The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-12-13
PROVO CITY. DEC. 13. Is
UTAH MORALS.

OJdu 10 HOH uuOCASOlhe O1O oSNCASOI
scrutiny by the other states that she
has ever encountered. The moral char
acter of her people is being closely ex-
amined by large number of new peo-
pie who, eince the passing of the state
hood bill, are contemplating removal
to the territory. The presence Of poly
gamy among the customs of this peo
pie operated to turn away from our
thrice beautiful and thrice wholesome
territory, thousands of people who,
otherwise, would have been settlers
here. Now that this tenet OF the faith
of the dominant church has been de-
throned, this objection has been des-
troyed and the tide which would have
set in hitherward ten years since, is
today setting strongly in this direc-
ton, won here by the legal as well as
the ecclesiastical destruction OF the dog
ma. Like all other western communities
Utah is the home of typical western
race of people. In the race for wealth,
political and social distinction, too
little care is given to the plain and
homely considerations of personal in
tegrity, political honesty as well as
social purity. 30 rule, this, or rather,
these faults are not found SO much
among the Mormon people-the old
settlers, as among the hordes of new
people who have focked here because
Of the brilliant prospects of the new
commonwealth in the race for wealth,
and because of the chances for raising
ones self to the highest social and polit-
ical rank. The proyerbial looseness of
the wesUern people in the way of the
married relation" has been proyoca-
tive of;much scandal, and it is iniuring
the territory to fearful degree. Every
Utah paper one takes up is filled with
divorces where every disgusting partic-
ular of domestic infelicity is given
with a minuteness which is shocking.
The carriage scene in Salt Lake the
other day anent which Chief
Pratt is in the penitentiary, is an
instance of the immortality of the cap
ital city, and the dreadful fate of the
Karrens girl in the same city only q
few days before, are instances of how
Utah is being injured. We do not
mean TO say that the papers are to be
blamed for publishing these partic-
ulars-the real shame is that they oc
cur. If there were a stricter admins
tration Of law, and less license allowed
by parents, much of this bad record
would be done away with.
Now, is it not time that the public
papers as well as the public admins
tratlon of law, both, should put their
heads together and see if a degree of
reformation might not be work ed J.,
which would lessen the volume of crimes
of this nature and better and higher
standard be established? The sinple
fact is that in the west the man of
gallsntry ~ is too often made hero of,
and the women of loose morals too is
often tolerated in semi-respectable
society. Hold men to a stricter re-
sponsibility and socially decapitate un
worthy women, are the only remedies
which will remove the blight. Demand
higher standard for men and absolute
purity and innocense for women, and
very soon all this unsightly immortality
will be done away with.
In this work the public administra-
tion and our potent social forces must
join hands. If to these forces are ad-
ded the. weight of the christian churches,
we will soon see as high standard of
morality here as is to be found in any
eastern state or anV one elsewhere in
the civilized world. We believe we
have named above the moral forces
which alone are equal to the task of
dealing not alone with this crime, but
in addition, with the evils of drunken
ness, gaming and all other forms and
shades Of vice.
In Utah there are many noble ladies
who, in order to grapple with these
things, are asking the ballot. We are
sure that they require nothing more
than their own pure lives, their happy
pure homes and their sweet subtitle
and powerful determination to drive
vice and impure living out beyond
the confines of fair Utah. Surely here
is q field for the employment of the
superabundant energies of the fair de-
voted women Of Utah, which is super
ior to any to be found in senate halls
or in the public Offices of the govern
ment. What proud triumph lies be-
fore those who viii work here and what
a reward! which will be the grateful
acclaim from every manly and pa
triotic heart, "God bless the noble
women of Utah."
THE Tribune is finding some as
founding mares nests in the returns
from the last election. The fear of
ultimately losing the constitution Il