The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-25

whether the church people vote for the
Democratic or the s~sCIblican ticket.
The fight in Utah nov is not a party
fight, or if 1t is so in any sense, that
side of it has been left to the Gentiles,
largely to distract them from the real
impending crisis which is one of moral
issues. 1t still remains, if the constitu-
ton is adopted, for it to be accepted by
Congress. This is usually q mere formal
ity, the enabling act, in most cases. be-
ing the real point Of doubt and discus
sion. In the case of Utah the question
of final ratification will become a serious
one.
1t is not impossible that the power of
the state to grant woman suffrage,
which has frequently been disputed, al
though the supreme court has decided
in the affirmative, may again come under
discussion, as means OF defeating the
constitution. That document is innocent
enough in all other respects, and the
female suffrage clause would be at least
no more dangerous than in other states,
were it not for this one threat which
lies concealed in 1t. Colorado and Wy
oming might safely have been left to
work out their own salvation in the mat
ter of suffrage, and would doubtless
has been the case in New Jersey and
Washington. But suffrage in Utah is no
plaything, but a deadly weapon. State
hood without it is doubtful good for
this infected community. Statehood with
it Would mean local corruption and ma
tional disgrace.-St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Mormon Domination in Utah.
There is probably good deal more OF
partisan politics than appears at first
sight in the Democratic convention which
Will gather in Utah today.
Lest anyone should believe that Judge
Powers call for reassembling of the
convention to withdraw the nominations
and pronounce against the constitution
arises from conscientious ScrupleS alone,
IA
question of polySamy practically disap-
peared the Mormons of Utah have dis
played a marked tendency to graVitate
toward the Republican party. This is
but natural, for III the surrounding states,
where the MormonS have had the decid-
ing vote, they have generally cast 1t with
the Republicans on the protective tariff
issue. 1t may be that Judge Powers.
perceiyipg that his party stood small
chances 10 carry the day against the Re-
publicans, who have nominated son of
George q. Cannon the most powerful
man in the church, for Congress, deter
mined to defeat the admission of Utah
as a state.
However this may be, there can be only
one opinion among the people OF the
priesthood of the church. President
Smith, at a meeting of the Mormon
priests, by inuendO, denounced the Demo-
cratic candidates for their failure to pro-
cure the consent of the authorities be-
fore accepting the nominations Subse-
quently a Mormon bishop invited his
priesthood meeting to vote against Nor
mons who had been nominated to high
offices contrary to the counsel and the
will of the presidency.
This is an intolerable invasion of pri-
vate rights and an intrusion OF religion
into politics that must be reprobated by
Republicans and Democrats alike. 1t is
not necessary to point out to readers that
Mormonism no longer means polygamy;
the church has long since ceased to break
the laws and offend the decency of this
nation. But If it had a past of unsullied
luster, if it never stood in the public
and ignorance, it's present offense would
be no less unbearable. If Utah comes
into the Union it should come in unfet-
tered by any church, Mormon or other
Chicago Times-Herald.