12 A New State Is Born
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1893, Delegate Rawlins of the Territory of Utah introduced into the House of Congress an enabling act to authorize the territory to frame a constitution and take other steps necessary for admission to the Union. The act was passed by the House on December 13, 1893, and the Senate on July 10, 1894. On July 16 the bill was approved by President Cleveland and the first high hurdle on the statehood course had been cleared. The outlook for clearing the remaining hurdles was excellent. Only the timing remained in doubt. Utah had, in all substantial respects, met the conditions demanded by non-Mormons and their spokesman, The Salt Lake Tribune, for admission. Virtually all Mormons and most of the influential gentiles, including The Tribune, now favored statehood. The Mormon and anti-Mormon political parties had been abandoned and the two major national political parties were functioning in the territory. To hang back because of a fear that Mormon leaders might exert influence in politics was an absurdity; to demand assurances that this would not be done was to demand the impossible. A cohesive majority in the Territory of Utah, or any other territory or state, was certain to exert influence in politics. With the formation of the Democratic and Re151
