The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-24
QUESTIONS FROM NEPHI.

The Nephi Republic asks our morning
contemporary some pointed questions;
but the Hanna organ feigns deafness
and requests the Republic to speak a
little louder. 1t says:
The Nephi Republic asks the Tribune a
/ question, or. at least, the heading is a
! question. but what it is driving at we
| cannot study out. We have submitted it
/ TO experts and they all give il up.
The questions put by the Nephi pa
per may not be couched in that poetic
| if ungrammatical language for which
the Storm Starter is distinguished; it
may not be embellished with epithets
and billingsgate; but it is possible for
any one to catch the drift unless there
be reasons for refusing. to understand.
'Supposing," says the Republic, that
instead of b. H. Roberts being the
choice of the people OF Utah for con-
gresham, that some prominent Repub-
lican and a prominent Mormon at that
(say Alma Eldredge for instance)
should have been chosen to represent
the people. and supposing it could have
! been proved that said prominent Re
publican had a goodly assortment of
feminine attachments, would the Trib-
une have raised such storm about his
ears?"
There isn't any widespread opinion
that our morning contemporary would
have raised a protest under such cir
cumstances. 1t has refused to protest
against the appointment of polygam-
lists to federal positions even when re-
formers have sought its aid; it has
supported polygamists and plural wives
for local offices and legislative places,
because, as the Republic suggests, they
were prominent Republicans"
The Republic has an idea, however,
and it is an idea that is gaining ground
partisan opposition to Mr.. Roberts has
extended its scope until every member
of the so-called "Asiatic organization
is included. A little sop and an occa-
sional kiss are thrown to Republican
members of the dominant church from
time to time as their services are placed
at the disposal of the crusaders in Civ
ing a political endorsement TO the per-
sonal schemes of the disgruntled boss
But woe to the Mormon who refuses to
support the tickets evolved from the
crusade, and the candidates whose
election adds to the power and pres
tige of the crusaders. Even such stall
wart Republicans as Ben z. Rich come
in for a generous share of abuse, while
men like Governor Wells and Secretary
Hammond, who fall into line with the
Storm Starter and give its nominees
and plans their enthusiastic support,
are bully boys"
The governor and the secretary and
others in the same boat. cannot see that
the fight on Roberts has widened until
it includes the entire church of which
they are members. For the local Re
publican organ has told US frequently
that the church and the church au-
thorities are to blame. and that the
majority of the people are lawless be-
cause they deliberately elected de-
fiant lawbreaker to congress in the face !
of repeated warnings"
And SO another question asked by the |
Nephi Republic becomes pertinent: rs
is not really a fight on the members |
of the dominant religious organization |
looking to their Acknowledgement"
The concluding paragraph in the Re |
public's editorial is not an interroga-
ton, but may be heard without the aid |
Of an ear trumpet:
OF course it is plain 10 be seen the +
Tribune is getting n solid grip on the !
money dolsd out by the ministerial aSSo- /
Citations of the country. but the price 10 !
rxx-ff1
be paid-if it cackies and rants till dooms-
day. Old conditions will never be re- /
vived. for young Utah., whom the
Tribune endearingty pirates OF, viii oppose
L, and that too, in no niaUdlin manner. /
Again. let Us whisper in the Tribune's
ear. Brigham Young is dead
Nobody is trying to revive old condi- !,
lions unless it be the local Republican
,rgan-it admitted little while before
he nomination of Roberts that polyg-
my was dying out and that the sys-
EN- would have TO run it's course-that
he habits of a life time would have to
De changed gradually-that the people
# Utah were making progress along
his line as rapidly as any reasonable
people would ask. The records show
hat the number of polygamists in the
Mormon church. not only in Utah, but
n all the world, has decreased from
,ver 2,400 in 1890 to less than 1,50o in
S99. This is a remarkable showing,
7hen the foothold obtained by the prac-
ice as we'll as the belief prior to 1890
S considered, and it is always well
nent where it is due.