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Show THE UTAH SITUATION. Editor Tribune: In your issue of the 16th I noticed you give place to the communication of Mr. Reasoner from I'asson, and from your treatment of the subject as he presented it giving him credit for honesty of purpose I feel encouraged to ask your consideration considera-tion of a few points involved in that letter and your comments. In noticing the Crtst proposition that Mr. lleasoner lays down, you assume that ke, and those that view the situation situa-tion here as he does, have only in view the disintegration of the Liberal party, with a possibility of the disintegration of the People's party. This is not the position we take. Our position is a complete and radical reconstruction of political matters in Utah. The total destruction of the factions as they now antagonize each other, and the organization of political parties on National party lines. You say: 'T3ut suppose that should be done, can he not see that if the ."Saints pleased they could go in and capture every office and take absolute possession of the Territory V" This is what we consider the vice of the Liberal Lib-eral party, its scramble for office, the fusion of supposed Republicans and Democrats for no other reason than to acquire numerical strength sufficient to "capture every office and take absolute possession of 'the Territory." Governments are not created for tbe benehtof political parties, but for the benefit of the people, '"deriving their just powers from the cor sent of the gov' rued." it is claimed that the Mormons have very little acquaintance with the spirit, the theory, the genius of our American institutions; that their edu cation on matters pertaining to our government has had the tendency to weaken their loyalty, and 'un-Amer-icanize"' them. Suppose we concede thii. Where could they receive better schooling than by being admitted in full ;ei!owship into either the Republican or Democratic fart j? And from my standpoint as a Republican, where could they learn better the story of loyalty? Where could they learn better bet-ter the story of freedom, the rights of mankind and National progress, than by connecting their p-dit cal fortunes with the Republican party? The Og-den Og-den Standard, speaking of the Rr publican pub-lican party and its glorious history, says: "Its grand triumphs will brighten the pages of history so long as men live to read the records of political parties; for it was loyal and true at times when opposed to it was a tangled mass of treason, conspiracies, assassinations, murder, rapine, pestilence pesti-lence and rebellion." I would like to hear a few more good men a few more Mormons talk that way. I am willing to take my chances with men having that kind of political faith, let their religious faith, or want of faith, hi what it may. Here is something I am totally unable un-able to understand. I quote in full : This correspondent asks if this is to continue for several years, until Statehood State-hood at least? He does not know, but the object behind all this division on party lines is for immediate Statehood, State-hood, for the election of the next President, and jt means Mormon Statehood, in which he could not get a living in any spot in this Territory if the Saints could prevent it ; that is, we mean no matter how worthy he might be, no matter how industrious or capable he might be, he would have to depend upon himself and the Gentiles Gen-tiles to obtain any employment by which he could earn his bread. Some of us are not anxious for Statehood under those conditions. He thinks it would be a great help if they could have books and tracts and frequent meetings. Why, what is there to hinder that now ? What is there to hinder it except the determination of this people not to buy the books or the tracts? Before I moved to Utah, some three years ago, 1 had read from the Tribune and from quotations from the Tribune In other papers, t hat Gentiles were entirely ostracised, socially, in business, busi-ness, and in all respects. This, to my wife, was a great objection. To bring children and attempt to rear them in a community like that was out of tha question. Leaving my family in Kansas, Kan-sas, I came to Frovo, I began to investigate. in-vestigate. I stepped into a lawyer's office ; I found a Gentile and a Mormon Mor-mon constituted the legal firm. I found in other businefs concerns the same thing. I found as '". rule that the Gentiles some that had been here thirty ye ara or more were better off financially than his Mormon neighbor; some, too, that claimed to have suffered martyrdom, had, with all their sufferings, suffer-ings, at the same time the pleasurable experience of making positive gains to their amount of this world's goods. The bulk of my business came from Mormon patrons. After a residence of about three months, I concluded that someone was mistaken. I moved my family here. I have been here three years, and as far as all these matters are concerned I am content to remain. 