The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-29


Speaker of the House of Representatives. and
Brigham Young the Mormon Prophet The
points of the conversation were direct and in
cisive and indicate very conclusively that the
Speaker cannot be enrolled among those Mem
bers of Congress who have been glamored by
Brigham or his agents. The Speakers clear
and emphatic enunciation that ''Utah can
never be admitted as State SO long as the in
stitution of polygamy is upheld and practised
by the Mormon Church fell upon Brigham
unexpectedly, although the same fact has been
announced time and time again by the Presi
dent and other members of the government
The Speaker further enunciation that Soon
ion may be necessary to maintain the federal
authority in this Territory" was as unlocked
for, but very proper response to the defiant
query Of the Prophet, ''What are you going
to do about lt?' But there is underlying
these semi-prophetic political assertions an
deeply interesting to the public on the assem-
bling of next Congress as was the Credit Mo-
bilier scandal during the last session.
During the last session of Congress every
possible effort was made to induce that body to
look at the judicial position of Utah. Presi-
dent Grant issued special message asking the
attention Of Congress to Utah, and personally
interested himself in asking both the Sen
ate and the House to pass some act that
would settle the anomalous condition Of
affairs in that Territory The Senate passed
q bill that would have settled all this
trouble, but the House would not look
at it. There was no direct and open
hostility to the Senate bill, but an unmis-
taxable determination to kill it by delay.
1t would be superfuous to repeat all the state
ments made in the Capitol during the last
hours Of the session upon this bill; but
nothing is more certain than the fact that
Brigham Young's agents were successful in
preventing any act OF legislation, and the re-
firing delegate, the Hon. William H. Hooper,
gloried in the fact that he had, during his ten
years representation of Utah, been able to pre-
vent any legislation inimica to the wishes of the
Prophet. In connection with the defeat of
the Utah bill we may state that the Gentle
opposition in Utah affirm that they are in pos
session of one Check for so, 900 that was paid
to prominent Representative, and also the
checks paid to the publisher of a Washington
paper and to o popular correspondent OF
Western paper, and, besides these, other evil
dences of corruption in favor of Brigham's
projects. These facts were doubtless COM
municated to Mr.. Speaker Blaine, and, being
added to his own observation of the judicial
muddle in Utah, called forth his very direct
and unreserved language, which the nation
will endorse.
So elated had the Mormon Prophet become
with his success in Washington during the
last session of Congress that he has resolved
to send down next December one of his
apostles with his tour wives to represent Utah
at the seat of government. If the sentiments
of Speaker Blaine are to be regarded as any
indication of the temper Of the House, it is
very certain that the apostle Cannon
cannot hold his seat He has openly violated
the Anti-polygamic law Of Congress Should
Congress permit Cannon to take his desk and
retain it Brigham will achieve great
triumph. Should Congress maintain its dig
nifty and Gust the representative Of this bar
barism the national legislature will CON-
mand the respect Of the civilized world.
Ever since the Territory Of Utah was
organized the Mormons have managed to
keep up perpetual strife between their own
Courts and the United States federal Courts
created by act Of Congress; and, by some
fatality lowering over that unfortunate coun-
try, it would seem that this judicial wrangling
and confusion will never be brought to an end.
| At the beginning of last year it did look at
| one time as if the sway OF the Mormon Courts
was nearly over and as if the federal officers
and the federal Courts were triumphant The
rulings of Chief Justice Mexican and his Asso-
ciate Justices, Hawley and Strickland, were
direct and trenchant, striking terror into the
hearts of prominent Mormons who had been
accused of crime About dozen of the
elders and leaders, including in that number
Brigham Young himself were indicted for
murder and placed under arrest. The day OF
| settlement then seemed at hand.
| The Prophets arrest told suddenly upon his
health. He was dreadfully chagrined and
mortified, and but for the fear OF his dying in
| close confinement the Chief Justice would
have sent him to the military calaboose at
Camp Douglas, overlooking Salt Lake City.
He was accordingly, and very wisely, permit
ted to consider himself prisoner in his own
harem, with only gentlemanly Deputy
United States Marshal to give, for form $
sake, glance at him now and again, so that
the Mormon people would realize that there
was no foundation Tor the cry of persecution.
Everything that wealth and promise of
political preferment could accomplish at
Washington was enlisted to secure the decision
of the Supreme Court of the United States in