The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-24
A Political Trick.

A Political Trick.
Our contemporaries in the surrounding
states and territories should not be too
ready to take alarm from anything which
the Liberal organ in this city may seek to
disseminate. The numerous ''faEes''
and absurd exaggerations of which it has
been convicted ought to be sufficient evil
dence OF its unreliability.
It's great effort just now is to prevent
statehood. In order to aid in that delec-
table undertaking it has started in to con-
vey the impression that "polygamy Il
still rampant in Utah. The effect o
this, it fondly hopes, will be the incite'
ment OF public feeling to such pitch
that there will be religious and popular
protest against any measure to admit
Utah into the Union.
We are pleased to note, however, that 8
number of papers in neighboring places
see through the motive of the obstruc-
ZIONIST paper, and size up the polygamy
matter in it's proper dimensions. They
should all understand the situation, and
not be imposed upon by sheet that is
hostile to Repu blicans and Democrats
alike on the question of Utah's fitness
for elf-government.
By using the term sspolygamy, - when
it really means the association OF men
with the plural wives whom they married
many years ago, the Tribune artfully seeks
to mislead people and papers not familiar
with its methods. The offence OF polyg-
amy, that is, the marriage OF persons who
have husband or wife living and undi-
vorced, is notcharged. nor even suspected,
by rational people in this territory. No
evidence to establish such an offence is
pretended to exist.
| AS 20 the attempt to make an anti
statehood scare out of the stories told by
anonymous correspondents, the Denver
| Neacs takes very sensible ground. Ex-
planning the plural marriages that were
once contracted and their cessation be-
cause OF the church manifesto, it says!
tThere is now small doubt as to the en-
tire honesty of the church in that act, -
and goes on to remark
But that certain individual n ormons
should cling to the old customs, and not
accept the new revelation, is not unnat-
uraI. Let an attempt be made to revise
| the faith and practices of any other
creed and see how many will reject the
revision. it is undoubtedly the same
among the Mormons in Utah. There are
probably some who will continue to prac-
tice polygamy if they can, but on the
| individual cases it cannot be alleged that
polygamy is still alive in Utah. 1t would
be very far fetched conclusion, and one
that the country will not accept.
| The News concludes very reasonable
article by declaring that the attempt &c
create a sensation over this viii fall fiat
on the country" and that "the Tribune
is only exposing the weakness OF its cause
| by resorting to such sensational tactics to
uphold it,.
The Evanston, Wyoming, Register de-
votes nearly column OF editorial space
to the subject, and takes up critically the
story published in the Tribune as it re-
iates to that city and state and says:
1.-THE article is strictly a political one and
was not written or published to abate an
unlawful practice, il such exists The
Register also explains the relations exist
| ing between some of the older people Of
Utah but affirms that 'sNot even the
| Tribune, the most bitter foe of the
Mormon people, even pretends to say thai
polygamous marriages are being con
summated at the present time or have
been consummated for many years. anG
adds 'the attempt of that paper to get ur
polygamy scare at this time is either for
a sinister purpose as indicated or is proof
positive that the author is fool.''
| The purpose indicated by the Register il
| this:
| OH It's lace Is apparSHt OlllJ VIC SldIc-
ment OF alleged infractlons of the Law
with the evident design of soaring the
people OF the United States into opposing
statehood for Utah; but, reading between
the lines, there appears, almost as plain
as if printed, covert threat to the Nor
mon people. The threat is that perseeu.
ton will be their reward il they do not tx
what is demanded OF them-that is, ioir
and affiliate with the Republican party
The Tribune is not opposed to statehood
for Utah when it can come in as Repub
iican state, but it is opposed to Utah as {
Democratic state.
There is another purpose which is be
hind the publication Of the stories which
that paper delights in printing; it is {
mercenary one. Such yarns make thu
sheet sell. 1t is a paltry motive but i
goes. 1t will not pay in the end, no.
will the political object in view bt
achieved. We agree with both the jour