The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-05-04
MAY 4. 1895
HOW 1T WORKS.

HaHE DISPATCH NDlle always obu
from principle opposed TO female suf-
frage, has not been radical on the sub
sect. nor does it feel at all radical. We
feel now and have always felt that in
stead of bringing to Utah the many
blessings predicted by the ultra sut-
fragists, there were drawbacks attached
70 it which would and could not be
urged against the measure in any other
sate. In brief, thase are among come
of the reasons: The, vast prejudice
which has always existed, right or
wrong, against Utah on the score OF
poIygamy, while happily now passing
away rapidly, is, however, not all gone
completely out of the public mind. 10
this end we took the position that it
would hurt no good interest In Utah to
defer the matter until the new state
had been given trial, and the Doubt
ing ThomREes of the other states had
had time to see and recognize the fact
that Utah is just as safe on this sub
iect as any, even the most favored state
in the union her dominant church
and leading citizens had bowed In good
faith TO the behest of the law and
polygamy had been abandoned forever;
that the manifesto of the Mormon
church was issued in good faith and it
was enforced by the church authorities
with even more earnestness than by
the officers of the law, To show that
our judgment as to the views likely to
be taken by the other states was not
at fault the following paragraph from
the st. Louis Republic of May lst is
given:
Perhaps woman suffrage will get its
death blow in Utah, where it ls pro-
posed TO confer it as means OF en-
abling Mormons to DEFY the funda-
mental law against polygamy.
We are not to forget that by confer
ring woman's s suffrage. we rather more
than double the Mormon vote. This is
the great bug-bear of the outside world
which has been taught to regard the
good faith of the people on the subject
of polygamy, as q very doubtful
quantity. 1t amounts to nothing that
we tell each other and also convince
each other that there is moth
ing in it, SO long as the out
side world takes this view Of it.
The only way to reach this pr ejudice
outside of Utah, was to defer the enter
prise of suffrage until the world was
thoroughly covinced by few years of
home rule in Utah that these people
are reasonably honest, at least as
honest as the people of other western
states, and then crafty the whim, if
you please. But to demand this fran
chise as one of the conditions of &C.
cepting statehood, seemed to US as a
trifie hasty, it it were not altogether
impOlitic and dangerous.
OF course the insinuation that suf-
frage is conferred" to enable the Nor
mons to defy the fundamental laws
against polygamy, is a gratuitous, wan
ton and cruel insult to the people of
Utah. To hold this purpose the peo-
pie would have to dishonor and dis
ere dit the church, its leaders and the
leading people of Utah. This is a RI
diculous suggestion here where the
people are known and where all the
circumstances are known, But it is
always we'll to remember that every
body don't live in Utah, and Utah,
like every other state, must take peo-
pie as they are, and not as they would
have them to be.
noweyer, we have suffrage, and now
we are to make the most Of it. In this
connection and for the reason given
above, we remark that the convention
builded wiser than it knew, when it
refused to commit the egregious and
almost objectionable mistake OF per-
mitting women to vote on the question
of their own enfranchisement, or for
the first officers of the new state. Now
we have exhausted the subject and all
good citizens of Utah, Mormon and
otherwise, will vie with each other as
to who may the most perfectly obey
the laws and render the bright new
state the most patriotic and unselfsh
service. We have no fears, and We
Iredict for Utah an exceptional ca
reer of both honor and prosperity.