The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-20
Utah.

Utah comes before Congress this winter
with better argument for admission to the
Union than she has ever before presented.
Her population and resources long ago
were moro than sufficient to entitle her to
that privilege. and are now greater than
ever. She had 2o7.9O5 people in 1890. and
now Is supposed TO have 2l5.OOo. In the GEN.
sus year she had nearly three and half
times the population Of Wyoming. nearly
two and half times that Of Idaho. and more
than one and q half times that of Montana.
The assessed value Of her property, real
and personal. for the present year. was
$12l .14e.64s. which was gain OF nearly one
sixth In twelve months. Her yield Of gold,
silver. and lead during the same period
broke all records. and the increase In the
production Of salt was enormous. Her
veins Of asphalt. when developed, can pave
all the cities Of America for long time to
come. and she Is rich in coal and iron. Her
banks show large increase Of capital; her
railroads. aggregating about 1900 miles,
are busy. the years increase Of tonnage
handled on the Union Pacific alone amount
ing to 14S per cent. The schools. under the
influence Of the Free School law. are -four
ishing. as also are Deseret University and
the Agricultural College.
But these things alone will not bring
Statehood to Utah. The remaining ques-
ton is whether she has yet overcome the
objections to her admission founded on
Mormonism and polygamy. President
HARRISON doubts whether they are over
come. and demands further evidence. there
in following Secretary NOBLE. who had
sided with the Utah Commission. That
Commission represents pretty fully the
views Of the snt-Mormon party In the
Territory. The Governor. In his report.
dissents from the conclusions Of this Com
mission as to the sincerity Of the Church of
Latter Day Saints in Its proiessed abandon
ment Of polygamy.
The Governor was himself. In former
years. distrustful Of the Mormops. But
while the Commissioners still retain
that attitude Of suspicion. he finds In the
fact thatthe Mormons were awaiting final
decision Of the United States Supreme
Court on the constitutionality of the anti
polygamy laws sufficient explanation for
their present change Of front. They accept
now. he thinks. tho decision Of the highest
legal tribunal in the land as binding upon
islature passed strenuous laws against po-
lygamy: and further. that In the district
courts after Sept. 1. 1880. there were. &C.
cording to the minority report Of Commits
sioner MoC1EAfAND. most decisive proofs Of
the decrease Of plural marriages.
In the conference Of the Mormon Church
held few weeks ago. resolutions we're
adopted declaring that the report Of the
Utah Commission was untruthful: that the
manifesto Of President WOODBURY. forbid
ding future plural marriages. adopted the
year previous. was issued In good faith: and
that the conference had every reason to be-
lieve that 1t was honestly observed by the
Church people. further resolution was
adopted with direct reference to the state
OF political parties In the Territory:
"That We deny most smphAtcaly tho assertion Of
the Commission that tho Church dominates its mem.
bers In political matters and that Church and State are
united wha'ever appearance there may have been In
past times Of = union Of Church and State because
men holding ecclesiastical authority were elected to
civil office BY popular vote there Is now NO foundation
for the statement that Church and State
united In Utah. that the leaders OF the Church dc
tate the members In political mattersi that no
cIon or influence whatsoever Of an ecclesiastical na
ture has been exercised by Church leaders
In reference 10 which political party shall Join and
that have been and perfectly free to unite with
any political party We may individually elect
that the Peoples party has bssn entirely and nhsly
dissolved. and that fealty henceforth will be to
such national political party to best suited
to the purposes OF republican government"
II Is understood. Of course. that the PEG
pies party thus referred to as having been
disbanded was the Mormon party. Score
tary N0BLx himself. In giving q summary