The Mormon Puzzle, And How To Solve It Part 5

The writer then directed an inquiry to the person in Salt Lake City from whom the statement in the magazine claimed to have been made, and asked him his authority for his statement. The answer was: "The Bancroft alluded to by me is H. H. Bancroft, the Pacific coast historian. His agent told me the Mormons had agreed to take two hundred and forty sets of his complete works in thirty-eight volumes, the gross amount of which (not the net amount) would be about $40,000, if he would publish a certain kind of history of Utah. Since Bancroft is a millionaire, the Mormon offer was not very tempting."

But H. H. Bancroft flatly denies that any such offer was made him, and the statement must clearly be p.r.o.nounced untrue. And yet the person who made the published statement was one of the leading Christian men of Utah, desirous of disseminating nothing but the truth. He was misinformed, whether intentionally or not.

There is a deep-seated prejudice against the Mormons in the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of many in our land, which gives rise to many charges against them which have no basis of truth whatever. We must, therefore, be on our guard, and not believe quite everything that is published against them. Mr. A. M. Gibson, legal adviser of the Mormon people at the national capital, says that the reputed wealth of the Mormon Church amounting to millions "is all bosh;"

that "the Incorporated Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is actually in debt to-day, and is a borrower of money." If that is the case, surely if the trustees were appointed according to the new Edmunds Bill, they wouldn't have many funds to handle.

Another measure to break the political power of the priesthood proposed in the new Edmunds Bill is to stop the importing of converts from abroad by _abolishing the so-called Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company and appropriating its surplus property to educational purposes_.

This seems to me to have not a scintilla of justice about it. The emigration fund was originated by people who had been a.s.sisted to emigrate to Utah, dedicating the repayment of the money advanced to them to a.s.sist others in the same way. It was an entirely voluntary contribution. I cannot see what right the United States has to intervene to destroy an immigration company, if it is legally conducted, simply because the religious sentiments of the Mormons are obnoxious to the people of the United States. If anything is settled in American national life, it is that no man shall be called to account for his religious opinions. And so this proposed act must be an arbitrary interference with the rights of property. If Congress has the right to dissolve an Emigrating Company and use its surplus property for educational purposes, then a Socialistic State Legislature would have the right to dissolve a railroad corporation, pay its debts, and take possession of its surplus for the common benefit; and this, surely, is a socialistic doctrine which the great majority of the American people are not yet prepared to accept.

Besides, it would be _ineffective_. The attorney-general would doubtless find no funds to handle. The Mormons say that the emigration fund practically ceased to exist years ago. The emigration of Mormons now, they say, is the result of their own saving, with such a.s.sistance as their friends and relatives in the United States give them; and consequently, although the Emigration Company would be abolished, missionaries would continue to go every year to foreign countries and land converts by the thousands upon our sh.o.r.es and take them to Utah and other Territories to strengthen the power of the priesthood.

Even if all of the measures mentioned thus far as contained in the new Edmunds Bill were enacted, the great political evil now in Utah would remain. The Territory would still be in the hands of the Mormons, and consequently in the hands of the priesthood.

Another radical measure has been proposed, and was strongly advocated by ex-Governor Murray and many leading Gentiles of Salt Lake City, and was recommended by ex-President Arthur. The measure proposed is _the abolition of all Territorial government and the inst.i.tuting of a government by a Federal Commission, appointed by the President, of nine persons resident in the Territory_.

It is claimed that, if this commission was composed of upright, patriotic, and practical men, identified as citizens with the interests of the Territory, they would give an immense impetus to business of all kinds and induce enterprising men to settle there, because there would then be an a.s.surance that Utah was to be in truth an _American_ territory.

Now, there is no doubt at all that that would be an _effective_ remedy for the political evil in Utah. The only questions to consider are: Is it _lawful_? Is it _just_? Is it _wise_?

Senator Edmunds has declared it _unconst.i.tutional_; and although there are precedents in its favor, yet its const.i.tutionality may well be questioned.

Certainly the Territory would not have a representative form of government under a Legislative Commission. The government would be an oligarchy.

