Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-04-13
luAi MYTHICAL "IuNra."

larry aud accurately calculated ~ she
invasion Of sevcn-ycat locusis, but % 90
considerably more frequent, more abe
sllutsly certain ami lust about equally
mysterious NJ 10 iis causes Hud Effects.
just now the bubbliuR.over grows Oul
Of the piqus aud disappointment OF "a
few parties with reference 60 tho work
" the late Legislature upon certain
proposed bills. For some days before
the end Of the session dark hints ami
Husriolons were given forth by one or
two members that p malign and dread
ful influence was being used 10 COM
pass the defeat or pos.pouemcnt Of cor'
tain measures. THIS "iuiluenco" Wns
claimed TO be- nothing more nor less
than the mailed and heavy hand Of
the Mormon Church, which was
alleged 10 have selected an industrious
lobby with the special business uf COM
mAnding Legislators TO vote down, or
the Governor TO veto, every bill that
the said lobby had not passed upon
appfovingly. As stated, these inuinu-
atoms were only Whispered or hintud
at during the sgssion Itself. But
when at the recent General Con-
ference Of the Church an important
rule OF discipline and conduct as
applied to high positions 10 the Priest
hood was To.assertet, explained anu
accepted by the people, the mutIerlnge
OF tho indictments grew louder, and at
last one Of them, Representative
Cfitchlow, has come out with letter
In which ho makes n specific charge 40
to tho existence and laDOB Oi "Mof'
mon committee or lun,," to pasa upon
ana approve or veto pending iegisla'
ton. Ho has SCARED one paper into
sounding a call upon young
Utah 10 comU out aud assert IT. free.
iJm from occloslastlcal DONNA
ton, aud has with inoxplicablc
ease caused quite number VI nervous
people to think there il burning need
for new declaration OF political indie.
pendenoe.
There IL hardly anything serious
enough In nll this TO deserve explaua.
lion. And yet tue NEWS feels anxiou'
at All times 10 do iIs part toward TO-
moving fear, promoting confidence
and correcting Misunderstanding.
In this Instance the matter ought
to be- easy, for very plain tale
can put the whole hidoous, fearful
nightmare TO fight.
Here arc the tAots; Legislators,
business men, lawyers, uditOrs, mining
men, all classes Of the community In
fact, felt that there was danger " the
first State Legislature attempting TO
cover too much ground. Most VI it0
members were uutrioi Ia hw.maklng,
yet all were Jealous aud patriotic.
Hut new conditions existed; new
burdens had come upon tho PEG.
plsi new lave and methods Of
procedure were necessity and there
was an almost universal feeling ,uht
the danger was not In doing too little
but In experimenting with too much,
The NEWS took this ground ms early
~ the opening OF the Constitutional
Convention a year ago, aud never
ceased to argue anu defend iJup 10 the
very close Ut the recent legislative
session. We do not hesitate 10
say further that not only have
we In these columns autagobizud
many proposed laws because Of the
reasons shove given, hut tho present
writer has repeatedly useI personal
persuasion NJ influence Ia the same
direction. Others have chosen 90 DO
likewise, by resolution, by petition, by
employed advocates before committees,
by psu1nsl effort Anything un.
American, seryile, Improper 10 all
this2
Now, Il happens that some OF the
Oldest and bos,knowa oitizrns oi the
State, men whose whole lives have
been spent iu the lntores. and woIf,ro
Of tho people, aud who have their pre-
sent and future prosperity and welfare
as closely at heart as amy men possibly
eau have, have been asked 60 give thrIr
views upon or use their influence '1f
or against rarrlcuInr uilE which seemed
o. be TN the nature ofRn uungcpssary
or lnoppoHuuc innovation. This re-.
quest, wo repeat, cnme not only from
legislators themselvgs, but from others
ofHnerentpsriig. and otI0Hr.enth forms
religious telioG A. ciuzeus they
had the right t1 @ IMPLY with such
request, A. tried nrd h1u0red mem.
bcrs OF the community IL was rrrhaIs
their duty TO take a persona Interest in
n. But they were busy men, occupied
from carly mofning uu late at night
with labnrs Of another character.
They were also leading Mormous,
and they might have known,
and did know, what furofr
would be rsised n Anybody dared
TO ask them to cay word for OF against
snyoody's pct bllI, 30. when asked to