The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-07-24
MORMON CHURCH IN POLITICS


south Idaho at the recent Legislative
assembly were improperly, perhaps
unlawfully, created and have not a /
particle of right to be operating as
civil jurisdictions, taken by the rule
or standard fit to be seriously recog-
niZed. In order to make a showing
that would suffice to get by" with,
it appears that the authors of the new
counties proceeded to assess federal
property included in reclamation dis
tricts and thereby were able to make
paper representation of ability to
levy taxes enough to support the new
governments 1t would be necessary to
maintain. OF course, federal or pub
lie lands are not assessable, until the
title passes to some interest capable
of becoming taxpayer, and that fact
certainly must have been known 20 all
persons dealing officially with the sub
ject. Still, the federal lands were
assessed because of being occupied by
persons who expected eventually to
acquire titles and these persons
promptly took the matter into the
court, which, with equal promptitude
held in their favor. or rather in the
governments favor. What Is equally
well known Is that private improve
ments, or property, no matter where
sitated or of what nature, are not only
assessahe but must be assessed, and
pending the segregation and apprais-
al Of the respective interests, the en-
| trymen's and the government IS, the
proceeding Is held open in the federal
coourt. Upon the final adjudication
the new counties will have for as
sessable purpose only railway prop
erty and the meager improvements
made by the homesteaders, and these
will be wholly insufficient to maintain
full-panoplied county governments
and school districts. OF course the
creation of new counties under such
circumstances Is farce and fraud.
The strange thing is the manner In
which these counties were created by
the Legislature. 1t may be remem-
bered-The Tribune has touched
upon the subject time and again
that the bills creating them We're
passed by both houses of the legisla-
ture without opposition, without de-
bate and without consideration. In
view of the fact that these particular
bills were bills that ought not to have
been passed under any circumstance
and could not have passed If exam
med and weighed with any sort of
intelligent or informed judgment,
their passage by general consent Is
strikingly significant. The significance
lies in the fact that they were Nor
; mon bills, that the Mormons wanted
more legislative power, wanted more
offices and soft places for distribu
ton, and hence there was none to re-
sist or to question their demands in
the legislature of Idaho. No other
county bill did or could get through
the last legislature, although valid
reasons existed In specific instances
: for enacting such bills. But any bill
, whether good, bad or Indifferent, car
rying the Mormon seal, could and die
: get through and without such seal NJ
bill could get through. That Is the
political situation in this state witt
: which The Tribune Is concerned an(
to which 1t intends to address its en-
}, ergies, in such measure as oppOrtun
) ity for service Is afforded, whethe
such opportunity be much or little
Such being the situation, of wha
4 avail is it to declare that the Nor
: mons are good people, that they ar
) thrifty, peaceable, religious and well
= meaning? Is that any reason VIII.
e they should be allowed to impress
o their distinctive mental, economic an
u creedal characteristics upon thi
great state through the exercise or
sectarian power such as is unthink
L able In any other church except tina
u one church whose organization is s.
IL peculiarly distasteful to all the rest @
II the world? The exercise of thi
u power has been of slow and caution
G growth, made possible through a
II intense partisan spirit that has d
" vided the state in the past, and tina
De has easily and inevitably thrown tn
"a deciding and controlling vote into tn
u hands that were eager to seize so rip
y an opportunity. The state also ha
Is been negligent or oblivious to the pc
e litical aspirations and operations Q
II the sect in the past, largely throug'
T. misplaced controversies that could nj
II be sustained or condoned. but that
cannot remain so indefinitely an
IL preserve its opportunities and sell
respect is a fact that Is becomin
more and more apparent In evel