The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-28
DR.. Hamilton Says They-k
Dictate in Utah
Politics.
Hold the Balance Of Power and
Sway the Two Old
Parties.
The Church Really in Control OF the
Government OF the Infant
State.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

BOSTON, Dec. 27.-Rev. John A.
Hamilton, DID,, of Boston, one of the
editors of Congregational Work and
the secretary of the Congregational
Education Society, has just made
special investigation and report on the
present status of Mormonism. in
which he says that it has been the
hope of many that statehood in Utah
would result in the essential ending Of
Mormon denomination; but it is be-
coming more and more manifest that
such hope is not we'll grounded. 1t is.
true, he says, that statehood brougf
new activity to the two political pa&
ties, and it was prophesied that, as thy
intensity of the strife between these
increased, the thought Of church con-
troll, pure and simple, would proper.
tionately decrease. But, as events
prove, the church finds in the new or
der of things a means most favorable
to the enhancement of it's political in
huence.
Apparently it has already come to
be the practical balance of power be-
tween the two great parties. Accord
ing to it's own pleasure, it ordains vic
tory for one and defeat for the other.
aOHllI1lSIEaI1OIl-
seem to be more and more within its
gifts, and, while this is not ostensibly
operating to the formal re-establish-
ment of the peculiar instruction" of
MOrmOnism, it clearly is operating to
foster and promote it's essential spirit.
The present constitution of the
State, in many of it's features, is said TO
be strongly obnoxious to the Mormon
Church. This opens the way for at
tempts at constitutional revision, and
that such attempts are already medi-
tated cannot, says DR.. Hamilton, rea-
sOnably be doubted. The authorities
of the church are even now making
this more and more manifest through
the press.
AS to the public opinion Of the
church. it was difficult to conceive
that much more could be desired than
now exists. even by the stancheSt
Mormon. But there is a large proper
ton without the ecclesiastical pale
that must be reckoned with. Among
/ them it that class whose interests in
some form connect them with the non
Mormon schools The church leaders
are not slow to see that the continued
establishment of such schools must be
prevented, and that, as far as posi-
| BILE, every essential condition to life
and prosperity must be withheld from
those already in existence. To accom-
plish the latter, every effort has been
put forth to secure prominence of
| church representation in the personnel
| of the various boards of instruction.
| So far as the State University Is con-
cerned, the movement has been sue
! cessful. To-day the management of
! this university is essentially Mormon.
/ To effect the same in lesser schools
! seems also to be determined. Even
| mission schools like those under the
! former New West Education Commits
! sion are embraced in the number
whose independent control it is the
! aim to prevent.
I'm view of the foregoing facts" con-
tinued Dr. Hamilton, can it be doubted
that the one effective remedy for the
| traditional and deep-seated evils of
Utah is found in the principles repre-
scented in Christian schools? It is
| through these that the progress hith-
erto realized among this people has
been attained, and nothing short of
this will save them from rerrogression
and secure to them the conditions of
future progress"