The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-01-27
JUSTICE TO. MORMONs.
Comments of Eastern Jour.
nails on the Situation Here.
GIVE TO Us A FAIR HEARING
100000 Citizens Onght Not Co
be SIN othered by Prejudice.

1ne MOrnOOS favor rallrOaQS, CeIe-
graphs, aud every other modern scien-
tific improvement, and are and always
have been supporters Of the Constitu-
ton of the United States and OF the
laws made in pursuance thereof. The
anti-poIygamy laws many of them
have viewed as unconstitutional, and,
therefore, they have not yieloed to
them as they have to all other laws of
ne land. And now that the monogamic
voting citizens, who have broken no
laws, who have taken an oath to obey
the laws in the future, and who repre-
sent the vast majority of the populs-
ton, respectfully ask for political
liberty, ut the same time providing for
the punishment of bigamy and polyg-
amy under the State constitution, the
same old stuff about rebellion, disloyal-
ty, theocracy, and oth:r exploded
nonsense is being repeated to prejudice
their cause, and blind the eyes
of the just and liberal. | do not
think the Republican party or its organ
IN this city has any need to resort to
such methods of warfare.-"Fair PLAY"
IN the National Republican (Rep.)
So far as, the National Republican is
concerned, it Will endeavor TO treat
every question fairly, especially those
that refer 10 political rights. If "Fair
Play" could convince Congress that the
recently adopted Safe constitution
would be executed as the fundamental
law in good faith the Republican party
would be as free to vote Tor the admls-
sion OF Utah as for that OF Dakota in
the Union OF States, Notwithstanding
IL
come Democratic State. EnglanG's
great statesman, William Pitt declared
that tine only security for civil rights
political power enjoy civil rights only
principles of our form or government"
The practical question then is, will The
people OF Utah stand by their constitu-
Glon, and what are the guarantees?-
National Republican (Rep.)
We notice that many journals argue
that 1t Is absurd to suppose polygamlsts
are SINGER in legislatlng agalns. polyg-
amy. But this is not the fact In THIS
case. the poly gamists have sll been
misunderstanding is, in Titan; it
would be scarcely safe to say that of any
other part OF this great and glorious
Union-and they are not actlng in this
movement. tits the homogeneous PEG
pie, who are the immense majority OF
The population, who are doing this.
Fhe objection that they are insincere is
only an assumption; and however we
may come in contact with popular pre-
JUDGE In saying it, truth compels us to
assert that there .es not appear to be
anything substantial to warrant the
assumption. BY what we can learn from
financial men. business firms and all VINO
have had any dealings with the Nor
mons, II appears that their reputation
for veraclty, honesty, and promptness
TO meet their obligations is not excelled
by any people. The strongest oppo-
hen.s OF their movement for Statehood
are compelled to acknowledge this. On
what ground, then, is the suspicion
based for it is nothing mOre-that They
viii not abide by their own constltu-
tional provisions, self-imposed, to meet
the wishes of the nation? The only re
ply To this question that we have seen
Is convicted polygamists decline to
agree 70 obey the laws and prefer the
penltentiary 70 such a promise, and
this shows that they are welded to
polygamy. This further demonstrates
the blinoing power of prejudice. Why,
that Is evidence that even the polyga-
nous MormOnS are truthful and sin
Gore. By making simple promise,
they could escape prison and heavy
fine. But they will not make it because
they do not intend to keep it. Is thst
insinceriJyP To explain the reasons
they give as published in the Salt Lake
papers, why they cannot make the re-
TO ot nn of
our space to-day Suffice il to saw, the
promise required implies the utter
q andonment of women whom they re-
gard as bound to them by ii 8 demand
Ing their support and protection, and
tney prefer imprisonment to the other
q ernatiye. And what the pol. G.
amists, who form a very small part of
ue population of Utah, do or will not
do has no bearing upon the question of
the application of the homogeneous
majority, who are endeavoring to COM
ply with the demand that has been
made heretofore when Utah has
knocked at the doors of the Union and
asked to be allowed to come in. This is
ner fifth application by constitution
and memorial. We do not say she
should be admitted without challenge.
| But we do say that facts and not &c
| tlons should be considered, and that a
question involving the liberties Of
lWUO0 citizens of the United States
ought not to be smothered under q
mass of prejudices which little f ir-
ness. reason, and calm investigation
| might effectually -Washingt' n
Sunday Herald { Den.)
TIE Mormon question, as it is called,
is uniformly T presented as necessarn,
connected with the political right of
Utah to be admitted as 5 ase long
.iuer it has the necessary POI a alton.
| The Mormon question. as 1t is called,
is uniformly represented as necessarily
Econnectdd with the political right of
Utah TO be admitted as State long at.
ter it has the necessary population. Be-
cause three per cent. hold to pOlyg-
amy as religious institution ninety
seven per cent. of the people are prac-
ically forbidden any voice in the man
agement of their own affairs. The cost
of supporting their government is taxed
on all citizens of thei United States, and
the Territory forbidden to take part in
its own development. Unlike every
other organization for government in
the Union, the people are forbidden to
govern themselves and remanded to
| o-II:l- ~-l haot;la uavarprnant A