The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-08-21
THE HokMoNs IN IDAHO.


! 1t seems that the Republicans of Idaho are
undergoing change of heart in respect to
the Mormon inhabitants of their state
which we are pleased to see, and only wish
it extended to the entire Republican party.
One Of the planks adopted in the platform
of the convention is as follows.
We congratulate the Mormon church on the
recent declaration, abandoning polygamy and
divorce OF church and state 10 all political con-
Germs. and accepting this declaration as sinceres
we pledge the party that with the continuance
OF the evidences of this sincerity, we will st the
next ensuing session of me legislature. restore
to its members the free political privileges OF
citizenship secured co all others
That is a good thing to say it will be a
better thing TO carry out the promise when
the legislature meets 1t would be a
noble promise and noble act
when accomplished, il it were q
promise made and an act done in the inter
est Of lustice-if the motive were to right
the wrong done in DISTINGUISHING people
among the most worthy in the state to ex-
ercise the franchise. But is that the mo-
tive which gave birth to the promisea
Well hardly. The dispatch giving an ac-
count OF the convention says:
1t is well understood that the Republican
leaders in Idaho for some time past have been
trying TO drive q bargain with the Mormons,
thereby securing their votes.
That statement will. perhaps. account
for the change of heart of Idaho Republi-
cans, and the plank promising Mormon en-
reimbursement is simply bait to catch
Mormon votes. 1t would, perhaps, be un-
generous to impugn the motives of poiiti-
cal party on this alone; but coming TO
hand about the same time az the dispatch
is letter published in Provo Republi-
can paper from one JOHN THoRGIER-
SON, who. it seems. has been
F, travelling about in Idaho for some two
weeks, making himself acquainted with
the political situation in that state In his
Published letter he gives away the motives
Of the Republican party for their action in
respect to the Mormon people, and iustifies
US ia saying that the promise to enfran-
chise' the Mormon people is bait with
which TO catch Mormon votes. Mr.. Thor
eIERsoN, in summing up the results of his
observations, says:
The Republicans regarded the
Mormon element as a menace to their party,
for while the Democrats were in the majority,
Idaho could not become state because the
Republicans would oppose it. and the Demo
Gratis would not have the moral courage to push
it through.
Wonderful to relate Let US think of it.
Idaho could not become state while the
Democrats were in the majority Why!
Because the Republican minority would
oppose it, and therefore it would fail.
Whys Because the Democrats would not
have the moral courage to push it through"
Perhaps Mr.. L. could inform US how much
moral courage it would require to push a
Democratic territory through to statehood
in a Republican House and Senate, and
secure the signature of minded
Republican president 1t was Republi-
can House, Senate and executive at Wash
ington that menaced Democratic terri
tory with territorial bondage so long as
she remained Democratic in her politics.
and no amount of moral courage'' would
have helped her case. Territories to be
admitted during Republican edministra-
ton must be Republican.
I'VE, the Republicans have always re-
|
sirable citizens Mr. 7. represents an .in-
telligent Republican, as saying, ''but they
had thrown down the gauntlet, and de-
clared themselves implacable political enc
mics of the Republican party =
We never as party were enemies to the
Mormons. They are just the class of citi-
zens that we want, but at the same time we
regarded them an undesirable element in
the ranks of our opponents" Why, of
course they were! And therefore the Re
publican party used all its power to dis
franchise them. Not because they were
Mormons; not because they were poly ga.
mists; not because they were vio-
lators of the law. or that their
institutions threatened the peace and wei
, fare of the American nation. but simply
and purely because Republicans regarded
them an undesirable element in the ranks
of our their opponents;n that is, because
they were Democrats. All their other
supposed crimes were white az snow in
comparison with this one black crime of
being Democratsi If that statement be
} doubted, listen further to this Intelligent
} Republican, with whom Mr.. T. con-
versed:
In Wyoming we 1.-THE Republicans estab
lished the right for the women, Mormon women
included, to go to the polls and cast their bal
lots with their husbands. fathers. sons and
brothers. and we would have done the same
thing in Idaho, II tie Ao7DaonS had been RepubEi-
cans!
The italics, of course, are ours Here Is
Republican power employed to disfrau-
chise Mormons in Idaho for the reason that
they are Democrats; here is Republican
boast that the Mormons in Wyoming re-
tanned their franchise, ana even had suf-
frage extended to their women because
they were Republicans; and like priyi-
Iege would have been granted TO Mormons
in Idaho if they had only been Republicans.
From all the above it appears that tie Re
publican creed reads as follows. For Re-
publican territories, when Republicans
control the general government, there is
admission into the union; for Democratic
territories. perpetual territorial vassalage
for Mormons, when Republicans, liberty
and enfranchisement even to their women
for Mormons when Democrats, disfran.
chisement. imprisonment or exilei
Continuing his conversation with this
: "intelligent Republican, MIR. THoaeIEg-
son s.asked him whether he did not regard
it as too severe a measure that was
imeted out to the Mormons in Idaho. he
smiled I've gods, he smiled j and said: we
are told that JEHOVAH chastizes his chill.
dren when they go whoring after strange
gods. y That is, in the light ofawhat .we
have already pointed out in this letter,