Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-11
JOYFUL GENTILES.
Mormondom Gets Bad Defeat
at Salt Lake.
LIBERALS PAINT THE TOWN RED.

A Hot Fight That viii Have Important
Results-Voting in the slush-Charses
of Fraud-Chieago People Send q Pro-
test to Bismarck, N. D.-The Lottery
Bill Given q Death Biow-Montana Sem
ate Minus Becker Again.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb 1.-THE
municipal election yesterday passed OF
quietly. The city was crowed with special
police, detectives and deputy United States
marshals, for the purpose of preventing ille-
gal voting, which each party claimed that
the other would resort to. II was feared
that an attempt to challenge and arrest OF
ers would result in riot and bloodshed, but
this anticipation was not realized and
though the excitement was SO intense that
half OF the business houses were closed, or
der prevailed Bands paraded the streets
and the thoroughfares We're damned with
excited citizens who realized that Upon the
result Of the battle depended .bs future OF
the Mormon church as a political organiza.
ton The voting passed off quietly, and
only six arrests were made for illegal yot-
ing, and these were accompanied by no dem
onstration from either side
Significance of the Election.
The officers voted for were a mayor, re-
corder, treasurer, assessor and marshal
OF Salt Lake City as well as
three councilmen and one justice of the
peace for each of the Ave precincts OF the
city. The ostensible issue was that of pub
lie improvements. There is not a foot Of
paved street or sidewalk in the city except
what Is the result of private enterprise. The
Gentiles do not like this. The Mormons al
lege that the result OF Gentle supremacy
IN city affairs will be heavy
taxes and debt, and the bood-
lery that marks the administration of New
York and Chicago. The question of polyg-
amy was not at issue, so the Mormons
claimed, as no one but Monogamists could
vote. There were more important ques-
tons under those apparent, however. II
was a fight for and against Mormonism,
and a struggle for control not only in the
city but in the territory, and its influence
will be momentous as to the future of Utah
The parties to the contest went under the
names OF Liberal (Gentiles) and Peoples
(Mormons).
Bad Weather for the Contest.
Snow began falling early yesterday morn
ing and continued until noon, when the sun
came out, melting the snow and turning the
streets into rivers of slusu This did not
deter the voters, many of whom waded
through the mud to the polling places, while
hundreds of carriages ran between the pre-
cinct headquarters ami every part Of the
city, conveying voters to and from the
polls BY noon 5000 votes had been cast
which by the poll-books showed that about
IS per cent. of the Peoples (Mormon's) regis
tered vote had been cast, and about 50 per
cent. of the Liberals (Gentiles) At that
hour it was estimated that the returns at
the Gentiles headquarters gave them ma
jority of 2J7 votes, though up to IL o'clock
the Mormons had a majority ranging from
200 to 800
The Gentiles Win the Victory.
The polls closed at 6 p. m The Liberal
leaders posted a bulletin claiming 200 ma
jority. The news spread rapidly, and the
Gentiles became wild with joy. They lit
orally took possession OF the city, the Nor
mons retiring to their homes Flags were
run up in all directions, and lanterns and
fireworks illuminated the streets and build
ings. Cannons doomed, bonfres were lighted
at every corner, ana hundreds of men in line
paraded the streets with drums and torches
yelling like mad. No such scenes were ever
witnessed before in Utah. The Mormons
admit their defeat, but say that il was
brought about by the most glaringly lille gal
methods, and that the result will be reversed
by the courts. They do not think the ma
jority shown by the returns will exceed 400
Kept 1t Up Until Morning.
AT 10 CLOCK the crowds on the streets be-
came so great that the horse cars were com.
PEELED to stop running. The excitement was
increasing, and the celebration continued
until morning. Notwithstanding the great
excitement the spirit of good nature pre-
vailed, and there was no disposition shown
to quarrel or raise disturbances The sa-
looms were all closed, and not single drunk
an man could ha seen