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Show -fS EVOLUriCi OF SCHUIEb. Pi OTS and cennter plots of elf seekers, political wire pullers and religious bigoU, have so long characterized charac-terized tl e current of events in Uth, thnt It ba matter of counetS os-nmo Uist Hmo secret political concoction balwnysbreuing. There Jiasbeeuan evolution in the development devel-opment of schemes rcbting to .political matters in thb Territory, a study of which b not w ithout j rofit aud interest. isunmiig tiircugh thb evolution several elements are ohs-rvable, the two most prominent being, first, an itching desire to reduce the '"Mormons" to political terfdom, and, second, a fear that this could not be done with safety to American institutions and without with-out such an infringement of tbo Constitution as would lie a daogeroLS precedent. The antagonism an-tagonism between this desire and this fear was long doul tful as to ib result, but as b rften the case when human nature Is strongly tempted to do wrong, dclre liegan to prevail over both prudence aud conscience. First, a class cmbiaciug the most . prominent an influential men in ths 1 Territory, were disfranchised. Great caro was taken to make it plain that they rere not so treated because of their religious belief or church membership, but because they had been "guilty of ot ert acts against good order." It was hoped that by tli rowing this class out of politics, the ret of the "Mormon" voters would divide among themselves and thus so lose their strength that they could ire either overcome or manipulated, at the polls. Failure attended this plan, and a legislative commission for Utah was next urged. Thb could be ap-!o!nted ap-!o!nted and given control over the Territory, in a manner that would afford ground for the claim that all its citizens were being treated alike, and that none of them bad been disfranchised on account of religious belief or any other cause, but that Congress was simply exercising its rightful power to give a Territory such a form of government as it deemed bet. For a long time this was a favored pbn for evading the constitutional afeguards in favor of religious liberty, and against religi ous trets; but for reasons not necessary neces-sary here to recount, it was not consummated. con-summated. Kext Governor West sought to get the Territory under his thumb, by log-rolling for congressional legislation legis-lation that would give him power to appoint county and precinct officers Hb successor in office seized a hand spike an 1 tried to roll the simelog; but tho efforts made in thb direction oul, succeeded far enough to make the probate Judges appointive but not by the Governor. A split in the "Liberal" ranks resulted in the application ap-plication of a "Liberal" Influence at "Washington w hlch In the nick of time turned the current that was carrying a mass of patronage to the office of tbo Governor of Utah, an J the frelcht was landed at tho White House instead. Further efforts, however, were made to secure for the Governor power to appoint county and precinct pre-cinct officers, but the brazenness of that functionary in reaching after so much patronage disgusted some Congressmen", and the danger of giving it to him deterred others, to an extent which defeated this scheme. Xext in order, to throw an alrof modesty over the Governor, which was, however, entirely fictitious ficti-tious and hypocritical, as a close ex. amination will show, a proposition was made to Congress that the Governor, Secretary and President of the Legislative Council, be given the management and control of elections in thb Territory. Ter-ritory. A s tb e Nn 8 1 bowed at t he time, this scheme was intended to make the Governor successor to the Utah Commission. Of the board of three the Governor and Secretary would be the majority. The Secretary Secre-tary would of course solidify with Hb Excellency, and the third man w ould be a figure head. About the time this scheme was matured, another was perfected to place this citi uudcr"LIberal"ruIe. It was then believed by the non-"Mormon" non-"Mormon" elements that they would soon be able to capture this county aud the Territory, and so strong a sentiment arose from among them against giving the Governor power to count out and in as he might see fit, that this conspiracy has so far failed, and lb success bas become highl improbable. lu the meantime the evolution, above referred to has progressed. Ai the failure of one plot has been followed by the forming of another, an-other, and as tho elements of selfishness, ambition, religious bigotry and political jeabusy have in turn struggled for the mastery and gained and lost advantage, advan-tage, the whole content has gradually grad-ually assumed the aspect of a determined deter-mined war, not merely local, but by the whole nation, as represented repre-sented by Congress, against religious re-ligious liberty". Scruples in respect to constitutional safeguards have by degrees lort their restraining power, and Congress seems about to make i mad assault upon the foundation, of our national fabric. liberty of conscience, by passing the disfranchisement act now pending. If this bill shall be pxed, and If the nation can prosper with such legislation upon its statute books, the class at which it is aimed will be able to endure It. |