Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17

we're built by outside capital, and the in
novation was not regarded with favor by
the NIormons. In Utah the stores, fac
tories and hanks are owned very generally
by joint stock companies. consisting of
muititudes of small shareowners. The
coop" is familiar expression heard
everywhere and painted on numerous signs.
The greatest of their stores is lions CO.
operative mercantile institution. This foes
an annual business of from $5,OO9.00O to
S6,0O0.00O. In twenty-five years 1t has paid
dividends of nearly S2,5OD.U0, an average
of IL per cent for every year. and a
total of 81, per cent In all. The sum of
81 900. invested in its stock at the date Of
its original incorporation In 1869. had ac-
cumulated to S2,O14.3O in 1885,. and in ad-
dition had received in cash dividends the
sum of $,2lS.05. These profits had been
shared by large numbers of stockhol iers
and reproduced on a small scale ny many
other cooperative stores scattered through
out Utah and adjoining states and terrific
ries. variety Of factories. IS well as
banks. are owned and managed successful
ly by the same me thod. The beet sugar
factory at Lehi was the first to be equipped
with a complete plant of American manu-
facture 1t Is owned by 100 stockholders
and pays handsome dividends.
The Mormon Church.
After half a century the Mormon church
Is still the dominant factor In the life of
Utah. In numbers and in wealth 1t is, Of
fifty years ago. The practice of polygamy.
suspended by formal cdict il 1850, Is row
4 thing of the past, speaking in broad
terms. But the doctrine Is still relig.onsly
held among the tenets of the church, 1t Is
doubtless sincerely believed in by the ma
Jor;ty of the people, and Is usually more
vigorously defended by the women than by
the men. There are occasional! arrests m
der the drastic Edmiinds rlc3er law. bat
tn 4 Nnt,
faith of the church IN ,liscountenancing the
practice. The older pciygamsts, who had
maintained several families for many
years, still support their wives In some
cases men divided their estates equally
among their "plurais.' bu. their first WIFE
if living. is alone recognized by the law.
When the Mormon political organization,
known as The peoples parry was Gis-
banded in 1S.&2 the members of the church
were compelled to divide on national party
lines. In order to do this intelligently 1T
was necessary to plunge Utah into the
most interesting campaign of education
this country has ever seen. Orators AMI
pamphletrers went back to first principles,
and Hamilton and Jefferson. Jackson and
Lincoln lived again as they had not lived
In decades. But the greatest struggle
among the politicians was to demonstrate
how Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
would have voted had they been alive AS
protection was the national issue Of the
moment. the republicans achieved some
would have stood for their party. since
they had been strong advocates Of home
Industry. The democrats We're surprised
at the growth of the republican vote, which
In 1884 carried the territory, and in 1895
elected the first governor of the new state.
But on the silver issue the state became
overwhelmingly democratic the following
year.
Mixed Up Politics.
The older generation of Mormons rule the
oh, I,,,t
the state. The governor. the two senators
and the one representative are natives and
of Mormon parentage, though Senator
Rawlins is said to be an apostate. Con-
trary to general expectation. this fact has
not deprived him of strong support among
members of the church. not even when he
vigorously attacked the leaders for using
the livery of heaven to serve the devil in
as he once did in the heat of the campaign.
the first representative chosen to Con-
sreSS, &. T. Allen, had been for years a
powerful and uncompromising opponent of
the church. But he was elected with the
aid of Mormon votes. The twelve apostles
are divided between the two great parties.
The division which has come after forty
years of absolute political solidarity ap-
pears to be genuine, and the people carry
on their discussions with the proverbial
zeal of new converts.
While the MormonS are dominant In
Utah, and are likely to be for long time
in the future. the gentiles exert a powerful
influence. They have made an indelible
impression upon the institutions of the new
state. Chief among their works are the
splendid schools ard city buildings, and
modern public improvements. Until they
came into power the school buildings were
generally shabby and the course Of study
somewhat narrow. But even then it was
claimed that Utah had less illiterates than
Massachusetts. TO the gentle element be-
lorgs the credit of paving the way for true
Amercanism and for a state of the best
ideals.