Besides, not _all_ the residents of Utah are disloyal in sentiment and feeling. There are at least fifteen thousand, and probably thirty thousand, loyal citizens; but the proposed plan confuses the innocent with the guilty, and so _cannot be defended from the standpoint of justice_.

ALL are disfranchised, Mormons and Gentiles, alike.

And, then, it is _not wise_. The Mormons in all likelihood would not obey the local laws pa.s.sed by such a commission, because they would have no voice in their making. They would not regard them as ent.i.tled to respect, and there would as a result be more internal disorder and disquiet than there is now, so that immigration of peaceable citizens would be checked rather than encouraged.

Then, it lacks wisdom when we look at the evil to be overcome. The political evil to be overcome is the existence of a non-republican government in Utah. The government now there, though _republican in form, in substance is oligarchical_, the real rulers being the triumvirate who const.i.tute the First Presidency of the Mormon Church. The problem is, how to remove that un-republican oligarchy and set up a republican government there as elsewhere. Now, see what is proposed! _A legislative commission of nine appointed by the President!_ Why, the present government there is more republican than that proposed. The government now in existence is republican _in form_ at least, and the officers are elected by the majority of the people and represent them truly. But the Legislative Commission would be not even republican in form. The people would have nothing whatever to do with their appointment--not even the Gentiles. That government would be thoroughly undemocratic both in form and substance; and even if it would truly represent the _Gentile_ population, it would only represent a minority of citizens, and consequently would be undemocratic; for the fundamental doctrine of democracy is that the majority should rule the minority. As a proper subst.i.tute, then, for the present form of government in Utah, the Legislative Commission must be regarded as strikingly wanting. It does not solve the problem. It is unwise, inexpedient, and unnecessary.

Another law, which is far more just than the preceding, has been proposed recently by ex-Governor Murray (in his last official report), and was strongly advocated by Joseph Cook in his Boston Monday Lecture delivered February 8th, 1886. It was also introduced into the House of Representatives on April 1st, 1886, by Mr. Woodburn, of Nevada. It is known as the "Idaho Statute," because it has been in operation in the Territory of Idaho. _It disfranchises every man and woman who believes, teaches, or practices bigamy or polygamy, or who belongs to any organization or a.s.sociation which believes, teaches, or encourages the practice of bigamy or polygamy, and renders all such ineligible to any office._ That law would only disfranchise the Mormons, the disloyal element in the Territory, and would put Utah in the hands of the law-abiding citizens alone.

But it is open to the grave const.i.tutional objection of interference with a religious belief. Those who simply _believe in polygamy_ would be punished by this enactment; but our Government, whether national or State, has no right to inquire into _the beliefs_ of our citizens. It is only when they carry their beliefs into _actual practice_ of that which is contrary to the laws of the land that our Government can rightfully punish them or deprive them of civil rights.

CHAPTER VII.

THE POLITICAL PUZZLE (_concluded_).

Objections to proposed remedies--_Gladstone_ on "Coercion"--A NEW PLAN ADVOCATED--_The Abolition of Female Suffrage_--_A National Colonization Scheme_--Natural resources of Utah--Superiority of the colonization plan over others--_The establishment of National Free Schools_--Ignorance the keystone of Mormon despotism--Public schools in Utah used for Mormon purposes--Proposed Federal Superintendent of schools in Utah--Territorial schools too few--Necessity of Government action--Prejudice disarmed by this plan--THE POLITICAL PUZZLE SOLVED.

All the measures that have yet been proposed are acknowledged to be unusual and extraordinary, and are advocated only on the ground of _necessity_, which William Pitt called "the argument of tyrants." It is said that the facts to be dealt with are unprecedented. An insolent anti-American empire has for years been growing in the body politic of this country, and it must be overcome _at all hazards_. But let us pause a moment. Is not that the great doctrine of the Jesuit--"_The end justifies the means_"? That is an exceedingly dangerous doctrine to follow. No, fellow-Americans, we _must_ not, we _dare_ not, allow our righteous, pa.s.sionate fervor against Mormon disloyalty to carry us so far as to violate fundamental principles of the American Const.i.tution. Whatever we do, we must cling to the traditions of the past, and not depart from the spirit of our cherished American principles.

