OCR Text |
Show be good ground for the claim that time is needed for the people to familiarize themselves with the conditions of state-I state-I hood, but tliul is a minor matter. 1 1'eople learn such things rapidly; and In the meantime there is no foundation aft for the feats which are implied iu tliu uie of term "mormon statehood." Citizens need not bo worried by the platform. Tho charge that the mormons mor-mons would seize control of thu state and oppress the gentiU capital and thus injuria their own business, is, t'io absurd for serioi.s t msidoratiou. 'J i:0 other ciu.rge, tint they want to re-estabiish polygamy behind state lines, is even more absurd. Our liberal friends know well enough that it would be impossible for mormon leaders to re-establish polygamy even if they desired to, for they could not do it and would not dare to undertake it in ti e face of the active opposition of an overwhelming overwhel-ming majority of their own people. We refer especially to the iberal leaders who use this silly argument. They make use of it tn influence thoughtless people, but we have an impression that there are very few of that class here. There is n living man who can specify a single point that tbe mormons could gain fur themselves asindividuuls or for their church by seizing control of the government of Utah. Any man of ordinary ability can demonstrate from existing conditions, and without any appeal to the direct evidence of the mormons themselves, that there is nothing whatever iu this campaign scarecrow labelled "Mormon Statehood." State-hood." It is time that honest meu everywhere had disowned it. Its constant con-stant introduction into the lield of discussion dis-cussion is a rejection upon the intelligence intelli-gence of Utah. "MOKllOV S'l'ATKUJt)0.H The term "mormon statehood" is rolled over and over in tho mouth of the liberal organ as a sweet morsel; and thai paper puts it indiscriminately into the mouths of others. It is simply a campaign cam-paign btig-a-boo. Whan the time comes for statehood for Utah, whether it ho ia JS'Jl, in 1S!'2, in 13i5. or later, it will be ' Utah statehood uot mormon statehood, state-hood, not i'resbyteri an statehood, not Catholic statehood, not Methodist statehood, not Tribune statehood, but straight L'tah statehood, under which all the people of Utah will have the same rights, ia which there will be iio favored class, aud through which no suggestion of fearfulnesi will be pre-6entd pre-6entd to a:iy ulewent cf tl, population. popula-tion. If the 1oor of the Union were to us thrown open to Utah tomorrow she would etter ths sisterhood as free from danger of class or sectarian domination as was ever any applicant for admission. The change that has occurred here during the past few years has been so severing that there is ' uo longer any foundation for the principal objections that were formerly urged against statehood. There may |