The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-07
THE IDAHO OUTLOOK.

1t is mighty mean campaign that the
Republicans of Idaho are making; but that
is natural and 10 be expected. 1t wouldn't
be Republican if it weren't mean. Inc
meanest part of the business is the stress
laid on the Mormon question, as II that
were live issue in the new state. There
is not one intelligent Republican in Idaho
who does not know kat the Mormon is
absolutely out Of Idaho politics; that the
sole interest that the Mormon has up there
in political contests is in disnterestedly
watching the combatants. Every Repub-
lican who possesses an average degree OF
common sense knows, first, that the Nor
mons cannot vote if they want to, the state
laws forbidding it, the constitution forbid
ding il and the United States supreme
court upholding the prohibition; second,
that il the Mormons could vote,
considerable percentage OF them-per-
haps majority-would not vote the
Democratic ticket. The Republicans know
this quite as well as Tile HERALD does, and
TIA HERALD knows it to be a fact. We
may wish itwas otherwise, but it is not.
We believe that a majority of the Idaho
Mornons- are Democratic in their senti-
ments. and that they believe in the prin-
ciples of the party; but we know that they
have no love for the leaders of the party in
Idaho, and that they would enjoy, rather
than grieve over, the defeat OF those lead
ers.. Ii is stating a wellknown fact
which has been told so many times and is
well understood in the state, that the Nor
mons in. Idaho hold the Democrats respon-
sible for the unfortunate and anon
alous position in which the former
have been placed. If the Democratic
leaders had been manly, and coura-
geous, if they had been Democrats in
something more than name the infamous
test oath would not now be in the books,
and % 900 people who had offended nobody
and broken no law, either statutory or
moral, would not now be without citizen
ship, and political outcasts subject to the
kicks and cuffs of all parties and deprived
of the right and power to defend them
selves much less to retaliate 1t is in his
tory and cannot be denied that the Demo
Gratis of Idaho, through cowardice rather
than desire, were more vindictive and hate
fui in their persecution of the Mormons
lIldu bllS htpOOllCdlS, OiiC SACSH
tons being few in number and those
of the latter who figure conspiciously in
the councils of the party fewer still. The
leaders among the Idaho Mornons an6
their newspapers do not hesitate to ex
plain that they have excellent memories
and that their love for the bosses OF the
Democratic party is not whit stronger
than is their affection for the Republicans
who have at least been politically consist
ent in their prosecutions.
All this is well known to the Repub
licans, and yet they are trying to make i
appear that there is an alliance between
the Democrats and Mormons, that tn,
latter will vote although the registration
and election machinery is entirely in tn
hands Of anti Mormons and that the chic
issae in the present fight is the Mormon
who has been completely eliminated iron
the politics of the state. We say it is
mean campaign that the Republicans ar
making; it is a dishonest campaign as well
In our opinion it displays Republican weak
ness and is confession that the party is i
desperate straits when it has to resort I
Justification and rely upon the success @
its efforts to bamhoozle and deceive th
people.
The HERALD, of course, does not kno'
what win be the result of the election mex
week. but there are some things upo
which we feel justified in basing
guess. The Republicans are mani
testify in distress and are givin
evidences Of desperation. They ar
also divided the hunger an
greed Of the leaders for Office having broke
the party into factions which are knifin
each other. 1t is war to the death betwee
certain of the bosses, who would bring fai
ure upon the party rather than that the
competitors should triumph over them. O
the other hand, the Democrats are unite
as never before. In no instance have tt
ambitions of men been permitted to stan
in the way of the success of the party.
dividual aspirations have been subord
mated, and the good of the Democracy h;
apparently actuated all. Democrats a,
working together tremendously, and the
are working and talking like men who e,
pect to win. If they do not succeed, it wi
be because the Republicans are in contr
of the election machinery and will practic
the ballot-box stufiing and other frauds b
which they have in the past held pow,
and defeated the will of the people AS IL
the campaign progresses and the time f,
the electisn approaches, we grow more al
more hopeful and yet tirmer in our bell;
that the Idaho Democrats will rescue Il
new state from the clutches of the spoile
and give ii fair start.