The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-21
A Most Pathetic Plea From A. B.
Carlton.
CUT LOOSE FROM LIBERAL TIES.
On JelfersOn's Tomb is Written, He Was the
Author Of the Act Establishing
Religious Liberty"


gressional elections, wish from this stand
point to present a few reasons why non
Mormon Democrats in Utah should cut
loose from the so-called Liberal party
and unite with other Democrats in the
political movement lately inaugurated.
IL need not expatiate on the changed
conditions in Utah whereby the further
continuance of the Liberal" party is
without justification or excuse; but 1 will
give it as my deliberate opinion that it is
the almost unanimous conviction OF lead
ing Democrats (outside of Utah that the
practice of polygamy has been abandoned
and that the Mormon people should enjoy
all the political rights and privileges OF
other citizens of the United States.
2-There is no political wisdom in con-
tinuing the war against the Mormons, for,
Notwithstanding any temporary disfran-
chisement, the time will come, sooner or
later, when the great mass of them will be
voters. All experience shows that this
must inevitably be the result. The great,
imperial white race of America cannot be
permanently kept in a condition OF politi
cal slavery in Utah any more than IN any
other part of the union. Witness the con-
dition of Missouri, West Virginia, Mary
land and other States TO the south, for a
few years after the close of the war. The
great mass of the white people were dis
franchised, but long ago the shackles of
political slavery were thrown off in all
those States.
So IL will be inU tab and in every state and
territory so long as our Democratic Repub
Ecan system shall continue. In this view
of the case is there any good sense or prac-
tical politics in Democrats Withholding
their support of this new movement. In
the long run Mormons in Utah will vote as
freely as the gentiles. Do you wish to
repel them from the Democratic party by
adhering to a party OF hate and disfran-
chisement. However much a man may be
attached TO the principles and measures of
political party, he will not vote with that
party If IL proposes to dIsfranchise and
enslave him. Nor will he soon forget the
men or set of men VINO shall have pursued
him and his children to the utmost eXtrem-
ity, not for any crime committed by them,
but Tor their religious creed. There is a
tide in the affairs of men which taken at
the flood leads on'' 10 political fortune and
success That tide Is up now. II 1t shall
be allowed to ebb it will not put AL end to
progress in Utah, for the maintenance of
political liberty in Utah is foregone con-
clusion, but in due time you may look for
movement from the opposition. Some
bright morning you will wake up to learn
that the Republican wing of the Liberal
party yielding like sensible men TO the
inevitable necessity, have made a coup d.
otdt. bearing their resentments and pro-
posing utilization with the Mormons on Just
and liberal terms. To what extent the
Mormons might accede to this, and
whether such movement would
but il is well known that
many of the Mormons now have. and for
years past have had predictions for the
Republican doctrine of protective tariff,
and it would not be strange if the Republi-
can sophistries in regard to home industry
and the protection of the miners and sheep
and beet growers, should win many Nor
mons to the Republican side, especially If
they should be Smarting under what they
should conceive to be ingratitude and iniUs-
tice from the Democrats.
In my opinion there are many special
reasons why the Mormons should be Dem
ocrats, but they must Judge for themselves,
AID even the Saints have probably enough
of the Old Adam left in them to act upon
the theory that the injunction of turning
the other cheek to be smitten was not IN
tended to apply to the contest with Utah
Liberalism"
3-But above all these considerations of
party policy aud practical politics rises the
supreme question of duty in the forum of
the conscience. In equity anu good con-
science. what right has any man, or set of
men, or any "convocation OF polite worms"
to sit in Judgment on other poor worms Of
the dust. infiicting pains ana penalties for
imputed errors in religious beliefl In all
such cases the tyrants plea has been that
the federation of heresy or unbelief is a
menace and a danger to the civil govern
ment or the orthodox church.
II was this combination of bigotry and
statecraft that lighted the flames at Smith
fiQld ap6 f0rOad the fhnm r. and the
racks of the inquisition. II was this, that.
in the know-nothing days, Redeemed the
streets of Louisville with the blood of
Catholics. 1t was this, that, for centuries,
has ground Ireland under British tyranny.
1t is this that to-day inflames the satanic
heart OF the car to acts OF unspeakable
cruelty and atrocity against the Jews.
Il was this that drove the Huguenots to
South Carolina, and the Puritans to New
England.
Democrats proudly claim that they are
disciples of Thomas Jefferson, the apostle
of the American Democracy. Upon his
tomb is the inscription, HE was the author
Of the act establishing religious liberty in
the commonwealth of Virginia" Jefferson
was not deferred from going forward with
this great reform by the bitter opposition
of the high churchmen. who denounced him
es an infdel and an enemy to
the church and state. If the Demo-
Gratis Of Utah are true disciples
OF jefferson, they will equally disregard
similar denunciations. With rare except
ions throughout the United States, outside
of Utah, the disfranchisement of citizens,
on account Of religious creed, has become
80 obsolete as to excite derision by its
antiQuated grotesqueness; and pains, pen
aities. forfeitures, thumb screws and racks
as o means Of religious persuasion or CO.
ercion are looked upon as men now view
the marnmoth's bones, and wonder what
queer old world could have endured such
monsters. For the benefit Of those Demo
Gratis who are newcomers in Utah, wish
to interpose q caveat against their giving
implicit confidence to all they hear in
city where one can reap a larger crop of
misinformation in twenty-four hours than
anywhere else in America. Some people
who go to Utah gulp down everything they
hear like mullet head at bunco auction
when little further examination and
hearing OF both sides would have taught
them that much they have heard is either
wholly false or greatly exaggerated.
In one of j. Fenimore Cooper's novels, we
read Of mirage in the great American
desert, exhibiting on the horizon a monstr-
Gus giant and huge black bear, which on
kindly and simple hearted old man of ordi-
nary size, accompanied by his little black
dog Just so with the people of Utah. |
When the false mirage is lifted, the formi- |
dable monsters are found to be very much |
like other ordinary human beings, as |
orderly, lsw-abiding, industrious and hon. |
est as those Of any other community.
A B. CARLTON,
TERRE HAUTE, Indiana, June 10. 1891.
SALMON'S NEAT MARKET