Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-10-27
THE POLITICAL SIDE SHOW.

Il II
e-------
idaho papers are throwing rdlcule on
inc attempt Of certain political aspl'
rams who have spoiled themselves 10
bo,b Great PARTIES, to make onti-'Mor-
monsm" the chief issue In the present
campaign. The purpose Of the enlei
plotter, who h using some yerNdIsfepu-
liable tools to effect 1t. is Wen UNDER
slood IN both Of the partisan camps
and rs failure Is confidently anliclpat-
ed Some OF the public speakers Ignore
inc pretended tissue altogether Whle
others allude to It In no complimentary
terms,
As 10 the alarm sought TO be aroused
ove, the polygamy bugbear several
challenges have been offered FOR proof
Of the assertions concerning its Prev
alence These have been made against
the charge mat new plural marriages
have taken place The fact Of llle'r oo-
curreuce IL denied, and proof, n any
there be- has been demanded This Is
inc point made by the chief speakers
opposed to Dubossism and the detama-
lion Of the state and It's officials.
In pretended response to that ehal-
lenge a notorious lnformer has pub
llshed list Of twenty names Of per-
sons who arc alleged to be living with
their plural families ia Idaho. They are
All old cases. The charge Of poly
gamy" cannot be preferred against
either Of them. There Ia nothing new
in the assertion that they have the rep
utaton Of being polygamlsts Most Of
them have been considered as such for
from twenty to forty years, The list
therefore, Is no real response to the
challenge. Yet It is being paraded as a
great sensation. It only causes smile
Of derlslon on the faces Of the people
OF Idaho, unless It may be a few new
corners and imported eastern spell
binders
The alleged adldayts Of the spottel
amount to complaint IN which the de-
ponent swears That he is informed
and believes that such and such a per-
son " cohabtng with more than one
woman as his wife, not being legally
married to the same This Il VIII
be seen. is not am answer To the chal-
lense. It Is only AN evasion Il Is
parading something that is NOT denied !
and that Is permitted TO gradually and |
quietly subside, for reasons that have !
been advanced and admitted and set
tied In the public mind for years. The |
complainant does not appear to know |
anything himself as 10 the particulars |
OF any specific case by which he could |
substantlate the charge. but merely |
swears that he is Informed and be-
lleyes" so and so Alarming and Won
derful Is 10 not?
The Idaho Statesman Republican,. |
which for some time appeared to be UNI
der the influence of the chief anti.
Mormon agilator takes DO stocl,
now In the movement Of the feeble wing
of the party that has become divided
because Of IT, and after publishing the
list ALREADY referred to. says edltonally /
Of "The Side Show"
"As the average person observes the
performances being INDUCED iu by
the Democratic leaders TO divert at
tention from the national and state
issues ~ this campaign he Is re-
minded Of what he used 90 See. when
as boy he went TO the circus. rccol-
lection calling mp visions of the side
show men who vociicruusly proclaimed
the merit Of their attractions 10 the
crowd sutglng PAST 90 see the real per-
Torrance.
IL is all rather amusing To- those
who understand the entire situation.
The crowds going into the big tent
grow larger daily aud as this be-
comes more apparent the side shows
are so much more diligently pro-
claimed.
III viii not be news To "a single read-
err In Idaho that poygamy n being
practised. That has been known FOR
a long time. The extent OF IL and the
relative age OF The eases are points
upon which there is much dispute. but
the people are not worrying their
heads about those matters In this
The Boise Captal-News Democrat
icl, after describing the character OF the
list and lis maker thus comments upon
It, editorlally:
III is a cheap dodge and shows the
straits To which the A, p. a managers
IN the state are driven since no one has
ever denied the existence OF polygamy |
that had It's origin before 1890 and |
Bishop Bulge and others named IN the
list have publicly acknowledged the
fact There Is not a new case mem
Toned and II only twenty p0lygamist
families can now be found iu the state.
II simply proves that the practice Is
dying very rapidly and dlsproyes the
statement OF the Dubois people that
there are hundreds OF cases, new and
Old
Did not Senator Dubois know that
cases OF polygamy existed In Idaho.
when he said In the United States
senate, less than two years ago, that
uolygamy (new polygamy, as he ex-
pressed ~. was dead2 Has Mr. owen !
single new ease or a case