The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-20
THE WHY'S AND THE wHEREFOREs.

a gentleman writing from Payson to the
the Salt Lake Tribune day or two ago on
the political situation-tne deplorable polit
cal situation in Utah-said:
Another fact of Importance is that the absence
Of party education in the past, the lack of he
reditary training on political questions, except
in the cases of those who have been trained
prior to their immigration into Utah, has
brought about degree of unacquaintance with
American politics and history thai is truly sur
prising as well as deplorabIe. Here in Payson
there are scores Of men, some Of them first
class business men, who are as innocent as
children concerning national politics. One man
went about to enquire OF individuals whether
they were Democrats or Republicans. Scarcely
any one knew what the terms implied; and none
exhibited hereditary ba much less definite
conceptions. The simplest political terms fail
most cases to convey definite significance.
What is true OF Pay5on, is also true of other
towns in Utah, and 1 presume there are few
exceptions.
Following this the gentleman goes on to
state that there ought to be an educational
regime inaugurated; but is Of the opinion
that nothing of the kind will or can be done
so long as our present lop-sided abnormal
! politics is imposed upon the territory; and
especially so long as no political knowledge
or inspiration is required at the hands of a
| Liberal except species of anti Mormon
rot AT this rate, how are the
people to be prepared for statehood! What
help it would be to us if we had books
and tracts, and frequent meetings in the
form of a CLUB to keep ourselves organized
and should discuss these political ques-
tions ~
That there is much 10 deplore in the
political situation in Utah is very true; but
people of Utah are not respons-
ible for the existence of this
state of affairs which is deplored
If the great majority OF our citizens are to
be found united on local issues which have
no bearing on the great political questions
before the country, it is because it is stu
alton forced upon the people. Their rights
have been assailed by an INSCRIPTIONS
minority, who have insisted that they,
and not the people of Utah, should
have control of the local govern
ment here. Their position is, and
has been defensive one. Let the wretches
who have laid their unhallowed hands on
the rights of the people let go their hold
and respect the rights of the majority OF
our citizens and our "lop-sided and abnor-
NAL politics" will right itself, and the ques
tons which divide the people of the United
States elsewhere will come to the front and
DIVIDE them in this territory.
The Tribune correspondent by the cues
J ton we have quoted from HIM, is of the
opinion that the people of Utah are not pre-
pared for statehood, because unacquaintec
with the politics of the United States. HI
claims that in Payson there are 'scores o.
: men, some Of them irst-class business men
who are as innocent as children concernin,
national politics." and further, that on al
inquiry being made of individuals whethe
they were Democrats or Republicans
: scarcely anyone knew what the terms i'm
/ piled, none exhibited hereditary bias, mucl
: less definite conceptions;'' "the simples
political terms fail in most cases to conve,
, a definite significance" The writer con
cludes that as tits in Payson tits through
[ out the territory. In that conjecture b
+ may be right; and it may also be true tina
l our citizens are not very generally familia
with the technical terms of political phrase
5 ology, or the nice distinctions of tn
| national party lines. Still, while the
may be deficient in some of thes
minor considerations; while the
a may not be "up' in the political clap-tra
t that too frequently passes for knowledge
5 in the deeper things which will concern tn
: good of the commonwealth they will not b
: found wanting. To make up for their lacl
4 of phrase knowledge. the people of Uta
q will be found to know more about the fun
damental principles Of government, tax
Q them man for man, than any other commu
nifty in the union. The reason for this i:
I they have seen government spring from 81