The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-15
ARGUMENT OF THE UNREASONABLE

The Mormon people entered this inter
mountain region when it was wilderness
well nigh desert-and by their patient,
intelligent industry, opened it up to COM
merce and gave it to civilization, a monu-
ment to perpetuate the fame OF Industry. of
faith and work. And while they gave it to
civilization, they at the same time gave if
as new commonwealth to the American
union, testimony of their deep loyalty to
American principles. Yet, notwithstand
ing all that the pioneer settlers of Utah
have done. both for civilization and the
American union, there are not wanting self
seeking demagogues who advocate robbing
them and their children of every political
right, that the way may be cleared for
these same demagogues, though greatly in
the minority, to seize upon the local govern
ment of the territory and rule the people
with rod Of iron. They tell the pioneer
settlers and their children that they are IN
worthy citizens Of the United States. unfit
to affiliate politically, with their fellow
citizens, exercise the franchise. sit as
jurors, hold office, enter public lands or do
anything else which makes citizenship
valuable
Naturally the stranger in our midst will
be curious to know on what grounds the
enemies of the Mormon people would
Justify such proceedings; for surely there
must be some reason, more or less plausi
bic, to justify recommending such harsh
unusual proceedings. Here is the indict
ment made, and the only one that can be
drawn up against them:
First, they entertain the common Chris
tan belief that the Messiah viii return to
the earth, establish His kingdom and reign
over the earth. In common with all
Christians they pray-"rhy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven;'' and they believe that
eventually that universal Christian
prayer viii be granted, that CHRIST
Will come ano reign Lord of
lords and King of kings and that all men
will yet gladly receive his kingdom. This
Christian belief commended in other neo
pie is accounted in the Mormons a roc,,
OF offending. It is a virtue that acts as a
sanctihed and holy traitor to them: for
their enemies make it appear that it plucks
the robe OF loyalty from the shoulders of
the Mormon, and brands him traitor to the
government OF the United States. They
insist that the Mormon entertaining these
ideas IS an unsafe citizen because his AL
legiance is given to his heavenly govern
ment which is yet to come, and therefore
IN the event Of the United States becoming
involved in war or other difficulty with a
foreign nation, the stranger and nor the
United States would receive the Mormon
allegiance Need the absurdity OF the
position taken by the enemies of the
Mormons on this matter detain us
to discuss it2 Is it not enough to saw that
such reasoning as this would make unsafe
every Christian citizen in the unione and
does 1t not smell of demagogues hard
pressed for an argument to justify its de-
mands for the disfranchisement of its Oh
ponents, that it may revel in the spoils of
community left at the mercy of its ra-
pacity?
The second alleged offendingis that for a
number of years the Mormon peopla
questioned the constittutionality of some of
the enactments of Congress affecting their
religious convictions; and because thev did
not Immediately abandon those convictions
and bow in humble reverence to the GEsLER
cap erected by Congress, they were dubbed
reasonable aliens to the government.
Thirdly, they have had the temeritv to
believe that the supreme court of the
United States is not infallible and has pos
sibiy been influenced to some extent in its
decisions on questions involving mat