The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-29
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS or THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPICs-CoMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THB RvElIINa TELEGRAPH
The Bill to Wipe Out the Mormons.

The Bill to Wipe Out the MOrmOnS,
Ffonl the ~. Y Herald.
Mr.. Ashley's bill concerning the bound aries
OF the States of Nevada, Minnesota, and Ne
braska, and the Territories of Colorado, Mon
tana, and Wyoming, having been twice read
on the llth instant, referred TO the Committee
on the Territories and ordered to be printed,
was on the 14th instant reported back with
amendments, and its further consideration
was postponed until the 2Sth instant.
1t is, almost without Disguise bill to wipe
out the Mormons. By paroelling the region
which, it is but just to say, was not long ago
a wilderness, that the Latter Day Saints by
admirably organized and persistent industry
have made to blossom like the rose, this bill
proposes to divide the Mormon forces and thus
bring them more directly than before under
the control of the United States Government
of the common law, and of the almost uni
versal sentiment of Christendom condemna,
tory of polygamy rs preached ana PfaoVlseu
by the disciples of Joe Smith.
We have here nothing to say of the personal
schemes of political ambition and land specu-
lations involved in this bill. 1t is of compare
lively little Importance TO the public at large
whether the passage of the bill would help
Mr.. Ashley or anybody else to become Gov
ernor of Montana and future United States
Senator, or cheaply enrich this or that specu-
lator at the expense of the MOrmons, who
have already done so much to develop the
resources of the distant regions TO which they
were driven by religious persecution, and from
which it is presumed they will again be
driven in consequence of the passage of Mr..
Ashley's bill II is likely that this bill will
meet with spirited opposition on the part of
Mr.. Hooper, delegate from Utah, aud Mr. Bur
leigh, delegate from DscOtah, which also is
wiped ont by it's provisions. Others are
pledged to protest in Congress against the mex
pediency, If rot the injustice, of such mutt
Al, 6 kl,o TT,,tAo AoI LnNo
Ashley proposes Unique stionably Congress,
as composed of representatives of the people
of the United States, has a perfect right to
legisate with reference to all territorial ques-
tiOns. 1t has the right to sanction the parti-
tion Of the State of Texas or that of the State
of Michigan, so earnestly desired by the in
habitsnts of the Upper Peninsula who would
like to have it oed3d to the General Govern
ment for the purpose of organizing the Terri
tory of Superior, and who offered at the recent
Territorial Convention at Houghton very strong
arguments in favor of this purpose. But the
question of the proposed partition of Utah and
the abolition of it's Territorial Government
presents a peculiarly difficult problem. 1t
would be undignifed for the Government of
the United States to try 10 cut the gordian
knot of this problem by any thing like a Yankee
trick. Without discussing whether Salt Lake
City polygamy is or is not worse than unrecog.
nized poligamv in Boston, New York, Phila-
delphia, Washington, London, Paris, Vienna,
or any other city in Christendom-without
comparing it even with what we consider the
much less Objectionable system which pre-
walls in Constantinople-we must say that in
our opinion the question before Congress
is mainly of expediency. Congress has
now to decide whether it is more polite by
obnoxious, Or only apparently obnoxious,
legislation, to afford the Mormons the i'm
mense advantages which every religious sect
derives from persecution, or to leave to the
Pacific Railroad, with all its irresistible oiviliz-
ing gssinfuences, the task of speedily efacing in
Mormondom whatever is inconsistent with
modern ideas of progress. 1t is not improbs-
BILE that Mr.. Ashley's bill, which would cut
Utah to pieces and give the fragments to the
adjoining States and Territories, which also
divides Minnesota and Nebraska, and which
despoils Idaho by giving nalf her territory to
Montana, will be defeated.