The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-04
LIBERTY FOR UTAH ALSO.

popular freedom, and on Inc fonndatlon
laid down on this date one hundred and
thirty-one years ago. the noblest nation
Of all time has grown up. Not only is
this day sacred to the cause of popular
freedom in the United States, it has
become known the whole world around
as the natal day of liberty among man
kind. No people on earth are ignorant
Of the Fourth of July, and in a hopeful
way all know what the day signifies.
And what noble. glorious Republic
has grown up on that blessed founda.
ton And what a guiding fame its
freedom has been TO all peoples. Be.
cause OF American freedom there is
! greater freedom everywhere. Because
Americans rule themselves, other peo-
pies want TO rule themselves. Because
it is safe TO leave public affairs in the
! hands of the people in the United
! States, the friends of liberty every
where argue that it is safe in their
lands also to have the people take
charge Of public affairs. Even in des-
pot-cursed Russia, the Dumn is n
recognized institution; no Ministry but
provides for it.
And while American liberty has thus
broadened the horizon of all liberty
loving people throughout the earth,
liberty is making progress also in Utah,
! Beginning here with a despotism more
cruel, brutal, merciless, rcmorselcss, and
oppressive than any other known in
modern times, the bonds Of that theo-
cratic tyranny have become loosened.
The autocrats of that theocracy dedi-
Gated this land TO their defiant cult,
which rebeled at every effort TO bring
II into accord with modern society,
modern morality, and modern admins
tration. The rule of the priesthood
was supreme, exclusive. Not only so,
every one IN the organization was re-
quired to profess agreement whether
he agreed or not, and TO like that at
which his very soul revoljed.
Americans who came in here, in pur
suance Of their rights as citizens. were
considered intruders, "outsiders, and
every possible obstruction, menace, and
often violence, was employed to drive
them away. But they stayed. Others
came in, and now Americanism is recog-
pized as the leaven of the whole lump,
They were deprived of their consti-
tutional rights in many ways, by biased
laws, and by snap judgments under
those laws.
cd f,
alien and reasonable ofhcialdom that
sought their injury instead of their
benefit; even going to the depths of
scandalous immortality and indecency
in fitting up from tho public treasury
houses of prostitution and installing
women in them to lure the enemies ~
of the filthy regime then in power.
They were taxed without representa-.
ton, and their objection 10 this was
hissed down with scorn. And their
taxation was on valuation unfairly
assessed upon their property, as com
pared with like property in the vicip-
ity. Their protestations against this
were met with ratings and abuse.
These were some of the things which
the American settlers in Utah suffered
from in times past. And yet, looking
back upon the history Of the years, and
on the expressions and impositions
which they suffered, they may well he
grateful today for the "'blessing Of lib
erty" guaranteed by the Federal Con
stitution, and now not altogether
mockery. The evils and wrongs from
which they suffered were inflicted by
lawless combination of bigots and
conscienceless, robbing priests; fanatical
zealots who have been and are now the
foes of all civic order not of their
choosing, and OF modern civilization;
and who deprived Americans ruthlessly
of their rights. and robbed them with
out mercy. This intentional injustice
to felIow-citizens of the Republic, the
nation and the people al large have gen
erously and wisely interposed barriers
To prevent, but Z ruling, lawdefying,
theocratic ohgarcby in unmanly bad
faith, breaking It's pledges of submis-
sion to law, has been melted to a
virulent and pernicious activity in de-
flying the law. and living the life
of robber barons, growing fat on
the substance of the people, and roll
ing in riches wrested from a submis-
sive folk, falsely, in the name of the
Lord. This profigate, law-defyjng hier-
archy continues to howl its bitter rage
against changing conditions, and airs
it's defiance of law and of decency
from time to time before great congre-
cations in the tabernacle. But its ef-
forts to renew the robberies. the cruel
ties, the menaccs, tho anarchies Of the
past; it's determination TO set local law
against National law, for the relief of
criminals and the oppression of Amer
lean citizens loyal iii every thought and
act, are things of the past, never more
to be renewed in the bold manner Of
old, and in the ruthless expressions of
minoritles by brute force