Besides, all of these measures are open to the objection of _persecution_ from a Mormon point of view. Threats of b.l.o.o.d.y resistance, especially to a Legislative Commission, have been made by Mormons even of quiet disposition. Now, if the evil can in any way be overcome without persecution, that way is by all means to be preferred.

Utah may well be called "_The American Ireland_." Ireland is practically in rebellion against the Government of Great Britain, and she bases her rebellion on wrongs and abuses. Utah is in practical rebellion against our Government, and bases her disloyalty on the ground of injustice and abuse.

Coercive measures have long been tried with Ireland and have been of no avail; and now Gladstone, the greatest living statesman, advocates pacific measures. When he introduced his Irish Home Rule measure into the House of Commons on the 8th of April, 1886, the most memorable day in the history of modern English Parliaments, in his great speech (confessedly one of the greatest efforts of his life) he said: "_Coercion, unless stern and unbending, and under an autocratic government, must always fail_. Such coercion England should never resort to until every other means has failed. The basis of the whole mischief is the fact that the law is discredited in Ireland. It comes to the Irish people with a foreign aspect." So we have tried prohibitory and repressive methods with the Mormons for thirty years, and they have failed. _They will fail to the bitter end._ The longer they are tried, the worse the result. They will only increase their enmity to the Government, heal over their internal dissensions, bind them the closer together, and wed them more firmly to their peculiar beliefs, which have made them objects of persecution.

History can teach us that; and so we believe that it is time to inaugurate a change--viz., to work on the Christian plan, to overcome evil with good.

The plan which I have to propose to overcome the existing political evil in Utah and bring it into thorough harmony with our American inst.i.tutions has the merit of being _in strict accordance with Christian principles and with American principles_, besides being, I think, _the most effective plan_ in the end that could be proposed.

It involves THREE MEASURES, although the first is not absolutely essential and is advocated solely because it would greatly hasten the time when Utah would be redeemed--_i.e._, the time when the majority of the voting population of Utah would be law-abiding citizens.

I. THE ABOLITION OF FEMALE SUFFRAGE in that Territory. This is one of the good measures of the new Edmunds law. I believe in female suffrage as a general principle; but I am opposed to it in Utah, as society exists there at present.

We acknowledge that this measure may from one standpoint be regarded as _unjust_. It may be said that it is unjust to punish the _women_ by disfranchis.e.m.e.nt, and let the _men_ go free, especially as they are far more guilty.

But, in reply, we say that there is no particular reason or justice in allowing the confessedly ignorant and enslaved women of _Utah_ to vote, while the highly intelligent women of _Ma.s.sachusetts_ and _New York_ are not allowed to vote. Until there is a Const.i.tutional Amendment granting female suffrage throughout the United States, no American principle is violated by the disfranchis.e.m.e.nt of the Utah _women_; while the disfranchis.e.m.e.nt of the Mormon _men_, who simply believe in polygamy, would be in violation of a fundamental principle of our Const.i.tution.

Then, too, it could not be regarded as a persecuting measure, for the _Gentile_ women would be in the same category with the _Mormon_ women.

Besides, one of the main reasons why we believe women should be allowed the franchise is that it would show a proper appreciation of their intellectual and moral worth; but in a Territory where the state of society is such as it is in Utah, where polygamy is proclaimed to be divine, and where there are no laws against bigamy, adultery, and kindred crimes, there can be no just appreciation of woman. Female suffrage under such conditions is a mockery and a delusion. Hence we advocate its abolition.

