The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-14
THE MORMON VOTE IN wYoMING.

Editor LUDIN, of the Lander (Wyo)
Moumdtneer, in recent issue S his paper
says he has received a communication
IRON gentleman prominent in national
Democratic councils" inquiring as to the
number of Mormon votes in the state, and
whether they are likely 10 support the Re
publican or Democratic ticket at the COM
| ing election. Mr.. LUDIN proceeds to an
sUer the queries IN s paper as follows:
| In reply TO the first question we believe we
are as accurate as ii is possible 10 be, in saying
that there are about is Mormon voters in the
state. Enough in fact to elect either state
ticket if the vote is thrown solidly one way or
the other, but not geographically distributed so
as to affect the legislative ticket in more than
three counties.
AS TO the second question, we confess our
selves unable 10 answer. The indications are
that they viii vote with the Democrats unless
they are advised TO the contrary by the Salt
Lake church authorities.
The Republican leaders at the present time
are counting the Mormon vote OF s. yoming and
Idaho very assiduously, but whether or not
there is an understanding between them it is
impossible to learn. Last election the Saints
in Wyoming voted with the Republicans in CON
| sideration OF services rendered and to be rem
dered by Senator }. NJ. AREY MIR CAREY is
not factor in the coming campaign and the
Mormons with whom tie writer has had occa-
sion 10 talk seem 10 think that having paid
Mr.. CAREY, they would be free to vote with the
party with whom they had formerly affiliated
or divide between the two parties as they saw
fit. This is about the situation at the present
time.
ho
has "grasped the situation" The Nor
mons, who comprise a considerable per
ceptage of the population of the western
counties Of Wyoming, are largely Demo
cratic in their sympathies and affiliations
and we believe that hereafter they will be
with their party, as Democrats should be-
| They were criticised and censured in 1890
for voting the Republican ticket but no
body who was familiar with the situation.
nobody who was acquainted with the then
existing facts, could blame them for doing as
they did. AS the Moantatneer says, they were
under obligations to Mr.. CAREY, who had
befriended them in places where and
when they needed friends, and as many
OF those Mormons said then and since they
felt that it was their DUTY to pay the debt
| by helping the man who had aided them.
They were none the less Democrats for
having voted TO reward Mr.. CAREY with a
senatorship, and having cancelled what
was, at least, moral obligation, they were
free thereafter to follow the bent of their
own political inclinations. There may be,
and doubtless are, some Republicans
among the Mormons of Wyoming There
are, strange and inconsistaut and un-
accountable as it may seem, a few
honest Republican Mormons in Utah,
some in Idaho and score or such matter
IN Arizona, whilst in Colorado we are told
the Republicans have a sort of foothold in
the Mormon settlements. But the masses
OF Mormons in Wyoming, as everywhere,
are Democrats from principle, and at all
future elections will be found working for
and voting the Democratic tickets Our
wyoming contemporary need not have
added the proviso as to how the Mormons
Will vote. "unless they are advised to the con-
trary by the Salt Lake church authorities. %
Whatever may have occurred in the past.
Mormons are not now taking their politics
from the "church authorities" and we
don't believe the authorities are giving
political direction.
The politicians in Wyoming may rest in
the consciousness that the Democratic Nor
mons there will be as true to the party as
me Democratic Methodists or Episcopa-
hans or others. There will be no mixing of
religion and politics, and as there are no
more debts to pay, there will be no more
voting of Republican tickets by Democrats.