National Republican., 1874-06-03
THE REeFyERAT TTOV on mr.

THE DEGENERATION OF UTAH
The passage Of the Utah Judiciary bill in
tho House yesterday will be hailed with
delight by thousands Of 'aGentiles' in that
Territory, as well as by many Of the Latter
day Saints of both sexes, who only await
the guarantee of protection 10 person and
property in order to abandon the vile sys-
TEN of tyranny which the Church is exer-
cising over them. The highest men in the
Church dare not emigrate without having
first taken counsel of Brigham Young and
received his consent to their departure.
The Legislative Assembly of the Territory
dare not pass an act against his advice. No
one dares to vote for person to hold office
who has not been approved by him. Votes
and names are so numbered that their bal.
lots can be spotted and an opposition or
even an independent vote would cost the
Mormon his church membership. An op-
position Mormon elected 10 the Legislature
was obliged to give up his seat to the regu-
lar candidate.
Mrs. Ann Eliza Young says, in one of
her lectures, that ''no jury can decide a
lease in which the Church or an infiuen-
Genital member is concerned without taking
counsel. At the present time tho influence
is exerted in secret At one time Jurors
''were rebuked in public for acting accord
'fng to their oath. quote from a sermon
''of Jedediah N. Grant, one OF the first
counsel. His language in the Tabernacle
''was: Last Sunday the president chastised
"'some of the apostles and bishops who
"'were on the grand jury. Did he
fully succeed in chasing away the fog
- g that surrounded them, and removing the
~e blinrsless from their eyesf Noi Tor they
e could 60 to tneiSs room 6gain and disagree,
" though, to their credit Be it said, a little
"'explanation made them unanimous in
rtheir action. But how Is it with the
'1ittle juryH Some of them have got into
"'the fog to suck down the words and eat
"fhe filth q Gentle court ostensibly
&c court of Utah"
An counsel are deemed infallible as the
Pope and are said to be inspired. Of
course, the votaries of the Church believe
this as fully as they do any other portion of
Brigham's pretended revelations. With
this omnipotent or absolute power arbitra-
rily exercised, the heads of the Church form
a hierarchy more despotic than any other
upon the face of the earth. The doctrine
of the atonement of blood is exercised to
put out Of the way any obstinate or apos
tate Mormon. One of the oounselors has
only TO state to some Of the faithful that the
renegade must be killed in the body, In
order to save his soul. and the deed is
shortly done. 'In cases Of this kind the
murdered man came under the merciful
provisions Of the blood atonement. The
"smoke of his blood assembled as sweet
incense to Heaven, and his soul was
saved"
In order to fully understand the necessity
existing for the enactment Of the law which
passed the House yesterday the following
account of the management Of political
affairs is given from the same authority
quoted above "The Territorial Legislature
fthas always been composed Of this Mormon
hierarchy, who, in conjunction with Brig
cham Young as Governor of the Territory
and some of his venal successors, have
enacted the substance and spirit Of the
'fheocratic church government into the
''public laws of the Territory. They have
ignored as far as possible the laws and
authority of the United States they have
attempted to oust the district courts estab-
'1ished by the United States of all jurisdic-
'tion; they have conferred on their pro-
''bate courts, civil, criminal and chancery
jurisdiction in all cases arising under the
claws of the Territory. They have ig-
'tnored the United States attorney and
marshal by appointing their own attor-
'tney and marshal for the Territory, TO
perform all the duties and to receive all
''the fees and emoluments in all cases In
'The district courts arising under the Terri.
'torisl laws. They have virtually placed
Gin the power of Brigham Young the select
'fing of all grand and petit jurors; and
'fhence the fmpossibility Of bringing to jus
E'tice those who have committed secret
'iasslssinations under their religious systems
1'of blood-atonement or of bringing to con.
''dign punishment those priestly polyga-
'tmists who seem to me moro cruel assassins
'fof the female heart rs.i.. .--. -.-..-,J
The manner in which Mr.. Cannon was
elected to Congress by such an overwhslm-
ing majority is accounted for In the follow
lowing quotation "In 1870. the Legisla-
'ture and the then docile acting Governor
passed the following female suffrage law:
d" That every woman of the age Of twenty
cone years, who has resided in this Terri
"'tory six months next preceding any
",general or special election, born or natu-,
".sralized in the United States, or who is
"the wife, widow or daughter of native
"'born or naturalized citizen of the United
Estates should be entitled to vote at any
T" "selection in this territory re
at viii be seen that under this law,
'talien females and alien minor children arc