The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-08-14
MORMON QUESTION IN STATE
POLITICS

-
Tribune says about the Mormons,
both reflecting the views of the Salt
Lake Tribune. Now comes the Paris
Post and challenges the whole flock
of Tribunes. The Post says:
That's the idea, brother. You
have the remedy, just send down in
to these southern counties Freddie
Dubois, the editor of the Lewiston
Tribune and yourself and educate
these poor deluded and ignorant Nor
mons, otherwise at the next session
of the legislature a handful of Nor
mons will tell all the rest of the cit
liens of the state to go way back
and sit down. There is no solidity
among the non Mormon counties such
as exists in the southern counties
Certainly not; we Mormons and non
Mormons down here all vote alike
and get along peaceably. 1t is you
fellows in the north that need a ply
sician. You scrap among yourselves
| and when you fail to get what you
want, why the 'Mormons' done it.
Wonder If it isn't church influence
that is raising hell down in Mexico?"
Idaho politics may be enlivened
after all. We may be catapulted
from the uplift to the upset.
ut will be interesting to watch the
fence-riders now the spurs have be-
gun to sprout."
To this the Lewiston Tribune makes
reply as follows:
The foregoing cryptic observations
are given for what they are worth,
in the absence of anything better
from the Mormon viewpoint, but 1t
is fair to say that they will not be
worth much for practical purposes.
The subject Ia rather more serious,
We think, than the Mormons seem
willing to understand or than was
the case when the Salt Lake Tribune
and Mr.. Dubois were pursuing their
warfare against the sect, and the rea-
son 1t Is more serious now is not
far to seek. For one thing, personal
ambitions at that time inspired the
crusade; for another, the religion and
private lives of the sect formed the
basis of the political campaign then
waged, and out of the two conditions
grew a prejudiced, desperate and un-
tenable politics that threatened to be
more fatal to the state and to free
government. II successful, than any
proceedings of an isolated class could
possibly become.
The Tribune, for itself, opposes
and resents the Mormon control of
state politics just as it would social
LIST control, prohibition control, or
control by any other one-sided or
one-idead faction or clan of the body
polite. There are, however, special
reasons for objecting to Mormon con-
troll which do not obtain with respect
to other organizations. They are not
free agents, for one thing, in the or
binary meaning OF the term, but are
held in mental bondage to priestcraft
quite as repressive, in many respects,
as in feudal days. They are not
amenable to state sentiment, or re-
sponsible to state Judgment, in the
ordinary sense, and need only keep
regular In sectarian circles to retain
full political power and prestige. Thu.
they can be, and are, used to defeaa
party pledges or public policies of the
most necessary and benevolent nature
and are not held accountable by theil
servile local constituencies, when the
, same acts would mean political doom
under free citizenship.
. For obvious and ample reasons tht
state can no longer afford to ALLOW
itself to be governed by the sort o
. views and influences that prevail n
: the Mormon country. The sort o
!, civilization that prevails in the Nor
|, mon country and that which prevails
:, outside 70 the Mormon country is
: sufficient reason aside from anythin,
;, else, for saying so. The free citizen
: ship, free thought and free action as
: serted by the rest of the state-an.
!. which 1t rs observed the Mormon
= press sneers at as compared with it
contented vassalage-have in the pas
= resulted in rival parties, factions an
:. groups, with any one of which tn
= Mormons can and do successfully
coalesce for procuring their way Il
the passage or defeat of legislation L
conformity with their special bias.
We are inclined to think the tim
has come, or Is fast coming, whe
this free citizenship will see the nee
d essity for laying aside the who'll
d minor and transient differences
y has been fussing and fighting over
% the past, in order to agree on the ST
'e premely important consideration {
y first governing the state upon Amer
ar can lines instead of upon Mormo