The Mormon puzzle, and how to solve it

by R. W. Beers

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 multitude 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 quantities, 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, sturdy 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 class?

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 assistants; 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 pass into hands perfectly safe.

This plan is entirely practicable, and is offered in the assured 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 disfranchisement 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