The Mormon puzzle, and how to solve it

by R. W. Beers

The plan which I have to propose to overcome the existing political evil in Utah and bring it into thorough harmony with our American institutions 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 disfranchisement, 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 Massachusetts and New York are not allowed to vote. Until there is a Constitutional Amendment granting female suffrage throughout the United States, no American principle is violated by the disfranchisement of the Utah women; while the disfranchisement of the Mormon men, who simply believe in polygamy, would be in violation of a fundamental principle of our Constitution.

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 disfranchisement 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 disfranchisement 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.