As
Salt Lake changed, and in particular as the population became increasingly
diverse, conflict developed between Mormons and non-Mormons. During
its second generation, that was the city's most striking feature, just
as earlier the degree of unity was most conspicuous; Salt Lake became
a battleground between those who were part of the new and embraced it
and those who were part of the old and sought to hold on to that. Local
politics featured neither of the national political parties and few
national issues. Instead, there were local parties--the Mormon Church's
People's party, and an anti-Mormon Liberal party--and during elections
people essentially voted for or against the Mormon Church. Separate
Mormon and Gentile (non-Mormon) residential neighborhoods developed.
While many Mormons engaged in agricultural pursuits, few Gentiles owned
farms. Two school systems operated: a predominantly Mormon public one
and a mainly non-Mormon private one. Fraternal and commercial organizations
did not cross religious lines. Sometimes Mormons and non-Mormons even
celebrated national holidays like the Fourth of July separately.
Conflict
began to moderate after 1890 when, as a result of intense pressure from
the federal government, particularly in the form of the Edmunds Act
of 1882 and the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887, Mormon leaders decided to
begin a process of accommodation to the larger society and endeavor
to conform to national economic, political, and social norms. In 1890
Mormon Church President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, which
proclaimed an end to the further performance of plural marriages. A
year later, the church dissolved its People's party and divided the
Mormon people between the Democratic and Republican parties. Following
that, non-Mormons disbanded their Liberal party. During the next several
years, the church abandoned its efforts to establish a self-sufficient,
communitarian economy. It sold most church-owned businesses to private
individuals and operated those it kept as income-producing ventures
rather than as shared community enterprises.
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