The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-06

that an absolute sentiment in favor of
pclygamy. had been told, and the esti-
mates demonstrated beyond doubt, that
there was probably not over 215 or per
cent. of the male population in polygamy.
The settlement of Utah was forty or forty
i've years old, and many OF the men and
women born there were grandfathers or
grandmothers. l could not understand
how it was that those people were
consentlng to such continual attacks,
10 such deprivations, and to such odium in
the estimation of their fellow-citizens IN
the United States, in this condition of
things. And, gentlemen, discovered as
clearly marked line between those who
favored polygamy and those who did not,
as the banks Of the Mississippi river.
The younger people would come 10 me in
my ROOM in private and talked TO ne about
it. l could give names and incidents of
Mormons, high in life, some of whom the
chair of this committee is acquainted with,
who came to me and urged me, saying,
Judge, for Gods sake break this thing
up. We have had enough trouble; we
have had all we can possibly stand of 1t.
We have had one right after another taken
from US. We have been put in an awk-
ward attitude by our fellow-citizens of the
United States, and for Gods sake break it
up" Others said to me- notably Reed
the Republican candidate Tor mayor, and
himself the product of a polygamous mar
rlage, Judge, we can not stand this thing,
and we will not stand it; it must be set
tied" And l know whereof l affirm
when l say before this committee
that when the Mormon church made its
declaration of the abandonment of poly
gamy II was done as much from
A FORCE WITHIN AS FROM FORCE WITHOUT.
Moreover, l say that when they made
the announcement they simply announced
what was foregone fact; that it accom-.
plished nothing. That thing was already
accomplished. l do not believe, to-day,
sir, that you could any more, by the con-
sent Of the people of the territory of Utah,
reestablish polygamy there than you
could re-estaolish slavery in Georgia or
Tennessee.
AS to the domination of the priesthood
in politics, SO far as | am concerned-I am
not here as a partisan-I want to say 10
this committee from my standpoint that
fear it not, and there are instances in our
own recent election that prove to my en-.
tire satisfaction and that of my associates
that we are able to take care of ourselves
! the priesthood and the Mormon church to
the contrary Notwithstanding, if it be to
the contrary.
Now, so much for boiled down state
ment of the actual condition of things
among those people.
l have given, you, sir, their sentiment,
the actual sentiment as 1t exists and as
know il exists.
Now, gentlemen, Senator Platt. in oul
discussion the other day, in answer to a
suggestion of one OF our speakers, said i
was well in speaking of these things t
deal strictly with facts and not with senti
meHt. l am sorry the honorable Senator
10 not here to hear my reply.
Liberty, gentlemen, is a sentiment
| What is it that makes the American
breast well up at the sight of his flag bu
sentiment? There is no liberty withou
that sentiment; that is, that love of free
dom that is born in the human breast, AM
that would make US shed our blood upol
our soil and redden it with gore in defens
! CT liberty. When we come TO you and la
before you our grievances, remember tina
we come with no cold, icy statue; we com
with the living sentiment of human being
and American citizens, asking to be a.
lowed to govern ourselves as other peopi
in these United States are allowed I
govern themselves. A broader patriotism
should be manifested toward the people G
Utah. If the people of U tab suffer in thei
liberties the people of every other stat
IN the Union suffer in theirs. My friend.
no people ever lost their liberty at on
stroke. 1t usually begins in some wea
and obscure corner, where custom an
precedent are nodded, and it spreads Xix
the silent creep OF the cold tyrant's hanC
until it has grasped the liberty of tn
whole and subjected them to tyranny.
Talk not to me of sentiment. When W
speak OF American liberty it is all setimen
and without ii there is no liberty. Pardo
the depression, for l felt called upon
make it, to let you gentlemen know no.
we feel; that in Utah we love liberty, an
have sentiment as well az in other parts {
this union.
When you govern people by men WI
do not live among them, but who live hur
dreds and thousands of miles away, an
whose daily bread consists in the salar
they get for governing that people, there
NO difference in men, l care not how hig
: or low their station.
PLATE who delivered our Master to II
crucifiers, was an accredited governor
the Roman empire, and doubtless believe
by those who gave him his commission.
Is the system OF government that is WrOn
: Ireland is to-day almost depopulated an
, destroyed by that system OF government
and yet the accredited agents of the Bri
ish government go there and tax her ar
: govern her, and they doubtless have tt
appreciation of the Queens sign manual ,
to their responsibility and standing.
) Gentlemen, to you who live in the statt
and know what liberty OF self-governmel
; is; wha. it is to elect your own officers ar
7 hold every man responsible to the peopl
/ you cannot, sirs, conceive of territory,
dependency governed by people wi
come from thousands of miles away, ar
whose interest it is TO keep in Office
3 draw their salaries.
9 1 speak plainly, but l speak as an Amer
/ can freeman 10 the American Congress
0 and ] proclaim that l have the right
8 challenge any such system of government
: and If the individual must suffer am Ii
: responsible.
1 Now, gentlemen, let me bring you dow
: to facts that are within my knowledge, 81
without arraigning any individual let 4
show you what the Utah commission h
!. done within the last eighteen month
There cannot be any doubt about wha
shall say, for here exhibiting are 4
: records of the supreme court OF the ter
r tory of Utah. In August, $780, there w
d an election held in Salt Lake city for coun
; officers. After it was held / never hea
such charges as were made OF
: FRAUD AND UNFAIR DEALING.
Q The charges were galore and the air w
r blue with them. l received q commissi
g frem Colonel Godfrey, chairman of I
Utah commission. friend of mine, al
q than whom no more upright, honorat
/ gentleman lives. appointing me a memb
f of the board Of canvassers for the coun