The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-31
DO YOUR DUTY.

The most important political contest in
which the people of Utah have ever en-
gagged is row approaching the climax-the
election. They are about TO elect men TO
enact laws for them. 1t goes without say
ing that the greatest care should be exer-
cised in making selection of men TO exer-
else that great power, the greatest and the
gravest which can be conferred upon men
by men. When you give to body of men
the right to enact laws for you BY which
your conduct IS to be guided in the future,
you have conferred the highest authority
upon those men that it is possible to give
them and we repeat that care should be
taken that it be not bestowed upon men
unworthy of your confidence. The first
Importance is to see that those men about
to be invested with the sovereign power of
legislation shall possess such political
principles as will be guarantee against
any abuse of that power. 1t is for
that purpose that candidates for Office
have been called upon in our free re-
public to declare their political principles,
and explain their application to practical
legislation when asking for the suffrages
of the people. Hence have arisen political
platforms TO which the nominees OF the re-
spective parties stand pledged. If can
didate of party were to be untrue to his
political pledges, he would be guilty OF
treason to the people and would be worthy
of traitors fate-hanging. 1t is well, Of
course, to have good men in every respect
in Office: moral men, sober men, refined
men: men whose lives are as blameless as
mems lives can be; but these personal
moral qualities are of secondary considera-
ton TO society that is about to entrust them
with legislative powers, to the graver ques-
ton, viz: the soundpess of their political
faith. Is that made up of such principles
as would deter them from encroachiDg upon
the liberties Of those who appointed them
to make laws! II it is not, then there is
danger of entrusting them with the sover-
eign power of legislation however moral
and upright they might be in private life.
1t is grave situation which confronIs
the people of Utah next Monday; one that
involves their liberties and it may be the
liberties Of their children. Since the legis-
lature was last chosen, the wisest, the
bravest, the best, OF Utah's sons have
sought to bring this territory into
harmony with the sentiment of the
nation; how well they have sue
ceeded time will yet make proof.
They have taken solemn counsel with
themselves and have determined TO put the
past, with its bitterness and heartburn
ings, behind them and with brave hearts
look to the future. The times have been
declared to be propitious for men to declare
their political faith, and divide upon those
political issues which obtain elsewhere.
Their division has gone on to a very great
extent throughout the territory. and we
taken action in this matter, however much
we may be surprised that any Of them
could become Republicans, have done so
from conviction. But there is large class
in every community who do not readily
adapt themselves to changed conditions.
They are not necessarily ''mossbacks," nor
blocks in the way Of progress. They are
by nature slow and conserv alive and wish
to be sure Of the ground they are about to
take. The number of such people in the
present political revolution in this terri
tory is considerable, in many localities
they constitute the large majority of the
voters. Now. what we want to say to this
class of voters is this: A very grave
responsibility rests upon you at this
juncture of the political history
of our territory. Standing in the way of
progress, fostering all the hatreds Of the
past, appealing to all the passions that will
enkindle mems souls to bitterness, now re-
lying en- prejudice for their success, stands
the Liberal party, pledged to unrelenting
war upon people who differ from them in
matters of religious faith; determined now
as they have ever been upon the disfran-
chisement of the great majority Of the citi-
zens of this territory. This was the issue
at the last election for Delegate to Con-
gress, aud the party which stood for dis
franchisement was deservedly defeated
But that result was accomplished by an
aroused people who made their indignation
felt at the polls against such an un-Ameri-
can proposition as that Of DISTINGUISHING
men for religious belief. We would re-