This danger was heightened by the fact that the Democrats held their power in the Senate
by a slight majority, a majority sure to be decreased in some of the States electing
Senators this year and in especial peril against the probability of Republicanism when Utah is admitted. It was our fortune and salvation in this dilemma that we had been able
in five years of constant effort to gain the friendship of the Republican party general-
ly, and to have it mobilized in such hearty manner that it was willing to play any part
of honor necessary to success. But it became necessary, of course, not only to gain Dem-
ocratic support for Utah, which had gone Republican, but to make the Republican friend-
ship and support as unobjectionable to the Democrats as possible and as unobtrusive as
possible. The Democratic party is wise always in its generation. They were not deceived
as to the Republican Legislature in Utah, nor could they be deceived, with the Wilson
Bill taking the profit of protection from everything raised on Utah ground or from under
Utah ground, of the tendency its people would naturally have in politics hereafter.
There is no doubt that it was the settled Democratic program in December not to admit
Utah, but it is also just as certain that as a party it intended to shirk the responsi-
bility for this and by tactics leave the responsibility on the Republicans. It was then
that the wisdom of our organized Republican strength was made apparent. The Utah bill
was brought into the House in December from the Democratic Committee, not with the in-
tention of passing it, but with the expectation and settled belief that it could be used
in tactics to Democratic advantage on the confident faith that the Republicans would
oppose and filibuster against it. It was brought in with the evident intention to shut
out and occupy the time desired by Republicans to defeat other Democratic measures. How-
ever, when it did come this expectation was disappointed. The Republicans by following
a splendid strategy under the leadership of Mr. Reed politely informed the confident
Democracy that instead of opposing Utah or filibustering against it they were friendly
to the people of Utah and in favor of admitting the Territory to Statehood. The bDempo-
crats had gone too far, they could not recede, and therefore the bill passed—another
strange evidence in this unanimity of both political powers that something higher than
This danger was heightened by the fact that the Democrats held their power in the Senate
by a slight majority, a majority sure to be decreased in some of the States electing
Senators this year and in especial peril against the probability of Republicanism when
Utah is admitted. It was our fortune and salvation in this dilemma that we had been able
in five years of constant effort to gain the friendship of the Republican party generally, and to have it mobilized in such hearty manner that it was willing to play any part
of honor necessary to success. But it became necessary, of course, not only to gain Democratic support for Utah, which had gone Republican, but to make the Republican friendship and support as unobjectionable to the Democrats as possible and as unobtrusive as
possible. The Democratic party is wise always in its generation. They were not deceived
as to the Republican Legislature in Utah, nor could they be deceived, with the Wilson
Bill taking the profit of protection from everything raised on Utah ground or from under
Utah ground, of the tendency its people would naturally have in politics hereafter.
There is no doubt that it was the settled Democratic program in December not to admit
Utah, but it is also just as certain that as a party it intended to shirk the responsibility for this and by tactics leave the responsibility on the Republicans. It was then
that the wisdom of our organized Republican strength was made apparent. The Utah bill
was brought into the House in December from the Democratic Committee, not with the intention of passing it, but with the expectation and settled belief that it could be used
in tactics to Democratic advantage on the confident faith that the Republicans would
oppose and filibuster against it. It was brought in with the evident intention to shut
out and occupy the time desired by Republicans to defeat other Democratic measures. However, when it did come this expectation was disappointed. The Republicans by following
a splendid strategy under the leadership of Mr. Reed politely informed the confident
Democracy that instead of opposing Utah or filibustering against it they were friendly
to the people of Utah and in favor of admitting the Territory to Statehood. TheDemocrats had gone too far, they could not recede, and therefore the bill passed—another
strange evidence in this unanimity of both political powers that something higher than
"Letter from James Sullivan Clarkson, 11 July 1894," p. 17, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed September 8, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/Oq6R