The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-29
PECULIAR CAMPAIGN ARGUMENTS.

Our attention has just been directed TO
an alleged argument in an Idaho paper
which is evidently intended to convince
the Mormon people that they should vote
with the Republicans. The so called arRu-
ment may be briefly stated thus: When the
| anti-Mormon sentiment in Idaho became
intense certain prominent Democrats fell
into line with those opposing the Saints
and assisted with all their power to carry
the fight to finish. They proclaimed
themselves Rnti-Mormons, in the legisla-
ture voted for the anti-Mormon bills and in
every respect were as energetic and deter
mined-but no more so-as the Republi-
cans in making it uncomfortable for the
Mormons
This kind of stuff is actually put out as
reason why Idaho Mormons should Join the
Republican party, Queer ideas of things
those editors must have! Queer ideas of
the intelligence and the reasoning facul-
ties of their readers Do they think there
is no such thing as principle in politics?
Their 'logic'' would indicate as much. Ia
1t their opinion that the great Republican
party and the greater Democratic party
are founded upon nothing more grand or
lasting than the individual preiudices of
men with reference to some local class or
question! 1t would seem so.
We have seen nothing sillier, nothing
more insulting to mems intelligence than
this campaign argument now being circu-
latad in Idaho. II virtually says to the
Idaho Mormons: ''You are without ideas
or opinions; you know nothing of poll
tics or principles and are incapable
OF learning; you must not even study such
things; others will settle the principle bust
ness for you and turn your political action
IN the direction which your prejudice
against individuals runs; last year Demo
crat OF prominence SAID some harsh things
about you, hence you must oppose the
Democratic party; this year a Republican
will backyard you, when it will be your
duty to vote against the Republicans"
II the Idaho Mormons could be inhuenced
and led by such arguments, they ought not
to complain If the parties made war upon
them oy turns or jointly. A policy par
tisan" is the most dangerous as he is
the most despicsble of voters, and GER
tain Republican editors in Idaho
would make all Mormons in that
state policy partisans" Of course
the contemplate effort will fail. The
Mormons will resent the insult to their in
dependence and intelligence, and be Repub-
icans or Democrats according as they be-
heVe IN the principles of the respective
parties They win not be governed or in
huenced in their political Affiliations by the
actions or utterances of individual members
OF parties. If they were to be so influenced,
how many of them could be driven into the
Republican rankss Not many, we take it,
as there is not Republican paper in the
land which has not made vigorous war on
the Saints; there has not been a Republi-
can President of the United States
who has not said mean things
about the Mormons: the first Re-
publican platform was denunciatory of
the Mormons and every one of its sue
cessors has been more or less SO; we doubt
that there has ever been a Republican
Congress IN which anti-Mormon legislation
was not attempted, and about the only OBJ
position ever offered to any anti-Mormon
bill came from Democrats.
But all this has nothing to do with the
real question, which is solely and simply
one OF political principles. We believe the
great majority of the Idaho Mormons. as
we know the overwhelming majority of
Utah Mormons, are Democrats, not because
all the Republican Presidents, all the FORE
most Republican statesmen, and very
nearly all Republicans have been outspoken
and active in opposition to Mormons, but
because the Democratic principles are
nearest to the hearts Of the people, and are
more closely in harmony with the ideas of
the masses as to government. We believe
the Mormons of Idaho will have q better
foundation for their partisanism than the
circumstance that some Democrats may