Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-10

commonwealth the plaything of local fac
tions"
''Will the election of the Peoples ticket
retard the progress of the Territory's i'm
migration 2"
mo. Salt Lake is one of the most safely
progressive cities in America, and that
progress would be continued and encour-
aged. Immigration of desirable citizens OF
all classes and the investment of capital
would continue as in the past. Only the
fictitious progress and inAux of the disso-
lutte or idle element which attaches itself
TO boom would be stayed"
docs your party favor admission to the
Union ?'
ayes, if the admission can be had upon
a basis of equal rights TO all MOrmons
whose conduct is in accordance with law"
what is the general feeling in regard to
the Edmunds and the Edmunds-Tucke
Acts ?"
"The Liberals, of course, are gratifed, as
these Acts were calculated to afford them
considerable and unreserved political help.
But the people regard some OF their feat
ures as intolerant and the least degree
unnecessary. They went into the execution
of the Governments plan against the
former practice of plural marriage, for in
stance, arbitrary confiscation of church edi-
fees and other property, unworthy a free
Government, also giving all jury selections,
even in civil cases, to the Liberals is
deemed cruelty un-Americsn."
What will be the result to the Mormon
Church ?''
Nothing more than to any other church.
Possibly discrimination against individual
members of the church might ensue. The
result to our party would be the same as to
any other strong party under such circum-
D.1 lnFa r.r - t,Ir
manent. The day might come, and that
quickly, when all classes of citizens would
help our party back to power. One year
ago the Liberals carried Ogden, and soon
there reigned such saturDalia of whisky,
women and gambling that the United
States officials were obliged to intefere and
enforce police regulations. The moral
Liberals of Ogden expressed disgust with
their own party, and wished the people
once more in control"
Are not the Mormon Church and the
Peoples party ore?"
''They are not. That idea is circulated
for political purposes in order that an en-
actrnent against the church may be oper-
Grated against the party. Membership or
affiliation with the church is no requisite
for the Peoples party standing or candi-
dacy."
Acts used for political purposes?"
Yes; and that was the cause of their
demand by the Liberal party. Anywhere
else political minority is compelled 10 wait
until it reverses public sentiment or gain a
majority by legitimate accretions OF new
citizens, but the Liberals were too impa-
tient for such ordinary methods. They
wanted measures which would give them
immediate control, and because of the un-
popularity of the name of man they have
obtained Acts disfranchising a large num-
ber of pioneer citizens, and all the wo-
men, and now they are striving under
some cover to get Congressional legislation
to take the suffrage from every man who is
not member of the Liberal party"
what of the rumors alleging that Lib
eral frauds and usurpation have been ram
pant ?"
"All the registration and election ma
chinery is in the hands of the Liberals. A
special registration car was run to the Col
orado line and gangs of laborers, who
never saw Salt Lake, piled with whisky
and registered. Scores of the Peoples
party-voters-were struck OFF the lists in
defiance of the ruling of the Supreme
Court of the United States.
"Others of our voters who have lived here
forty years have been challenged on the
ground OF non-residence; others, who were
past 80 years, on the ground of being under
age.
"The registrars, four of whom are candi-
dates on the Liberal ticket, are declared to
be supreme, and we are told that we have
no redress. Inspector John Bonheld, of
Chicago, came here and exposed their
frauds"
GOVERNORS VIEWS,
Governor Arthur L. Thomas, the most
prominent member of the Liberal party, a
resident of Utah for eleven years and
probably the best posted man ID territorial
politics was interviewed as follows:
Governor, there are rumors that the
election tomorrow may precipitate serious
trouble; what is your opinion?"
II am of the opinion the election will be
a peaceful one. Both parties are working
to this end"
How will the result of the election ef-
feet Statehood"
The Gentles will probably carry the
city by 5000 majority. This place is the
most important city. The Territory is in
Mormon hands and this election can have
no immediate effect on the Statehood. 1t
will be some time, probably years, before
the Gentiles control the Territory, and
Utah should not be admitted as State IN
til q large majority of her people are in
sympathy with the Government. The
Gentiles demand that when laws are passed
they should be obeyed, and that when the
Courts of last resort have decided the laws
10 be valid there should no longer be con-
troversy respecting them.
"The law of 1862, making polygamy un-
lawful, was fagrantly violated. The same
law prohibited any church corporation
holding more than $4,000 worth of prop
erty. This was de6antly disregarded. The
Mormon Church became mammoth busi-
ness concern in competition with our own
people. AT the time of the passage
of the Edmunds-Tucker kct it owned
the Deseret telegraph system of the
Territory, the majority of the stock in the
street railway and in the gas company of
Salt Lake. 1t also owned the Deseret Egen-
ing Neus, the Salt Lake Theater, the Zion
Savings Bank, large blocks of stock in the
Deseret National and other banks, and
large amount of improved and unimproved
property.
"In addition to this, John Taylor said,
in 1880, that the church owned s430,OO0 OF
the 81 ,000, 600 of the capital stock of lions
Cooperative Mercantile Institution, be,
sides large heads of cattle and other ami
mails in different parts Of tie Territory,
1t was this vast accumulation OF property,
Wllcl was III VI IhW, leu
to the Act by Congress escheating this
surplus property to the public schools. 1t
is a remarkable fact though, that no Gen.
tile in Utah asked for the passage of the
confiscation Act. They deplored it, as
they realized they would be charged
with trying to rob the Mormon. The Zion
Co operative Mercantile Institution founded
by the church is greater menace to busi-
ness interests than any trust which exists
in the East. The Edmunds- Tucker laws
have been sullenly submitted to. The
Gentiles believe that if an opportunity pre-
sented itself, the old system now partially
repressed by federal law, would be restored;
that many of the church doctrines and
practices are hostile and inimical to the
Government, and these being accepted and
followed by the people, necessarily places
them in hostile attitude to the Govern
ment."
Governor, have been told by the Nor
mons that Gentle success means Mormon
spoliation?"
"Such a statement can only be made for
effect at the East. 1t is fact that there is
not a case of record in the Courts of the
Territory where, so far as | know, Nor
mon has ever been despoiled of one dollar
by Gentile.'
ANOTHER INTERVIEW.
On the question of fraud, C. w. Powers,
Chairman of the Liberal party, has TO say: