The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-18
AN UGLY LESSON.

AN UGLY LESSON.
Even the New York World, bitter as is
its hate towards Mormonism, and unreas-
enable as it is in utteranceS regarding the
majority class of this territory, cannot ap-
prove the methods by which the political
control of this city was recently wrested
from those who have managed affairs so
many years and with such eminent sue
cess. Our esteemed contemporary is happy
enough over the overthrow of the Nor
mons, but it can find in the manner that
the overthrow was brought about nothing
to applaud. On the contrary, it sees dan
ger in the business, and the same danger
that has been pointed out in these columns.
The World says, under the head, ''Utah's
Political Morals'' eff Utah is ever res
cued from Mormon domination and made
self governing state in the union its people
will find it necessary to unlearn much that
their political education is just now teach
ing them, and wise foresight should prompt
them now to avoid a too comprehensive
course Of study in the political methods
they are acquiring, lest the process of IN
learning be too long and painful And
what are those political methods we are to
avoids Our contemporary goes on to ex-
plain that 1.-THE Mormons in Salt Lake city
outnumber the Gentiles about four or FIVE
to one, and yet the Gentiles have just car
ried the municipal election there by
handsome majority" Then the political
methods by which the election was
carried are TO be avoided. There
is danger in method which per
mits minority of one to four
or five to defeat the majority. The World
explains something OF how it was possible
for the minority to achieve so much by
remarlzing that Congress has disfran
chised a certain percentage Of the ma
jority, disfranchisement which our con-
temporary applauds as being perfectly
just Continuing, however, the editor
says, and herein is the danger explained:
'sBut this Acknowledgement does not fully
account for the result, as it affects a com
parative small part of the Norm or popula-
ton. The fact is worthy of attention that
all the registration and election officers
were Gentiles, that is to say, the election
very exciting and strenuous contest
wascompletely in the hands of one party S
agents. We have only to reflect upon the
probable result of an arrangement of that
sort in other cities in order to understand
what it's effect probably was in Salt Lake
city,
Referring to the contention on the part
of the Mormons that the election was car
ried by fraud, the World says the claim
''would be far less plausible if care had
been taken to have representa- tives of both
parties on all the registration and canvass
ing boards Who was to take that care
The Mormons could not, and the other side
would not. There was great care, how
ever, to see that only one party should be
represented on the registration board, and
that party only by its most pronounced and
unfair representatives.. The suggestion
that man would be upright and non
partisan in the performance of purely
formal work under a plain statute, was
sufficient to disqualify him for the place.
Even if no fraud were committed, and the
utmost fairness had been shown, the Nor
mons would have had excuse for crying
fraud and protesting against the admins
tration Of the law, so studious were all
those who had anything to do with the APP
plication of the statute to avoid even a
show of fairness.
Our contemporary suggests that "for the
Mormons, of course, law abiding folk have
no sympathy The reason assigned for
this condition, that their hierarchy is an
organization rebelliously hostile to the ma
| ton and its Institutions" is Of course,
rot, born of the same preiudices which act
uated those who had control of the election
machinery, and who made it possible foi
the minority to carry the late election. 1,
is the old cry born of malice and with moth
ing 10 warrant it. We have heard it for a
to justify it. On the contrary, whatever Of
sentiment has been manifest and all the
actions CT the Mormons have been strictly
in the line of patriotism, giving a fat con
tradiction to their detractors. However
let this pass, and read the closing paragraph
Of our contemporaries article on the Sal
Lake election: "But it is a grievous pit,
that the people of what will some day be al
American state should be thus tutored il
|
items. It is dangerous lesson they art
learning"
Our late election cannot fail to have al
injurious effect on the political morals O.
the community. 1t will be very apt to Civ,
our young men the idea that it is legitimat,
to carry elections without regard to tn,
methods employed. If our boys do not ge
it into their heads that dishonesty in poll
tics is not dishonesty, but is commendable
praiseworthy and to be expected, it will b.
because they are stronger than the exam
pie and have keener and better ideas o
right and wrong than those VIII
are chuckling over the fact that the Law
was so applied as TO make the minorit,
, overcome the majority. 1t will be easier
| next time to bring men to think tina
scoundrelism in politics is less scoundrell,
. than in other walks of life. Heretofor
our people have thought that it was a Grim
, to carry an election by fraud, as much as i
would be to do anything else fraudulently
, 1t is to be hoped that the lesson lately givel
4 L. L