Now, see what would be accomplished by this measure, which is in thorough harmony with American principles! The Mormon vote in 1882 was 23,251 out of a total vote of 28,159. Of this vote, basing the estimate upon the number registering, the female voters were slightly in excess of one half of the entire number of Mormon suffragists. The disfranchis.e.m.e.nt of women would, therefore, reduce the total Mormon vote at least one half. The non-Mormon vote is now equal to considerably more than one fourth of the whole number of Mormon males of voting age. Consequently, with the disfranchis.e.m.e.nt of polygamists which has been accomplished, the non-Mormon vote would be nearly one third of the legitimate Territorial vote; and so by the abolition of female suffrage the problem would be reduced to this: How can the proportion of the non-Mormon vote be increased from one third of the total vote to a little more than one half?

The answer to that question will obviously lead to the ultimate solution of this great Political Puzzle. This leads to the second feature of our plan.

II. A NATIONAL COLONIZATION SCHEME, by which large numbers of law-abiding citizens who are non-Mormons will be induced to settle in Utah _at once_.

This is the chief feature of our plan, and it seems to us the surest and speediest way to overthrow Mormonism, besides being a peaceable and Christian way. It is not a Utopian plan either, but one that is _entirely feasible_.

The material resources of the Territory are vast and varied. Its agricultural area is extensive and fertile, and parts of it are well timbered and watered. Within its ample borders abound mines of the useful and precious metals, as well as of coal and other minerals. It has more forests than Nebraska. It is true that irrigation is in some degree essential to successful agriculture, but Utah is not by any means the barren region it has often been represented to be. Most people think of it as a desert--a dry land, where no great mult.i.tude of human beings can ever find a prosperous home. But it has well been called _the American Syria_.

Only let the soil have due irrigation, and it needs only to be tickled with the hoe, as the proverb says, in order to laugh into harvests. You may say the sage-bush, which is seen there in large quant.i.ties, is a mark of desolation; but irrigate the pastures covered with it, and you have bountiful harvests. As in Syria, when you irrigate the Jericho Plain you have most vigorous growths, and as on the plain of Gennesaret there were originally growths similar to the vegetation on the borders of the Nile, so to-day irrigation gives extraordinary fruitfulness to the cultivated lands of Utah.

It is true that the Mormon settlements extend to the full limits of the Territory in every direction, following the natural sweep of the valleys at the base of the mountains from north to south. It was Brigham Young's policy to occupy the best land as quickly as possible, but only about 500,000 acres have yet been occupied; and estimating that there are 2,000,000 acres, or the one twenty-seventh part of the territory, susceptible of cultivation (and this is a small estimate), there yet remain 1,500,000 acres unappropriated for future settlement. And so, notwithstanding the pre-emption of a large portion of the best arable lands of the Territory by the Mormons, there is yet a large and fertile acreage open for settlement. To ensure the occupancy of these wide and inviting fields by thrifty, st.u.r.dy settlers opposed to the disloyal and unlawful tenets of Mormonism, the laws relating to land-grants might be so amended as to prevent sales to those who are not prepared to prove their intention to become without reserve supporters of law and order.

But besides the agricultural resources, the mineral resources are also great. Whole tiers of counties are underlaid with coal, and the mountain ranges are impregnated in all their rifts with iron and lead, silver and gold. Until the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad the vast mineral wealth of Utah was untouched, the Mormon leaders being utterly opposed to exploiting the mines, knowing that their development would bring in a non-Mormon population; but since the building of the Union Pacific and the extension branches north and south, Utah has produced $50,000,000 in silver and lead, and its other mineral wealth, except coal and salt, as yet undeveloped. Ex-Governor Murray, in his report for 1880, said: "I know of no fact why it may not reasonably be claimed that Utah will prove the richest repository of silver, gold, coal, lead, and other minerals, of all the States and Territories of the West. Certainly no four hundred miles of mountain ranges have produced as many mines of immense yields and so many mining prospects as the suggestions of science and practical observation make those of Utah appear. Many mining districts heretofore inaccessible are now in close connection by railroads with the markets.

Much of the ore, on account of its low grade, has not heretofore paid to mine; but which now, on account of superior methods in extracting and reducing the ore, is made profitable. As a rule, the men who own the best prospects are not able to develop them for lack of means. Capital is needed, and with anything like reasonable business judgment can be made to realize most gratifying results."

