The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-15

President Mir. Evans says II would be
an unusual proceeding, and probably it
would, but the circumstances are I'M
usual. This has never confronted any
other territory, when applying for
statehood, and the point in it is this,
when Mr.. Thurman, the other day,
thought that the article in the ordi-
nance was not sufficient, that it ought
TO be strengthened, l was in hopes his
idea would be carried out by the con-
vention, solely as an evidence of good
faith. 1t won't make any difference in
the future. There is no state where the
laws are enforced against the public
sentiment of the people. Now, if public
sentiment of the people of this terri
tory is that the ordinance shall be
backed by legislation which will make
penalties and enforce them. that will
be done. If a change should come,
and the sentiment should be that it was
nobodys business, we will do what We
please, that will be the rule. The ques-
ton that confronts us is just this: We
knew that almost every church organi-
cation outside of Utah in the United
States will scan this constitution; they
will study il with a disposition to, if
possible, find some fault in it. Now,
when they do that, and there is merely
a declaration that there will be no
more polygamy, they will simply laugh.
They viii say. chose people have sim
ply made a declaration and have pro-
VideG no means on earth to enforce it,
e. %,l,n
is obtained, but it is how to obtain
statehood. For instance, the president
of the United States, is. l am told,
member of the Presbyterian church.
1 think he is a little lax Qaughter), but
no matter. He may have fixed it all
right with his own soul. He processes
to be a Presbyterian. He has great
many Presbyterian friends. He is a
lawyer. He CONSTITUTES things exactly
as I would construe them, when he has
the capacity to. Naughter.) Now,
when this constitution is carried up to
him, we will suppose a case. We will
suppose in the same election by which
this constitution is approved, there
should be Republican officers elected all
over this state. He not only will have
the Presbyterian church behind him,
but he viii have every Democratic
office holder in Washington and all
through the country telling him that
there is a point where he can afford to
delay. 1t won't make bit of difference
to Utah what is in this constitution in
regard to that particular matter. The
idea is to have something to present
to the president, which he and his
friends can find no flaw in; that is, that
the enabling act has not only been |
carried out in the letter, but the
means have been provided to enforce
its mandate.
1 had intended TO offer and try to
argue an amendment to the ordinance
This amendment this morning covers
the case, and what objection is there to
passing it? Are we at this time in the
convention going to say it is legisla-
ton? It is on a theme that we have no
precedent for. We are confronted here
with this condition. The enabling act
tells us that we must (and I presume
means in an effective way) declare for |
ever against polygamy and plural
marriages. We ought to do it in such
good faith that there would be no ques-
ton about it. If two years hence, or
four years hence, the legislature de-
sires to do anything else, it can do it.
If the constitution is adopted and
Utah is admitted as state, the people |
can revise or call a convention, and
make a new constitution within a |
year or two. Let us go as the sover-
eign states went. Every one of them |
had statutes. They had provisions in |
regard to slavery. that there should be |
no more slavery or involuntary SER
vitude. 1t was finally enacted in the
constitution of the United States, and |
other provisions; and while some of |
them did not intend to keep those pro- |
visions, there was nothing in what |
they presented that there could be any !
criticism of. AS far as the words go.
the words were apt. They said, 81 care
nothing about the future. / am per-
fectly willing to trust it. 1 have per-
feet faith it Will be all right" But let |
us fix it SO that the president of the
United States, at least, cannot, in his
obstinate way, say: TT does not suit
me, you had better go back and try it
over" You know, Mr.. President he
does not want any more silver con-
gressmen. You know he has peculiar
ways. Once or twce he has pretty
nearly neutralized the law, and when
eight or ten of his constituents get
around him and tell him he ought to do
it, then he takes it upon himself to
think that he was raised up by God
Almighty to be the savior of the
United States, and when a man gets
in that frame of mind, there is no tell
ing what he win do. Let us fix ii so
that neither he nor his friends can
cliticise one word. 1t will make no
difference to Utah. Let US act in alb
solute good faith, so far as our words
are concerned, and have it fixed so that
4 penalty, if that is disobeyed. can be