1 do not want to give offense, but I must ask if the Tribune was in earnest when in speaking of the books and tiiicss it Msked: ""What is there to hinder it except the determination of the people not to buy the books or the tracts?" My experience in furnishing the pople political literature is not to send .-ome one around- soliciting the people to buy them. I was once secretary of a Congressional Congres-sional committee, and books and tracts and speeches in fact, anything that was considered necessary for the information infor-mation of the people would come by the wagon load, and we were only too glad to give them away. Let us once have a live Republican Territorial Committee, and the people -will not go without books and tracts just because be-cause they don't buy them. The Tribune further says: "We do not see the changed conditions." Wei', are we to understand from that that the condition of things as they exist in Utah to-day has always existed? If that is true, all the claim of the Liberal Lib-eral party falls to the ground. In Provo we have a Chamber of Commerce. Com-merce. The officers and members are composed of both Gentiles and Mormons. Mor-mons. They both join in advertising the advatages of the city. They bwth join in inviting people to come here. They both donate their money for the above purposes. This advertising, these invitations, are not made to Mormons, but to Gentiles, and Gentiles Gen-tiles that have responded to these calls after coming here, formed business relations re-lations with Mormons. A ball was given by the Chamber f Commerce. The elite of both classes were present. The wives and daughters of the Gentile Gen-tile were led out by the Mormon, and the wives and daughters of the Mormon Mor-mon by the Gentile, and all passed off verv enjoyable. The families of both classes visit each other. In fact, we seem to get along together first-rate till we come to politics, and then O then! Now as far as the "manifesto'' concerning con-cerning polygamy. If they had claimed a revelation direct from the Almighty, I should have been suspicious. I think it caine in the right way. The civilization civil-ization that had made its way he.e was against it; the laws of their country were against it; they were being prosecuted, prose-cuted, convicted and punished. Altogether Alto-gether it v, as becoming a great hardship hard-ship on the people, affecting not only tho guilty, but the innocent offspring of that relation. Their citizenship was threatened. What was the proper thing to 'do? I think, just what they did n. And even if it was for the purpose that the Tribune suggests to hold their citizenship and political rights, I know that to retain my rights as a citizen under a Government like ours, I would subordinate everything. It is because I love the institutions of my country that 1 am not willing to strain them. I responded to my conn-try's conn-try's call wiven she was in need, I carry the mark of my loyalty on my person. What little I did was to preserve pre-serve the Union; the political rights of mankind; the perpetuity of all her in-s in-s i'uutions for the welfare of man. Today To-day I look over our territory I see thousands of young men, thousands of young children shall I not interest myself somewhat in their welfare, their political welfare? When I see so many young, men without knowledge of the questions that divide the people of th s country, shall I deprive them of the opportunity of acquiring that knowledge, a knowledge that every citizen ought to have? It is forcibly clear to my mind that the present attitude at-titude and relations of what are called here "political parties" cannot continue con-tinue much longer without serious disaster to those I have mentioned abive the young. Ii is my belief that by some means there must be secured candid, patriotic co-operation in political matters of all the citizens ot the entire Territory. The comditions as they appear to me the political conditions are nothing more than two factions armyed against each other, each intent on securing by whatever means may be necessary, political control. The one intent on securing power by the destruction of the other. I do not blame or rebuke the desire of power. But what power? That is all the question. Power . to destroy? The lion's limb, and the dragon's breath? Not so. Tower to heal, to redeem, re-deem, to guide, and to guard. Power of the sceptre and shield; the power of the royal hand that heals .in touchingthat touch-ingthat binds the friend and looses the captive the thron that is founded oh the rock of justice and virtue, and descended from only by steps of mercy. Assuming that you nre honest in your convictions on these subjects, and that you will concede to those who feel they cannot follow the policy laid down by the the Tribune the same honesty of purpose, I submit this communication. com-munication. A. Saxey. Pkovo, March 25, 1891. |