The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-19
STATEHOOD OPPOSED.
AN ATTEMPT MADE TO PROTEST
AGAINST GRANTING 1T.
A Memorial Drafted Setting FortI,
that Poiygnmy and Subservience
to Authorities Exist.

At a regular Monday meeting of the
Evangelical ministers of this city. held
yesterday, an endeavor was made to
have the association make an effort
against statehood, but the movers found
that there was too much opposition
and the memorial which had been pre-
pared was laid ON the table by an
unanimous vote.
At the meeting there were present
such men as Bishop Abel Leonard
and Rev. Lawrence b. Ridgely OF the
Episcopal church, Rev. Dana w Bart
lett, pastor of Phillips Congregational
church. Rev. r c. Tiff of the Tiff
of the Firt Methodist church, Rev r..
G. McNeice of the First Presbyterian
church, Rev. T. l.. Arnold of the West
minister Presbyterian church, Rev. b, r.
Clay of the Central Christian church,
and Rev Messrs Jayne, Hunt, Nutting
and Mccain.
The movement had been brought to
a head by the passage of the statehood
bill in the House and had been talked
| of for some time among the ministers.
At the meeting of a week ago Monday
there was a short discussion of the
subject, which ended in a reference
| to a committee. During the week it
was given out quite extensively among
| the ministers of the association that
there would be an effort of this kind
made and quite large attendance
was the consequence The question
was sprung by the report of the COM
mittee which had been appointed at
! the previous. session. in which it was
Recommended that a memorial be adopt
ed and sent to Congress as the express
sion Of the sentiments Of the ministers
of oft
| The memorial, which is said to have
been drawn UP by Rev. DR.. McNieee
and one or two others, set forth, first,
the fact that polygamy is still being
practiced in the territory to an eX-
tent that would Warrant the assump-
ton that it has not yet been given up
I by the Mormon church. Then it goes
on to make a plea that the Mormon
people are gverned by an one man pow
er and that m 8Ie event of statehood,
there would be- practical shutting out
| OF those Who8 do not agree with the
majority of the people of Utah in the
matter of religion. For these two rea-
sons it was urged that Congress should
stave off the gift of statehood until
such a time as the minority of the res
| identS of this territory could feel Sa fe
from the rule OF the majority 1T
must be said in justice that while the
| document was necessarily misleading,
I y
expressed in it.
! Against the adoption of. this memoir
ial stood a strong body Of the ministers
who were opposed, first, to the associ-
alton taking any part in the matter
and were in favor of burying forever
| the questions and bitterness that would
necessarily be brought in its train.
They argue, secondly, that there is no
danger of church dictation in Utah as
the people have divided honestly on the
| national questions that are before the
people IN these days and will not be
drawn into subseryienee to any
church IN political matters.
On the question of polygamy it was
urged that those who are now practic-
ing it., practice it without the sane
ton OF the church and under the ban
OF the laws, and that it will not again
become an active tenet in the church,
because 1t was not popular, as was
deduced from the fact that not more
than per cent. Of the men,
bers Of the church ever entered into
the relation. 1t was said that the Civ
ing up of polygamy came through
pressure brought to bear from the in
SIDE more than from the outside, and
that this pressure would be exerted to
keep the church from recognizing it
again.
| The opposition brought forward the
al SuhlSilt lndl II Is now nlSn time that
| the people of Utah forgot that there
| have ever been any fractional differ
ences in Utah and began to work
shoulder to shoulder for the upbuil1-
ling of the territory. It was forcibly
shown that any action of the ministers
looking towards opposing statehood
would only reopen old wounds that
| had almost healed over and result
only in disturbing the harmony so
necessary to the welfare of the ter
ritory,
Those who went with the idea of
opposing the memorial were surprised
at the strength that was developed on
their side, as they had expected to be
| in the minority They made a strong
argument for their position and We're
successful beyond their best hopes in
bringing into line the religious senti-
ment of the city.
| 1t is expected that this action will
Iput damper on the efforts of the
women back in the east who have but
| little idea of the conditions that exist
| in Utah and who. working on miscon-
ceptions, are trying to get a hearing
/ before the Senate committee for the
purpose Of opposing the passage OF the
| statehood bill. That they are not to
receive the hearty support of their
own churches has become evident, and
the effect cannot but prove to be most
beneficial to the people of Btah-