The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-07
B. H. ROBERTS DISCUSSES
PLANK AIMED AT UTAH
Effort Being Made to Inject Into National Platform
of Democrats an Ant-Mormon Resolution
Says Such Proposition Inmea to the Spirit Of Democracy
and Damaging to the Honor Of the State and Should
Be Resented and Opposed by Democrats.

6ict self castigadoni They VIII not
only submit quietly 10 be murdered,
but win themselves offer to commit
suicidel
Proposition is Democratic
Is this Democrscyg is this sustain
ing the right and dignity of local self
government II the measure proposed
was known TO be national 30 meet ma
tiouaI conditions, one might have some
degree of patience with those who
would favor its adoption by the ma
tiOnal convention but when the fact
is not even Reconsideration plainly the
proposition means Utah and Utah
alone, and when such an act is a di-
rect insult TO our state, a charge
against its sincerity, against its dig
nifty and against its power b admin
lister it's own laws, and correct its
own eVils-Teal or supp0sed-then when
the proposition is TO submit To such
iudiguity and Insult I would like TO
know where there is room for patience.
And what is the supposed justification
of the course proposed 1T is charged
that our state laws respecting poly
gamy and H0lygaDOUs living cannot be
or are not administered to the salts
faction of the NJ. q. IT. r.. the Mothers
COnsrcss of Boston or the Baptist as
suciati0u of New York
Well without qualifying the express
sion here, what of it2 What means
local elT-goverumeUt ~ &c does not
mean tE2t laws viii be administered
according to the spirit and policy Of
the locality where they are operative?
Why is a man entitled 20 a trial in the
Vicinage where his Offensa is commit
ted2 Now. let me be understood I
am not justifyng the crime of pOlyg-
amOus marriages at all. I think those
contracting them should be punished.
L am net justifying the crime of pOlyg-
amOus living. But if I'm consequence Of
peculiar past conditions existing In our
state her people hold that IT would be
against public policy and the general
interest of the state. or amy large class
OF people involved. to urge severe pros
ecUtlOUS against that class of Offeuses.
then i hold that the people Of our state
and her executive and judiciary depart
meutS OF government are not only the
best but under our form Of govern
meuL the only righuul judges of that
fact.
Must Have Government.
That is why local seIf-government is
of value to the people. Tt is TO meet
just such contingencies as these that
II has been COuteuded for. If deu0c-
raCy is not ready TO stand for that prin-
ciple of local self-go government. recog-
nlzed always as the chief corner stone
Of human liberty, then democracy has
turned from the faith once-aud. as we
hoped, once FOR ali-deiivered unto the
people. and the sooner ye are rid of
such bastard democracy and its sup
pOrters the better, Where is faith i'm
the people, Where confidence i'm our
system of government IF this chief and
most cherished principle of democrat
ic government is TO be abandoned?
Let me discuss the question for q mo-
meut in its political aspects. What is
the Democratic party 10 gain by the
course proposed by some OF its lead
ers? Can Democrats through its state
convention or through the pusillani-
nous course of its represeu tatives at
the national convention become parties
to this insult and then hope for the
parJy.S success in the election2 I tell
YOU now il can't be done. ] think I
know to some extent the spirit OF the
Democrats of Utah, and speaking as
one of them. though one of the hum
blest. I do not believe they viii support
such Democracy nor such leadership i'm
Democracy. To become the willing aC-
complies of this proposed Infamous
measure So directly insulting to our
state, so contrary to Democratic ira
ditiOHs and destructive of Democratic
principle is TO destroy all hope Of Dem
ocratIc success i'm Utah. The course
for the Democratic state convention to
pursue Is To- stamp with most emphatic
dIsapproyal this most insulting and un-
Democratic measure. see to III that a
delegation is sent to the national con-
Nention that viii use every power and
exhaust every honorable means for its
defeat before the national convention
resolutions committee, and assert the
confidence we have iu the ability of
the people Of Utah to settle all their
local dlhlculties- j cannot believe that
an appeal 10 the Democratic national
convention I'm behalf OF so clearly de-
fined Democratic principle would be i'm
vain D. il. ROBERTS.
Salt Lake, June IS.