Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-04

MA<>MMM Its vtgor AS q TERRI
Me=MH tory Utah was
hss5Eans44A powerful factor in
MS@&2 western affairs, but
%@ statehood developed
&SaN @ :sss a: and s1 %sss'; ;.s .s
81: :;s; :, $;; +. :s$ Mt
active trans Missouri
candidates for capt.
talistic and commercial favor Titan Is
abreast of the foremost. 1t Is among the
possibilities that ten years hence she will
be in the lead. Hoodooed by polygamous
Mormonism she was avoided by the cautious
immigrant, and even by the capitalist who
was seeking desirable investments, but
statehood removed the hoodoo and opened
the gates for an influx OF Drawn and capital
which promises to exceed in desirability and
volume any Of the immigrative floods that
peopled other sections beyond the Big
Muddy. That Utah will achieve phenomenal
material success is sure, for the states bust
ness structure is securely based on that most
solid of foundations-agriculture Mining
operations and manufactures will do much
to make the forty-fifth state famous and
wealthy. but 1t is the farmers and the stock
raisers who will be depended upon to con-
tribute most heavily 10 the general WSlIdFe
It is the history of nearly all western COM
munities in the mining regions that agricul-
ture was merely consequence of immigra-
tion, and not its cause, but that would not
be true OF Utah, for there the natural greed
of man was held in check by the strong arm
Of Brigham Young. Born to rule, and emf
nently fitted for the work which was his,
Brigham Young saw instantly that mining
In Utah would have to be discouraged II
Mormonism was to have chance for its
life: the opening up Of a few rich veins of
mineral would bring into the land Of the
saints immense numbers of unsanctified
ones, who, by precept and example, would
make the government of the Mormon
Church a very difficult piece of business.
1t was therefore, ordered that Mormons
should devote their energies to the cultiva-
ton of grain, hay, vegetables, fruits, cat
tie, horses, chickens and children, and that
edict was, in the main, faithfully obeyed. "a
The Sheep Have Wandered Away.
But the day the coming Of which Brig
ham Young feared has arrived; the day
when there should be IN Utah power
great enough to cope with the Mormon
Church. Slowly and with great difficulty
some Of the most valuable gold and silver
leads in the country have been developed,
and as logical sequence men have Journey
ed from all parts of the earth to Utah to
enjoy the treasures which nature shares
with so many of those who are willing to
be working partners. The governing pow
with renewed demand for statehood, and
made an exhibition Of its loss of strength
in the elections which followed Utah's ad-
mission to the national sterhood. Per-
haps 1t wasn't much Of a revolution, but it
was enough to set some folks to wondering
how 1t came about There was really moth
Ing mysterious about the transaction.
When Congress threatened disfranchise-
ment the church authorities saw that I'M
less there was official disavowal of po-
lygamy there would undoubtedly ensue all
sorts of complications and embarrassments.
so these ecclesiastical leaders notified their
followers to obey the laws and to become
attached to one or other Of the principal
political parties Now, in my mind those
leaders were not sincere, but they did not
dare whisper a suspicion of their desire to
be merely polite, SO It has come to pass that
great majority of the Mormon Church
has tasted Of the sweets Of political lib
erty and now refuses to go back to the
old-style feed. 1t is unquestionably true
that the great dignitaries Of the Mormon
Church would like to have all the sheep
return to the fold that they might here
after be guided to the polls in accordance
with the latest revelation" but the sheep
seem to be happily deaf and are likely to
continue
PO1ygRmy in Dlsrepute.
That polygamy will ever again secure a
foothold In Utah do not for one moment
believe. The state constitution, of course,
forbids polygamy, but that document may
be classed with the least Of the obstacles
that stands in the way of plural mar
riages. Cursory investigation will show
that many state constitutions are used on
occasions only, and cannot be regarded as
Ielable guides or directors in matters per-
tanning to public or private morality. Did
nothing but the state constitution obstruct
the polygamist it is safe to aver that the
9dious offense would be as common in
Utah today as it was prior to the enact
E0mun6Q
enough, the strongest opponents of polyya-
my are the educated young Mormons who
are the offspring of polygamous parents.
Faithful to the religion prescribed in the
Book of Mormon, this young element has
set its face. rigidly and unsweryingIy
against the practices which Brigham Young
oeemed essential to true greatness in this
world and in the world to come. The iuex-
perienced may, perhaps be swayed by
cleverly-wcrded disquisitions on the ad-
vantages to be derived from polygamy, but
Is capable would fail to charm any consid-
cradle percentage Of the rising genera ton
OF Mormons back into the bondage which
so grievousy afflicted their progenitors; a
bondage to which thousands Of Ignorant
women unwillingly submitted.
II must not be imagined, though, that
poiygamy has been wholly stamped out in
Utah, or that the Mormon Church has cast
Edmunds law was enforced, a large num-
Der of 1.-The prosecuted" as they STYLED
themselves. moved away south into Mexico.
and are there yet; prosperous and ;.ppar-
emily contented. Others stopped in Arizona
and New Mexico. Some went east and set
tied In Colorado, where they are unmo-
Tested even to this day, although their
polygamy Is unconcealed. Those VINO re-
nained in Utah-and there are many such
have to be extremely circumspect. buf
their tendency Is toward carelessness just
now, because there is not yet any effective
| statute to succeed the United States law.
which died when Utah was admitted.
Purely business reasons make It certain
that polygamy can never again flourish in
Utah. Capital is timid. and although the
average investor looks mainly at the prom
issory returns. he is. nevertheless, willing to
be reasoned with by those great moral
forces which are unquestionably active in
the United States and which would SURELY
be exerted adversely to Utah in case lax
administration OF the law should bring
about renaissance of polygamy.
A Few Funerals Needed.
That Mormonism-non-polygam Of
course-will control Utah for some time to
come Is reasonably certain; nothing else