The record-union., 1893-05-05
UTAH STATEHOOD.

No more dramatic scene has occurred in
popular body in years than that which
was witnessed in the Transmississippi
Congress, at Ogden, on the question of
favoring the admission of Utah to State
hood. The Liberals were led by Governor
Thomas, Mayor Baskin and Judge Good
win of Salt Lake against admission, and
Colonel Irish of California and young
Mr.. Cannon of Utah for admission. The
Liberals simply asked the congress to
keep hands off, while the proponents
advocated recognition of the Utah major
ity, holding that the day of priestly rule
had gone by, and that Utah would come
into the Union under guarantees and the
watchfulness of the Union against polyg-
amy, all-sufficient to forever throttle that
infamy. 1t was brilliant debate, con-
tention for trust in and recognition of
the majority on one side, and of distrust
OF it and fear of the Mormon hierarchy
on the other. The feeling ran high and
inspired fervid eloquence on both sides
that commanded the admiration of those
so fortunate as to witness the battle royal.
1t may, perhaps, be accepted as a fore
gone conclusion, since Congressional
committees have twice agreed to report in
favor of admission, that Utah will be in
vested with the toga of Statehood during
| the present Administration. And we
entertain the belief that this can be
effected provided there are such express
and Enthusiastically affirmative provisions
in the Act OF admission as shall put it be-
yond the possibility of the Mormon
Church to rehabilitate the doctrine of
plural marriage by giving it State sane
ton. Certainly Utah Statehood will be
realized at once, if there can be absorp-
ton of Nevada into the new State form.
The claim made that refusal to admit is
persecution, and that persecution never
eliminates an evil, has strength, but
the opposition of the people of the
United States to polygamy does not
take a form that can be construed
as persecution. 1t is rather main
tenance of a principle interviewer into
the social policy of the Republic. and
crystallized into the vital spark that
makes American homes possible. To
defend monogamy is not to persecute the
polygamists. To stand for right is not
oppression of those advocating wrong.
Slavery was condemned, not in the line
of prosecuting those who maintained it's
cause, but because such condemnation
was essential to the supreme cause of
human liberty.
To those of us in California accus-
toned 10 witness the friendly con-
tention and wrestling of political par
ties over mere questions of policy,
there can be conveyed but faint idea
of the intensity of feeling existing
in Utah between the Liberal, or Gentle
party, and the State, or Mormon major
| ity. 1t is something so tense that it
ally sensational.
1t is something more than significant of
the march of ideas that such debate can
be held in Utah as took place at Ogden on
| Thursday last, when less than twenty
five years ago no Liberal would have had
the temerity to raise his voice in the Ter
ritory without incurring the dangers that
always surround the advocates of free
dom in the realm of an autocrat. The
very fact that minority of 1000 voters
may now freely, openly and safely beard
majority made up of $4,000 voters In
Utah proves that the Territory is rapidly
approaching and has quite reached that
condition when Statehood will not mean
the erection of people into independency
! that would be antagonistic to an essential
principle of the social system of tie
American people.