The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-10
DIsFRANCHISEMENT THE ISSUE.

The Liberal candidate for Delegate to
Congress- from this territory is @. C..
GOODWIN, editor of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Mr.. GooDwIN's attitude toward the mem
bers of the Peoples party is well known.
Two years ago when few Liberia pro-
possd the disfranchisement of all the Nor
mons of Utah, the scheme met with little
support among the best citizens of that
party and was frowned down. Not so with
MIR. GOODWIN. The scheme met with his
unqualified approval. He denounced the
conscience stricken members of the Lib
eral party who did not endorse the scheme
for the disfranchisement Of the Mormons
He did not favor the Acknowledgement of
those Who had violated the law He did
not favor the disfranchis of the Nor
mons or others who refus ed to take the
oath that they would not in the future vio-
late the law. These classes were already
disfran chised by the TUCKER EDMUNDs act.
Mr.. GOODWIN was at that time the one
conspicuous example among the Liberals,
who openly, without reservation, and ap
parently without shame, advocated the dis
reimbursement of those members of the
Mormon Church in Utah Who had broken
no law in the past, who had taken the oath
that they would not violate the law in the
future, nor aid, abet or advise any one
else to violate the law. This was the class
that MIR. GOODWIN sought to disfranchise.
That there may be no mistake on this
point we quote his exact words of two
years ago:
10 oig;
vent Mormons from hereafter obtaining title to
public land ought to be passed SO soon as Con
gress meets.-SaH LAKE. tribune, Nocem5er 80,
1888
Other language of similar import, and
even of a tenor to suggest the confscation
of the private property of the Mormons
was used by Mr.. GOODWIN at the same
time:
Suppose like PHARAOH they still further
harden their hearts until another plague hall
be sent. Suppose the governor should
begin suits against the Saints who
own lands. TO have their patents set aside and
| their lands forfeited = because in no real
sense were they citizens.
This was the recommendation of Mr.
GooDwIN concerning people whose acts
,
to use his own expression ana
opinion, were hard. Most gr evolsly
would the Mormon people have tc
answer for the crime of being hard-hearted
if Mr. GOODWIN should have his way. Not
disfranchisement alone, not denial of the
rights and i'm nunities of free men merely
not simply exclusion from the jury box and
witness stand in every case from murder
to petty larceny, not mere serfdom of this
kind would be sufficient. punishment fol-
the crime of having a hard heart Not il
Mr.. GOODWIN knew it. He would add that
the private property of each man whom ht
charged with hard-heartedness should b
confiscated All he wanted in addition tt
/ this modest punishment for having hare
| hearts, was that the guilt of the accused
be assumed at the outset, and that there bt
no trial, no Judicial proceeding allowed BY
which some of the accused might prove
themselves innocent of this awful crime o.
having hard hearts.
For his own part Mr.. GOODWIN implicitly
believes that all Mormons have blacl
hearts, as his superstition has taught hin
concerning the sons of perdition; and ht
will permit no examination OF the heart O.
any Mormon lest this convenient ant
treasured thought of his shall be dissipated
Mr.. GOODWIN is the one Liberal in Utat
that has stood by every proposition evel
made for the punishment of the Mormons
Within the last few days he has asserted il
effect that the Mormons should be disfran
chised because he pretended to believe they
do not mean what they say in endorsing
President WooDRUFF's manifesto agains
polygamo Gus marriages.
Mr.. GOODWIN is proud of his record H,
represents the cause that the Mormon
should be disfraDchissd for their belief, o.
rather for what he says is their belief Th,
Liberals of Utah are confronted with thi
issue: Shall men be disfranchised for uha
another man says is their belief? Thos,
Voting in the affirmative will cast thei
ballots for G. c. GOODWIN. Those votiu,
in the negative will cast their ballots fo
JOHN T. GAME.