The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-12

The swindlers who daily perpetrate frauds
upon the United Snates government would
here be branded as traitors and driven from
the country, II they were not sent to the
Hill of Death,,' or place of public execu-
lions. For many years the Gillian govern
ment has been OBLIGATED by the best and
purest men in the nation; and so proud are
they of their rapid advancement and so
jealous of the national integrity, that ell
matters of Jurisprudence and civil service
are watched with faithful and sacred in
terest' The same spirit of loyalty to
Chill, If not always to the men who are
temporarily administering it's affairs, as in
Balmaceda's case, is manifested through
out all classes of society. The dark skinned
peon, whose rags fiutter in the wind and
who is too ignorant to tell the time of day,
would
CUT THE THROAT OF ANY MAN
he heard speak sneeringly of his beloved
country. They may ''revolute' now and
then, but by some process of reasoning
make themselves believe it is through pure
patriotism.
There have been great changes in Chill
within the last decade or two. The pas
sage of the famous cemetery bill, which
occurred few years ago, is one of the
many significant examples. Previous to
that time the Romish clergy had held con-
troll of all the public cemeteries, and col
lected death tax of s. upon every corpse,
but utterly refused to permit any Protes-
tant dead to be buried in consecrated
ground. After a bill, which compelled the
authorities to inter the dead of any re-
ligious faith in the public cemeteries, had
passed both houses of congress and was
awaiting the executive signature to become
law, the president was visited by dele
cation three hundred strong, of the wealth
lest and most influential ladies of the
country, who emplOred him to veto the
bill. They were the wives and
DAUGHTERS OF SENATORS AND cHURCHMEN
of highest standing, and it is said that the
| Jewels they wore on that occasion were
worth more than million dollars. The
President received them with the greatest
courtesy and listened to all they had to say !;
but the obnoxious bill was duly signed and
became a law So much Importance was
attached to this political interference with
| church affairs, that for time nothing else
was talked of; and the good Bishop of Con-
cepcion, the most influential Jesuit in South
America and a man of powerful physique,
fell dead from the shock when he was told
that the new law had gone into effect. Then
the wealthy Catholics commenced a whole
sale removal OF their dead from the desc
Grated cemeteries to the churches, and even
to the courts of their houses; but were
stopped short by the prompt enactment of
another law which made it crime to dis
turb those already buried.
In order to illustrate the rapid advance
ment which Chilli has made in the scale of
civilization, let me cite one or Two things
which occurred here --s
LESS THAN A CENTURY AGO.
The condition of darkness that existed
prior to the emancipation from Spanish
rule, almost surpasses belief There was
no trace of the commerce, culture, free
thought and education that prevail to-day,
but the population, which numbered less
than three-quarte1s of million, was as
densely ignorant and superstitious as even
Spanish monarch could desire. The same
spirit Of intolerance that had character
lied Spain since the days of Carlos v
the spirit that sent an army of
butchers to hang, drown, burn and fay
alive half million people whose only crime
was desire to worship the gods Of their
fathers = prevailed in her American
colonies. All the ports were closed against
vessels of every description except the
Spanish war boats, and any attempt to
communicate or traffic with foreigners met
with severest punishment.
Toward the end OF the Eighteenth CEN
tury North American vessel sought refuge