Show GENTILES AND STATEHOOD Should Utah remain a Territory or become a State Y The question demands the immediate attention of every citizen citi-zen We beseech every citizen to heed the demand to devote a half hour at least of sober thought to this important and opportune subject A convention has been called by the Peoples party to meet at once and all classes of the population are invited to participate and are promised proportionate pro-portionate representation Now is the moment to decide and in deciding we hope that Gentiles will divest themselves them-selves of prejudices that arise from slander that they will review the situa tion as it is the Mormon people ask no more than that they may be esteemed and represented as they are The Tribune has peopled these valleys with hobgoblins that will dissipate into thin air if you will but turn the light upon them You should cease Polonms like to see such forms in the fleeting clouds as this journalistic Hamlet would trace for you The burden of the Chancellors address to the graduates at the University Univer-sity commencement the other day was to seek individuality to endeavor to estimate es-timate men and matters by means of your own observation and reflection Tile advics was most excellent and should appeal to students of an oMnr growth Whatdoes Statehood mean It means that all local matters will be absolutely within the control of the people of the Territory that the law will be of their own making and officers of their own choosng The incubus of a foreign governor with autocratic powers and kindred wrongs will cease and in theirplace will be erected a government of the j people for the people and by the people peo-ple Of course this means more to the Mormons than to those who oppose them because the former are majority majori-ty but shonld the latter deprive themselves of many because be-cause perchance the Mormons will reap more Such is the logic of cutting off thenose t spite the face A moments mo-ments thought will convince the non Mormon that he has nothing to fear from a Mormon majority The Mormon Mor-mon has ever been the oppressed and never the oppressor Wherein has the Mormon ever sought to discriminate against his nou communicant com-municant The laws of the Territory have been equalthere has never been an effort to force obnoxious test oaths upon the Gentile population nor a single sin-gle statute that could be construed as an effort to deny the rights of voting sitting on juries holding office or the equal protection of the laws to Gentiles There had been absolutely nothing to prevent Gentiles from shaping the affairs af-fairs of a precinct a county or the Territory except votersand this is all they could have expected in New York or Illinois And every honest Gentile must admit ad-mit that the administration of public affairs of the Territory by the Mormons Mor-mons has been honest and economical econ-omical it may not in some Instances In-stances have been enterprising but it has been eminently safe and iudi cious Nor indeed are the Mormons I open to the charge of having been illiberal il-liberal They have refused to confide in their avowed enemies but history will show that they have dealt generously gener-ously by those who have been willing to do them justice What then may Gentiles expect from G Mormon rule in case of statehood ij They may expect a safe and wise administration ad-ministration of affairs impartial law laws and uniform privileges this is what they have had in the past and this is what the Peoples party promise I them for the future What more car they ask The privilege of running I things themselves This will camp when the day arrives that the Mormons Mor-mons are outnumbered if it be inevitable in-evitable which we by no means admit that Mormon and Gentile cannot work together for Utahs advancement While therefore Mormon rule will work harm to rft no Gentile privileges and rights what advantages will accrue to the entire population through dtatehood Preeminently the inestimable in-estimable advantage of a settled condition of affairs No doubt the people will accept the inevitable and include within their constitution a provision pro-vision prohibitory of polygamy indeed the hope of statehood would b3 a dream without such a concession Is not every Gentile in the Territory except always and of course the miserable and turbulent soreheads forming the head and front of offensive Liberalism deeply concerned that the curse of special legislation the uncertainty of unwise proscriptive laws shall be removed and this great commonwealth be permitted per-mitted to work out its destiny The situation is obviously one of contest between the narrow hatred and spite of a few political bigots and the welfare of the community It will take a long pull a strong pull and a pull all together to make Utah a State and Gentiles will rob their own pockets if they dont lend a hand |