| Show subversion OF democratic government system of government devised by the fathers of our oar country contemplated a union of independent states each an autonomy and all joined for mutual protection and defense and tor the perpetuity of the principles of democratic republicanism the will of the people in each locality as expressed at the polls was recognized as the supreme Is law w therein local affairs were in the control ot of the peoples elected representatives and officers national affairs in the hands bands of men chosen from all the parts of the nation the territorial system which has grown frown upon the body politic is an e excrescence x careb it is foreign in its nature e to the he theory of popular government and is more moie oppressive oppressive than anything pertaining even to a limited monarchy that some form of government had bad to be devised for corn com unities outside i of state lines must be admitted that all the privileges of statehood should not be accorded to them until they arrive at the stature dignity and 8 self elf responsibility of statehood cannot be denied but under a republican government it ib not consistent that lie very fundamental principles of republicanism should be violated simply because a body bode of people are too small in numbers to take an equal part with larger commonwealths commonweal IDS in the politics of the nation local self government cannot be denied to an inchoate state without doing violence to the principles upon which clithe the whole american system is founded if the people who compose the small community are citizen cit izena they should have the rights af f citizen couzens pertaining eru to their own we welfare fare an and atthe the conduct of their own affairs T they a ey may be kept from taking part in national concerns until they receive e recognition as a state but unless they have some voice in all that immediately name concerns them in their own locality they are subject to the very cry which the united stated were established to resist an prevent all just powers of government are derived from the consent of the governed when officials then are forced upon a people who have no voice in their appointment nor in the election ot of those who appoint them an outrage is committed on that people and upon the principles on which this great government is founded the policy established in relation to political organizations known as territories was fulfor full of error in the beginning because it foisted upon them officials by arbitrary power giving them no influence directly or indirectly over those appointments and by superior might controlling them without their consent it was not in accord with republicanism it was inspired by the spirit of monarch idin and fashioned after tile despotic meloda methods from which the country had escaped after a desperate struggle gule but this undemocratic arrangement was only designed to be temporary As soon as the so called territories were strong enough to bear their own burdens and populous enough to stand side by side with the original states to take p in national affairs they were to be admitted into the union on a looting of equality with the older commonwealths thus in tile the midst of their comparative vassalage they could look fo forward orward to the enjoyment of that liberty guaranteed by the constitution and comprehended in the term american citizenship party ext exi agencies ho howe we interfered considerably with the execution ozithe design and some isome states have been admitted before attaining proper growth while territories fully developed have neen excluded this is all wrong and contrary to the principles of true republicanism as well as disgraceful to the national integrity the course pursued toward utah has been exceptionally unjust and pub publican licau the fhe imposition of officials without regard to the wishes ot ol hur hr citizens and the arbitrary control by the national power of the executive and judicial branches of her local government ern ment were supplemented supplemented by th the additional outrage 0 of the abdol absolute u te v veto eto power vested in the governor but she has grown and nourished flourished notwithstanding the obstacles inthe in the way and has exhibited to the world all the capabilities in an eminent degree for fer assuming the full powers and responsibilities of independent state hood bood she has knocked repeatedly at the door of the nation pres presented entea a constitution for a strictly republican form of government the only qualification required hy by the constitution of the united states and has respectfully asked admission but not on only lybas has this appeal been ignored but as the territory has advanced in power and ability to exercise the lull liberty of a free commonwealth encroachments encroach ments have been made upon her rights and I 1 privileges leges and they have been curtailed instead of extended and now it to Is proposed to still urther further deprive her of the simplest poli political ticul powers it is senour ly advocated by men calling themselves democrats Democrat ff that half ot of her legislative powers be wrested from her and vested in the net national ional authorities and that by a cabb ibguy devised test tes oath the majority malo rity of her citizens be deprived of the ballot in order that a small minority may obtain the supremacy instead oi of en lagging the powers of the people over their own affairs such as they possess are to be diminished and the principle of local self government is to be almost entirely obliterated within her borders and this anti republican antidemocratic anti democratic anti american course coarse is approved by pert persons ous supposed to be 8 statesmen ta and to be supporters an of the principles which are V thus us trampled upon and denied defiled I 1 but what is the alleged reason for this taij special degradation of an inchoate but vigorous commonwealth it is this A portion of the people of utah h h ave ve entered into marriage relations which the majority of people in other parts of the country dislike true those relations the me inai vid uala engaged in them then and to 10 the ut most only the community in which they live but a great gutc y has been made about a very small matter aid people a long way off are trouble greatly over an imaginary evil in the dib distance tance oblivious to real and gigantic avils in their own immediate vicinity so they neglect their ir own concerns in trying to meddle with the affairs affair s of a remote and smaller society the marriage ot 01 more than one woman to one man afflicts sorely the good people of the eab ea who can tol v crate without a sniff of displeasure the illicit relations ot of their immediate neighbors and can see no wrong in a w which permits and promotes corruption tio n that is unfashionable to mention but so widespread as to be to a pure and thoughtful mind if these would not marry the women who choose to live with wim them but be like the rest of us in this respect reb it would not matter so say bay lauy ol 01 the discreet creatures who are agitated over the utah question bat the national government has goue gone to the length of taking away all political power from those persons mate male and female who are engaged in the practice ol of plural marriage marriage in this territory so that pa polygamy uly eawy I 1 realty really cuts no figure now in the local government also laws the moot are enforced in a manner must most vindictive against who are accused ol of the offense way wn then raould these extreme measures be advanced against other cit i it zeus why indeed ItIs it is admitted that in all other respects tile people of utah are aie good citizens except that they will not vote for the men who plot against their liberties libei tied and this seems LOW to be the great cause lor the proposal of further oppressions oppress ions the great majority of the lae citizens here are to be roboert robbed of the rights af pf of freemen and the territory is 18 to be deprived of the simplest privileges of self government because ane many will not pick their offices from the few because they prefer their friends to their en enemies emid because Bec autie they will not put a knite knife ini in the handsol hands ot unprincipled adventurers where wherewith wita to cut out the heart of their limited liberties but it is claimed if the majority do not practice polygamy they believe in it qu quite ite pos possible tible and if this is true a are re industrious sober thrifty intelligent citizens to be robbed of their simplest rights because of their belief yes it appears this is the point to which the anti mormon politicians are drifting while theyan old friis anis in word and avowal they are pressing towards it all the same and because the people of utah ulan who lit hi ve made this territory and rendered possible the redemption of the region around them hold bold a belief different to that of others in regard to a matter of domestic concern this great nation is asked to endorse measures to deprive them chem of all political power and relegate them to the position of seris serfs and pariahs paria hs this infamy may not immediately be perpetrated but the power of prejudice ice is so great and the self righteousness of the latter day ahart sees if so strong that this iniquity may be consummated and the seat seal ol of the nation may maybe be stamped upon the unspeakable wrong wrone it so as the lord lives he will decree ajust a just vengeance and while it will be the duty of his people to bear with patience all the injuries that maybe may toe the consequence of devotion to principles revealed from him they will wait with patience that vindication which is sure to come and for the sake of posterity maintain their religious liberties as best they may without faltering and without retreat no government can afford to te violate the principles upon which it is founded in order to oppress the weak or indulge in the exercise of conscious strength jehovah is the god of nations as well as of individuals and retribution is an eternal principle that cannot be subverted let the patriots of america pause and reflect and let men who think to gain a little brief applause by pandering to the prejudices of the uninformed beware of that unerring justice which is sure to come at last our destiny is in the hands of omnipotence and whatever awaits us we oust adust abide his law and stand by his divine decrees |
