Show I UTAHS PENDING CU ANGE The Mormon Leaders Disheartened by Clevelands Vigorous Inaugural Action Expected at the April Conference The feeling in Utah at present upon the polygamy question said Mr C R Barratt of Salt Lake City and one of the oldest Gentiles in Utah to a Pout reporter re-porter in the Briggs Hotel lobby last night is deep and earnest mid there is i every reason to believe there will soon be a marked change The church leaders waited the advent of the new Administration Adminis-tration with hopes for more favorable treatment and 1 think rather expected it In these hopes they were encouraged by the very general assertion by our Republican Re-publican fellowcitizens and of the Democrats Demo-crats opposed to Mr Clevalands election that the Democratic administration would favor the Mormons and admit Utah as a State When the inaugural came with its plain and unmistakable statement in regard to polygamy the ef I feet was stunning I What is it that your people wish from the Government What we wish and need in Utah is simply no church dictation in matters political politecal parties organized as elsewhere and the enforcement of laws by worthy competent and incorruptible officers It is not only admitted now but asserted by some strong supporters of past administrations that the officers have not all been of this kind In fact the results attained recently under the present chief justice and district attorney without I believe any additional legislation legisla-tion justifies the suspicion of indifference at least on the part of the officers heretofore hereto-fore Mr John Taylor the President of the Church has not been seen since about the middle of February Subpoenas were issued at that time summoning him before the grand jury On March 13th the United States marshal searched the residences of Mr Taylor including i the elegant Gardo House finding only a I few inmates who were subpoenaed as witnesses The whereabouts of Mr Tay lor is not known By some it is I asserted that he is secreted in the city by others that he is in the Logan Temple I some 100 miles north In addition to Taylor a large number of the most prominent I prom-inent Mormon citizens who are subject to arrest and prosecution are absent from the city out of the country or in hiding Only three of the twelve apostles are now to be found in Utah This is a most unhealthy state of affairs andcannot last The impression is that there will be some move made at the coming conference on April G to meet the requirements of the government I think myself there is a disposition on the part of the more conservative and wealthy Mormons to press such action on the ultra church leaders Are there any tokens of an approaching approach-ing change to make you think one probable prob-able Yes Apart from the discouraging effects on the church leaders of the attitude atti-tude of > f the new Administration there are other causes which lead us to hope for a changenot a sudden one perhaps Among these is the foundation within the last few months of the Democratic Club of Utah and that you may not think the importance of this movement overrated let me state that its first public meeting held in the Salt Lake Theatre January Janu-ary 8 created a greater sensation provoked pro-voked larger and more general discussion throughout the Territory than any meet ing of which I have knowledge during my residence of nearly a quarter of a century cen-tury and you will understand why this I might be the case when I tell you that F among the officers and members of this I young club are sons of bishops today prominent in the churchone son at least of the late Brigham Young and numbers of others whose names are familiar throughout Utah There are even members whose fathers are now in hiding or absent from the Territory to avoid prosecution for offenses peculiar to Utah There are those among us who claim these young men are not in earnest earn-est in subscribing to our platform that it is a trick put up by the church or the older old-er heads of the church to blind those at a distance and mislead the Government hope and believe this criticism is unfair I believe the young men honest and sincere sin-cere Doubtless many of their fathers realize now and regret their mistake in I deed I believe they do These young men are quite up to the average of intelligence intelli-gence and they have had such close acquaintance I ac-quaintance with the evils of the system practiced there that they act knowingly If you will remember the position which this movement places them in I think you will admit they merit consideration I and encouragement for blood is thicker than water and it takes an effort to turn against it even if it be wrong What is the impression out there in I regjiru 10 tHe uiuiiigu Ill ruuenn omces p Judging from Clevelands letter and I the course of the Administration since its advent to power the belief is general that changes will be slow Does the rage for office extend to Utah 1 think that Utah is no exception to the general rule and to ask if it extends to Utah is exactly the way to put it for I can tell youit is one unbroken line from here to Utah I have met prospective I marshals not only in Salt Lake and Washington but at any number of sta tjons between If Utah can set down in i her census report all those applying for office as claiming residence in Utah the population will entitle her to admission as two States instead of oneVashing ton Star I |