The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-27
he WANTS 4 STATE
When He Talked Politics the
Children Cried Rats"
HE SAYS P0LYGAEY is DEAD
The People of the Territory Do Not Want it
His speech Made Better Impression
Than That of Bennett-The
Hearings Close.
HERALD BUREAU.
Corner 18th and G Streets, n. w.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 26, 1892.


WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 26, 1892.
1t was an interesting argument that
deacon" John Henry Smith made this
before the House territories COM
mittee in support of the statehood bill 1t
was based largely on the lines laid down by
him in his argument before the Senate
committee few days ago, except that he
was given more time in which to elaborate
his views and apparently suffered less
from embarrassment than he did on that
occasion. 1t was on the whole a vigorous,
well rounded and logical presentation of
the case from the stand point of one who,
as he expressed it,
WAS BORN IN UTAH
and enjoyed a wide familiarity with the
subject. He reaffirmed his opposition to
the Home Rule bill and stated, although
not so explicitly as before, that he would
prefer the present territorial conditions to
an experiment with the Home Rule bill.
The hearing to-day developed good many
amusing features which everybody present
seemed to enjoy. 1t showed, too, that Mr..
Smith was possessed Of a keen sense OF
humor, as, for example, when he drew
parallel between the tribute paid to him in
the pulpit and the indiGnities suffered by
him while on the stump last autumn as an
advocate of the principles of the Republi-
can party Several times he drifted into
reminiscent vein and narrated.
INCIDENTS IN HIS CAMPAIGNING EXPERIENCE
with an uuctious humor that was very re-
freshing. He began his argument in this
fashion: ~ am for statehood for Utah in
the shortest and most practicable way
possible. l think the conditions are such
that the people of the United States and
the Congress of the United States can i'll
afford to delay this boon. The people OF
Utah ale as well qualified to-day to dis
charge the duties of legitimate citizenship
and manage the affairs of a state as any
section of the west-the far west at least.
There is but per cent. OF the population
who cannot read and write. Our people
have taken one Of the most inhospitable
/ sections of the country and
MADE OF IT PARADISE.
They are located on the great highway be-
| tween the east and the west, and they have
! been constantly brought into contact wit h
| all the most elevatipg and active agencies
in our country. As people they are tenn
perate and industrious. l presume that
more people live in their homes In Utah
than in any other part of the country.
They make good comfortable llvings and
they enjoy all the comforts of life. make
the assertion that Utah to-day is better
qualified than any other inter-mountain ter
ritory tor statehood, inasmuch as il she
were isolated from all the rest of the
United States, she could clothe and house
and feed her people with
ARTICLES DRAWN FROM her OWN RE
SOURCES"
He then explained to the committee thu
disadvantages of q territorial form o
government, and he enumerated in tina
connection the different nationalities Twin!
in Utah to show its cosmopolitan charac-
ter. And yet, Notwithstanding their re
ligious differences, there had been no tim
when the Mormon and the non-Mormol
did not live pleasantly together.
"Our children" he said, shave grow
ND together. They were taught in tn
same schools and reared under the sam
government Their juvenile friendship
have have ripened into manhood friend
ships, until in great degree the bitter
, ness that some of the speakers have toll
, you about is thing of the past.
THE MoRMoNs HAVE MADE MISTAKES,
but what people have notl Nevertheless
: they are as honest and patriotic as those i
any quarter in this broad land of ours.n
Turning aside in his argument for mt
I ment to speak Of himself, he referred t
his Puritan ancestry and showed that b
; had been taught the same feeling of rsve1
O ence for his country and his country's fla
:, as any member of the committee whom
o was addressing. He thought it not ur
likely that the Mormon people had clun
more tenaclously to their religious tene
e than they ought in some cases, and "
!. they were honest in this action becaus
they thought their religious liberty wi
in danger. He again adverted to the e
= forts which some of the other speakers hs
= made to show that the Mormons and th
. eentiles were antagonistic to each othe
. and with great emphasis
., CHARACTERIZED THESE EFFORTS AS UNJU!
= 1.-THE impression that exists" he sal
= "that we are pitted against each other
9 bitterness and hate is untrue. l myse
,. am interested in several lines of bushes
y among others, that Of mining. Both n
- partners and myself are Mormons. Y
O most of our employees are non Mormon.
= mans religion is never considered in ar
= business enterprise in Utah. No matt
- how gentlemen may attempt to impress "
to the contrary, life and property are pr
verbally safe in Utah. The condition
* that have led to antagonisms in the pa
have disappeared or are disappearing ra
idly. Our children-those of Methods
RI Presbyterian, Baptist. Episcopalian
m Mormon parents-associate together OIL
many inter-marry. There is NO differen