Now, with such natural resources, what might not Utah become? It is better adapted for general settlement than Nevada, and quite as good as Colorado, Arizona, or New Mexico. If its character and resources were fully and fairly set forth, it would present an attractive field to the hardy and adventurous emigrant. Rev. Dr. McNiece, of Salt Lake City, in a letter received from him February 19th, 1886, says: "This is one of the grandest and richest of all the Territories." Why not, then, encourage emigration thither of the right cla.s.s?

The Government might do much in this direction by offering special inducements in the acquisition of lands, as it did notably in the case of Oregon. Aid Societies, too, might be formed in the several States, as was done in the case of Kansas, when it was thought necessary to rescue that Territory from the grasp of the slave power.

There is already quite a large and powerful "Gentile" element in Utah, which has for years been struggling against Mormonism. They are faithful to the Government, and are generally enterprising, intelligent, and brave.

Let their hands be strengthened. They would gladly welcome large accessions to their numbers and give to anti-Mormon settlers all the aid in their power in making favorable locations.

The work of colonization should be begun at once and upon as large a scale as possible; and as the result of inducements and restrictions such as have been mentioned, it is safe to say that in a brief time the population of Utah would be surrounded with a battery of influences whose electric currents would act with irresistible force in hastening the establishment of a normal condition of things.

It is true that this plan would not immediately deprive the Mormons of control in the Legislature, but its effect would be to gradually introduce into it an element which would speedily make its power felt; which would afford active support to the governor and his a.s.sistants; and whose influence would soon divide the already dissentient Mormon elements, in so far as wise legislation is concerned, by winning the co-operation of the Radical Mormon Party, who are opposed to the union of Church and State; and so it is admirably adapted to break up the power of the disloyal hierarchy. A wide discretion left in the hands of the governor as to the use of the veto power (although _absolute veto_ power is a dangerous power to be vested in any man under a Republican Government), and the appointment to that position of a man of integrity and wisdom, would put it in the power of the Executive to defeat any attempt at improper legislation; while in a few years the majority of the voters of Utah would be loyal, law-abiding citizens, and the legislative power would pa.s.s into hands perfectly safe.

This plan is entirely practicable, and is offered in the a.s.sured conviction that it presents the surest, speediest, and most peaceable method of solving the Mormon political puzzle. It does not transgress any American principle. It is not in any way unjust. And, surely, such a plan is far preferable to that of a wholesale disfranchis.e.m.e.nt of the loyal as well as the disloyal, not only as being more republican, but as being less likely to involve the Government in a long and bitter quarrel with a fanatic population. It does not take away any right (either the right of franchise or of property) from the Mormon people, who are now the majority of the citizens of the Territory. It could not, therefore, be regarded by them as an act of persecution. Hence it would not inflame their fanaticism nor increase their hostility to the Government; but it would tend to disarm their prejudice and animosity, for this plan would subserve their material interests by greatly increasing the value of their property. And while I do not think it would be the part of wisdom to admit Utah into the sisterhood of States until the majority of the voters are anti-Mormon, still I verily believe that by this plan, some time before that object would be obtained, many of the Mormons themselves would be on the side of the Government and would defy the political dictation of the priesthood.

They could not mingle freely with a freedom-loving American people, such as this plan would surround them with, without very soon becoming imbued with some of their spirit of independence; and this would ultimately result in their breaking from the despotism of their ecclesiastical rulers.

But, as another step toward disarming the prejudice of the Mormons against the Government and breaking up the political despotism of the Mormon hierarchy for all time to come, we propose as

III. The third and last measure of our plan, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL FREE SCHOOLS all over the Territory. Edward Everett Hale has said that America is to stand or fall according as she does or does not educate the South and South-west. Until the ma.s.s of illiteracy is greatly diminished in the Gulf States, and along the Mexican border (including all the territory acquired from Mexico), great trouble may arise at any time in the United States, from the collision of the uneducated portions with the educated. In view of that fact, Wendell Phillips once said that no thoughtful man could feel sure that _one flag_ would rule this belt of the American Continent fifty years hence.