The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-30
THE RESULT OF PERFIDY.

II Utah vas Admitted Into the Union.
and We chose TO introduce slavery here.
il is not their duty to meddle with IT.
and even ii we treated our slaves In an
oppressive manner, II Is still none OF their
business and they ought not to nleddle
polygamy It Is not their prerogatve to
ineddle with it-Frorp sermon OF Presi-
dent Brigham Young, August 81. 1856
Journal Of Discourses, volume 4, page 4O'
In this matter is exposed the reason
for the constant anxiety of the Nor
mon hierarchy, ever since the founding
of this commonwealth, to achieve
Statehood. At the outset, before this
Territory was won from Mexico, 1t was
the intention of the church leaders to
set up here an independent kingdom
for themselves. When that became i'm
practicable, they set to work to ac-
quire Statehood. The method employed
in the early days to achieve this end
was insolent in the extreme. 1t was
hoped that by assuming a quasl-threat-
eping manner toward the Government,
the country could be frightened into
granting tho hierarchical desire. This
was q wild section then, and National
control of tho far West had not been
established in such perfection as to re-
move all danger of disaffection from
one cause or another. The Mormon
authorities took advantage of this con-
dition and endeavored to turn it to
their uses. II was on this account that
they took on their defiant and bull
doing attitude, President Young,
who was also Governor of the Territory
of Utah, hurled insult at the general
Government, staggered and boasted
what he would do, and what be would
not permit the United States to do,
plans or TO send officials OF armies here
TO enforce order. At one time, in fact,
Delegate BcrnhiSel suggested TO Gov
crnor Young that, because of the dis
rcputc into which his behavior had
brought him IN the country, he with
draw his signature from certain pcti
tiou for Statehood But the bullying
spirit arose III rebellion against the
idea, aud he declared that his name
was Oh the paper to stay, notwithstaud
ing what the country thought of him.
This policy was pursued through the
years until the hierarchs ut length
came to the conclusion that it was in
effective. During all Of this time the
Geutiles opposed the admission of
Utah, knowing full well what would be
the results-even as they are intimatcd
in the matter which is quoted at tho
opening of this article, Finally, the
priesthood took another tack. BY pro.
Tossing humble submission TO the Gov
crnment and the law. they endeayorcd
to wheedlc themselves into the Union
cient length of time to understand the
motive beneath this hypocrisy still
spoke against admission. But after the
manifesto of 1890 was issued, and
when it appeared that the Mormon
leaders could not but abide their
sacred pledges in all honesty, the Gen
tiles gladly Joined with them in the
endeavor TO secure sovereignty, After
much effort, and great perseverance in
adjusting matters here, they wero sue
cessful, and Utah is now State, self
governing and full sovereign IN all
respects.
Now, what has been the result? Pre-
cisely as Brigham Young intimatcd in
the early days. II is not difficult TO
discover the compauionship Of thought
that exists between the idea expressed
by Brigham Young and the following:
want 10 soy. too, that 1t is the law
OF my Statc--it is not the law of Con-
stess under which ! am living and by
which l ain punishable It is the law of
my State, and the courts Of my State
have competent Jurisdiction TO deal with
me In my offcnses against the law. and
no business with my private conduct
Testimony of President Joseph T. Smith
at Washington. March 5, 1905 official re-
port, volume l, page 3S4.
The fact is that the Genties have
been swindled and defrauded, they
have been most gricvously deceived;
they have been shamefully cheated;
their honest endeavor to bring peace
ond freedom has been irodden in the
earth, The law is deGed persisteutly,
and the lawbreakers have the power to
shield themselves from tho conse~
quences. And yet few Gentiles are
still deceived into support OF these
community stuffed prophets, known aud
recognized as the Mormon hierarchy.
But ''politics makes strange bed
fellows they say, and in this matter
it seems that the saying is regrettably
most true.