The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-10

as to the New State and Especially as to
the Fears of PoIygamy Being Again Re-
vived There-He Declares the Issue is
Dead-He Also Gives His Views as to the
| New Senators to be Elected and Predicts
the state VIII be Pushed to the Front.
Oliver Reece came into Wichita last
| night direct from Salt Lake City, and
was present at their demonstration
| Monday. Mr.. Reece is an old Wichita
man and well known for his conserva-
! tive views touching all questions, and
! as there is much comment on the ques-
| ton as to whether or not polygamy
Will be again established in the new
state, his views Will be read with inter-
est by his Wichita acquaintance.
| He was met at the hotel by an Eagle
reporter and when asked as to the en-
thusiasm and future outlook of the
| state he said:
Yes, L think their feeling for the
future on account Of statehood may
perhaps be discounted a little. They
viii not gain so much from it perhaps
| as they hope. Still. have no doubt
that they viii feel its benefit to some
extent N a business way"
rs the Mormon question sufficiently
settled so that the Mormon church
viii not be inimical to state success?
L do not think that the Mormons
viii hurt the state. The MOrrnons are
pretty generous people and they have
broadened and grown more liberal OF
late years, especially the younger Nor
mons, so that the old objection to ad-
uniting Utah TO statehood exists no
u Il.
that it was a question Of pOlygamy.
1t was not. The question was one of
church interference and control in
state affairs. The present Iiberality OF
the MOrmons has made that no longer
an issue. The MOTmonSin Utah like
the Gentiles, are divided as RepubIi-
cans and Democrats on public issues.
They no longer seek control as a
church
How about polygamy?"
Il do not think that members OF the
younger generation care anything
about polygamy. They are more in
touch with the world than their faith
ers, and polygamy does not attract or
interest them. The older men. of course,
may not change their opinions on that
point 50 readily. Since the passage by
congress of the Tucker-Edmunds law,
there has been no open living in polyg-
sny in Utah. 1t could not be proved
that any man in Utah is living in
polygamy."
WHO will be your senators?'
Colonel Trumbo is looking for the
office. He may get it. Still. there are
a number Of others who are seeking it.
/ would not BIKE to venture a guess ex-
cept that | think Frank Common who
has been territorial representative will
be one of the senators. There has been
some talk that George Q. Cannon,
Frank CannOn's father, might get a
senatOrShip. Of course. if he did Frank
would not, and equally d matter of
coJTse George .. Cannon could get ii il
ne wanted it, but 1 think he is too sensi-
bic. His connection with the Mormon
church is so we'll known that the cry
would be at once: There It is. The
Mormon church is to the front at the
start"
''Win you have a good state govern
ment in Utah?'
Yes, Utah will be a creditable state.
The Republican ticket, which was vic
torious, was made UP of good men, part
of whom were Gentiles and part Nor
mons. The governor is a Norman, but
a. liberal one--a young man. The judges
are all Gentiles and all Republicans
except the district judges. The Repub-
lican nominations for district judges
We're not as good as their other nomina-
tions, and so the Democrats were
elected, as l remember it, without ex-
caDTiOn-"