The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-13
LOCAL POLITICS.

Communicated
1t may be taken for granted that any
division which takes place in Our territory
on national party lines will be division
| among the friends of liberty il Utah.
Those who have Systematically assaulted the
rights and liberties of a majority of our
citizens will not divide. For them to do so
would destroy the purpose for which they
have been working from the co nmence-
ment. That purpose has been to get COM
plete control of the territory, with view
OF obtaining like control of the state, when
the territory shall be turned into one
This is the goal of all their expectations.
To this end they have lied without stint,
for the purpose of undoing the reputation
OF our citizens abroad, that the impression
might be created that the majority of our
people were unworthy of being trusted
with the task of governing themselves, and
that they-heayen save their modesty !
were the only good and loyal
citizens in Utah the only ones
to be trusted; they alone were lit to vote
and hold office! To bring to pass this de-
sign they accomplished the disfranchise-
! sought by the Introduction of test oaths
and other devices to drive men from
the polls, whom Congress would not
| consent to disfranchise by law Their
disappointment at the failure of the va
rlous devices they have inaugurated has
been attested by the bowls of rage that
rent the air each time they were foiled, a
bitterness which exhibited how much they
had set their hearts, not on the political or
moral reformation of the Mormons, but ON
their enslavement. Have the Liberals
abandoned their purpose! DO they no
longer dream of making Utah state, with
themselves the voters and office holders
and the Mormon people the taxpayers?
Believe US, friends they as firmly hold to
their purpose as ever, and rejoice at the
proposed division in the party of the people,
seeing in that movement short cut to the
realization of all their hopes.
We are confronted now with re-dis-
tricting of the territory by the Utah COM
mission, and from the experience of the
past, we may rest assured that every ad-
vantage that can be given to the Liberals
will be accorded them. Let it be remem-
bered that though the gentlemen of the
commission are Republicans and Demo
Gratis they will be more interested in keep
ing their hold upon their offices than thew
will be in aiding Utah to obtain statehood.
Their interest requires that Utah remain q
territory, consequently there is no reason
to believe there will be any material change
in their methods. Next August will occur
our election for members of the legislature
and with the increased advantages which
this redistricting Of the territory is very
likely to give them, with the People,s
party and their friends divided on national
party lines, it will be something more
than wonderful if the next legislature
is not Liberal. In that event, let the people
of Utah-that is, the great majority of
them-take long farewell of all their
liberties. Disfranchisement. confiscations
and other abuses would tread SO fast upon
4 each others heels that the ills created would
well nigh be uncomfortable. Let not these
things be thought impossible To take such
ground would only be hugging a delusion tt
our breasts. Remember how unscrupu
lous foe the people have to deal with, thai
the machinery of the election is in thei,
hands; call to mind what daring fraud.
they have committed and we need not bs
surprised to see them attempt to steal the
territory-a feat they can only accomplish
as we believe, By the party of the people
dividing on issues which in our present cir
cumstances little concern US.
t 1t is hoped that by our citizens affili
ating with the national party, to which
their convictions would incline them
local difficulties would be solved, and JUS
; tice. so long delayed, put the destiny of oul
loved territory where it belongs, in tn,
, hands of her own people. But In striving
} to attain that very desirable end let us not
, put ourselves in a position ad interim
| where the enemies of our liberties ma,
> strip US of our franchise through enact
, ments of the territorial legislature which
' would make bondage or disgrace perpetual
for the majority of our citizens; which, il
! Short would make Utah another Idaho
'. only with ali the ills of the latter enlarge,