Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-29
ARIZONA AND THE "MoRMoNs.'

Under the heading Of "Arzona's Vote
Adverse 90 statehood the Chicago
Record has this remarkable and mis-.
leading article which is being copied
into other papers:
statehood for Arizona has been
dealt "A stunning blow by the defeat OF
Governor y. o. Murphy tRep) for Del
eeate 10 Congress by Marcus a. Smith
Cpem). u was not strictly a party
contest but one which involved q test
vote on the will Of the party here con
corning the admission OF their Terri
tory. The total vote cast amounted 10
100000. OF which Smith received plu-
ralitv of 1000 The result was entirely
unlocked for and Is regarded as an
EXPRESSION OF the people against the ad-
mission OF Arizona. The cry OF the Re-
publican party this year was state
hood. The Democrats had little 10 say
on that subject, and confined lhein
selves TO q denunciation OF the official
acts OF the governor. the candidate Tor
Congress. There is a strong undercur-
rent In Arizona opposed to the Terri
tory administering its own analrs. On
the surface the people appear TO Doe
bubbllng over with enthusiasm Tor
statehood, but nothing more fully than
the recent territorial election has dem
onstrated the strength OF the opposi'
ton.
oIt Is reported that the First Presl.
dent" OF the Mormon Church at salt
Lake sent forth an edlct 10 the Nor
mon Church voters Of this Territory
commanding them 70 support the DEM
ocratlc candidate. This cannot be veri-
fed. and It Is only positively known
that while, on account OF his views on
women's suffrage. Murphy expected a
slight majority from the M0rmons
they voted almost solidly against MN
Eight or ten thousand MOrmons are
oolonzed IN various parts OF eastern
and northeastern Arizona. They WELD
a strong political Influence ana are
thoroughly contented with their lot
II is altogether likely that the Nor
mons may be depended upon 20 oppose
any measure looking to the admission
os Arizona, as the subsequent lmml.
grafton they fear would cause them 20
enigrate. from Arizona, or at least
make their stay unpleasant
The notion that the election Of the
Democratic candidate for Delegate in
Congress is in any sense "a test vote
as 10 the admission Of Arizona into
the Union as State is singularly err
roneous. The Record ought 10 be bet
ter informed than to fall into such an
ecregious mistake, Neither political
party in that Territory could gain any
success by opposing statehood. II may
be that with a Republican Congress and
a Republican administration, more po-
litlcal shrewdness would have been in
dcated by the election Of a Republican
Delegate. However that may be con-
sIdered. the gentleman who has been
chosen has been a strong advocate of
the admission Of the Territory that he
has ably represented and will no doubt
do his best TO bring ii into the Union
In voting for him his constituents vot-
ca just as much for statehood as they
would II they had cast a majority Of
ballots for his opponent
The Record does not state by whom
THE result is regarded as the express
sion OF the people against the admis-
sion OF Arizona but whoever so re.
CARDS It does not understand the senu-
ment Of the Arizonians. which is not
different among the members Of the
opposing political parties. Arizona has
been knocking al the door OF the nation
for many years ana both Republicans
and Democrats have used the knocher.
but so far in vain. The Territory is en-
titled 20 admission, and we have no
doubt the Delegate-elect win work FOR
Ct faithfully and his opponent would
certainly have done the same II be had
been elected
The report in the second paragraph
II the Record article is not only untrue
but IS actually silly In the first place
no "edict" has been "seut forth hy or
to tho Mormon Church as to the
support Of any political candidate. there
or elsewhere The members OF Che
Church ere not Commanded boy their
leaders, u regard to voting They are
au perfectly free to choose their own
candidates and 20 vote for whom they
please The Record admits that lbs
suspicion "cann1t bc verified" As 70
matter Of lact st rs entirely rroundlass.
and IN view OF well known conditions
D.. s...HTr. .H..rT