Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-04-01

| A1o'hocIats are little wor.
r'ea oyer fear that the Republican,
o. Idaho will get per cent, or prob.
ABLY q majority of the Mormon vote
lney seem to think this would be al.
together wrong. May Be 50. from ,
democratic standpoint. The Re.
publican party fought the Mormon
church because Of its treasonabls doc.
tr'nes and unlawful practices, and be.
gan the fight away back in the dim
past when the Mormons enjoyed all
the rights Of citizenship and were :
power in Idaho. Their friends. apol.
ogists and supporters were the Dem.
ocrats, and the polygamous Bishops
were invited into their councils, where
they took an active part, and were
elected to help make laws for the
Territory of Idaho. It was when the
Mormons we're in the full flush Of DO.
i't'cal power that the Republican par.
~ fought them. The fight was con.
tlnued until the Mormons were dis
franchised. A few Democrats aided
the Republicans in the work. and
they never went back to their partv
until the question was settled. After
the membership Of that organization
were disfranchised. the Democrats
arose and proclaimed their anti Nor
monism in the Bellevue convention.
When the Mormons we're powerful
the Democracy embraced them and
Proclaimed and eternally vowed their
friendship. When they were downed
as q political factor the Democracy
sat down on them. That is the way
they treated their allies and friends.
and at time when the Mormons
reasonably expected their aid and
sympathy. The Republicans fought
the "Saints" boldly and gave the
church to understand that so long as
1t taught treason and violation of law
and practicsd what they preached,
they need not expect the Republicans
to relent in the least, but were prom
ised that whenever they should cease
their old practices and teachings,
and publicly proclaim that fact, the
Republicans would cease the fight
and labor for a restoration of the
franchise and all rights of citizenship.
This the Mormons have done. 1t
looks very much now as if the Re-
publicans meant what they said and
will be as good as their word. The
Democrats have played double with
the Mormons. When they were a
power IN the land that party was
their friend. When they were down
the Democracy kicked them for the
first time. The Democrats fear now
that the Mormons prefer not to vote
for the party that betrayed them at
the very time they felt themselves
most in need of friends. All the Re-
publicans ever asked was that the
Mormon church renounce all that was
in direct opposition to Americanism
and good citizenship. This they have
done and antagonism has ceased. If
the Mormons, or big per cent. of
them, now vote the Republican ticket,
it will not be at all surprising. If
they do the Democrats cannot, with
out making themselves supremely ri
diculous, contend that the Republic
licans have played double-fought
the church for many long years and
finally proclaim cessation of hostili-
ties and accept their votes. The
Mormons have complied with all the
conditions laid down by the Repub-
lican party, and are now good citl-
zens neither teaching nor practlc-
ing that which is forbidden by law.
The party is consistent in stopping
the fight, and it will not disgrace it if
the Mormons should now vote the
Republican ticket. When they were
law breakers and defyers of the gov
ernment and its laws they voted the
Democratic ticket. Now that they
are good, law-abiding citizens, if they
should vote the Republican ticket 1t
would not be the least bit strange.