Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-30
A MORE SERIOUS EVIL.

The Boston Herald Is one Of the in
fuentisl journals Of the country that
has estimated correctly the agitation
against the Mormon" Church. raised
on an Issue entirely outside that or
eanizaton. In its issue Of Nov. %, the
Herald says, editorally;
1T seems probable that Mr. Roberts,
Of Utah. will not be permitted to take
his seat In Congress and this because
Of an agitation which has extended all
over the country. We have not looked
upon this popular protest as having
material foundation, for the reason that
It has been much more sentimental
than sensible. II the entrace Of Mr.
Roberts was to be the first step toward
the Generalization either OF our gov
eminent or our home life, no protest
that could be made would be too We
hement, But there Is not the least rea-
son for assuming that his presence In
Congress would be attended with such
results. There Is absolutely not the
least probability that polygamy would
be cOndoned by Congress because he
was there, or that hls political success
would lead 10 the liberation OF plurality
marriages In the various States Of the
Union The evil which Mr.. Roberts
represents Is not one which has any
permanent or desp-rooted hold on our
American methods Of thought and liv-
ing. The evil which Is threatening us,
alike In our political, industrial, and,
TO some extent. social life, an evil the
seriousness Of which no one who has
looked below the surface OF things can
think Of Disgusting, Is the corrupt and
corruptlng use Of money for the pur-
pose OF obtaining political and indus
trial results. The purchase Of seats In
Congress by wealthy men Is a thous-
and times worse In It's effect upon the
American people than the acquiring OF
a seat In Congress by a polygamist.
The former constitutes direct encour-
agement 70 rascality all over the
country, since II implies that a con-
scienceless man who Is shrewd enough
to escape detection In his operations
can receive the highest public honors
at the hands OF the American people.
II petitions could be signed by mil
lions, TO the effect that no Senator or
Representative should be permitted 10
take a seat In Congress who was sus-
pected Of owing his election to the cor
rupt use Of money, public opinion would
pronounce Itself In a manner which
might have some effect In maintaining
the purity OF our political institutions.
But for some reason we fall into the
old habit Of denouncing sins we are not
likely to commit. while we pass over
with Indifference a terrible offence
which IS constantly occurring and
which has the appearance OF being one
Of our besetting sins"
AS the Herald says: IF the entrance
Of Mr., Roberts was to be the first step
toward the Generalization either OF our
government or our home life, no pro-
test could be too vehement" and the
people Of Utah, at least the "Mormons."
would be among the first TO protest
most emphatlcally, Here the nature Of
the movement, its origin and the mo-
uyes that prompted It, are thoroughly
understood now, and some day the en-
tire American nation win see Il too.
They will read the story and marvel
at the Ingenuity that re-enacted the
mockery Of Balzac's Don Juan Belvi-
dero, whom the crowd would cannon
lie, although all his life he had been a
sconer and q hypocrlte Is not fact
sometimes even more strange than flc.
ton?