hold otfice)
which affected their religious belief as
well as practice.
The truth is that these political buzz
yards desire for a reform in theMormons
motifs commensurate with their greed for
the spoils of office. Their abandon
ment of polygamy dissipates their last
excuse for congressional interference;
|
not dead, nor dying; that it is a sham
pretense of the Mormons in order
to secure Statehood for Utah.
Judge Carlton and General Nc
Clernand, the Democratic members Of
.. the Utah Commission, in their minor
ity report to the Secretary of the In
terror for 1885, say:
Up to the present time there has been
but one Indictment for polygamy, in
which the marriage is alleged to have
occurred since the passage of the last
anti polygamy Law by Congress, On
March 8, 1887.
These laws (the anti-polygamy laws)
VariOusly and powerfully reinforced by
the progress of ideas, Intelligence and
the modern agencies of communica-
ton and intercourse, have struck
deadly blow at the institution of poly
gamy and the indulgence OF sexual Of
lenses in Utah.
The conclusion is that there is no
necessity of resorting to un-Americsn
plans of government, and that if, as we
apprehend, the object Of the govern
ment is to reform, not to destroy the
Mormon people, they should be en-
couraged and not spurned in their eff
forts for the abrogation Of polygamy
and for reform.
Now, in the close of the most en-
Eghtened century in the tide of time,
snail we invoke legal coercion over the
3nsciences of men, aud sort 10 the
pains and penalties inflicted in former
times for recusancy, non-conformity,
apostacy and heresy?
In this age the world moves, and
even religious fanatics must keep pace
with progress. The Utah OF to-day is
not what fit was when Brigham Young
as prophet, seer and revelator, domi-
mated oyer his DEVOTED followers, iso
lated from all the world. in the secluded
valleys of the Rocky Mountains; nor,
in our opinion, can that fading and dis
solving specter of the past be Justly or
properly invoked as an eXcltative to
legislation proscriptive of religious
opinion. The railroad and the tele-
graph, free speech and free press are
there now. Schools and colleges and
churches of many denominations are
found in all parts of the Territory. The
people are no longer isolated, but are
now IN communication with all the
world; and Salt Lake City ia one of the
most cosmopolitan places on the con-
tinent; resort for tourists, savants,
statesmen, and scholars from abroad.
Under such circumstances, is it not
morally Impossible ChaG U tan snail
ever again become subject to that
church domination and oppression
which are now imputed by some per-
sons as an existing realty against the
Mormon hierarchy"
These two gentlemen were roundly
fbused by the Republican organ of this
CITY for entertaining such Christian like
vrd charitable views. and the whole ad-
ministration, from President Cleveland
down, were accused OF a conspiracy
with the Mormons.
The charge appears absurd in the face
of the fact that it was under Demo-
cratic administration that the law was
passed and executed which has filled the
Utah Penitentiarv full to overlooking
with Mormon polygamists, and at last
forced them to surrender "tbe twin relic
of barbarism. indianapolis Sentinel,
December %.
CARL G. AMUssEN has put his prices
down to bedrock.
The RUSH at the Peoples Equitable
is caused nv tho l0W uripoq of which