New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
TIE Utah GENT1LEs AND THEIR PUR-


POSES.
A DEFENSE OF THEIR MOTIVES AND ACls-fVLiN
AMY A POWER WHICH NEEDS DEIEkMiNED
ANTAGONISTS - THE QUESTION OF ADMITTING
Po1yGAMsrs TO THE JURY-BoX
TO ne Edtfor or The Trto Hhe'
SIR: In an editorial of the 18TH INST on rae
,,,ah ouest,on Won saw 1.-THE minority in that Terri
80 ko,, 80 centles are for the part landless
and ,rresponsble having little stake in the Terri
tory Further:
1" That this law he Poland bin asked for by men
whose sole object the offices ana enrich
themselves the expense of the original settlers and
present property These men are making bur
Iesque OF morality and religion when they pretend to be
actuated only by desire purify the morals Of the
Territory and maintain the Christian religion" &c. &c
This is but sample OF the way nearly all the papers
speak OF the Gentiles OF Utah. have known the most
prominent OF them, both and out Of office, several
years personally and do assure you they are neither
worse nor better than their fellows in NewYork. ONO,
or elsewhere What the OF forever sty ling them
thieves You might with much justice style the
people of the country at large the They are in
vast minority Utah. nut II that is crime, lay II not
10 them. But for the hostility OF the pOhtca ChuCh
by which they are here confronted there would nave
been many more OF them This Church is framed after
the model OF by-gOne ages and rs as antag0nlsuc TO
everything American anything be- Outsiders are
practically denied the rights OF citizenship as en-
,oyed elsewhere throughout the Union and 1t seems
70 be expected that they shah quietly submit
10 The citizen duties 70 himself and the
state; and conscientious man, finding his lot cast IN
Utah can perform them without opposing Mormonism,
al least Its political character and pretensons. II is
not by the way in the name OF morals and the Chris
tan religion that we oppose MormOusm; 1t is in the
name Of free thought free discussion freedom 10 act
within the laws, without dictauon from any. 1t is
theocrate government. masked in enforced republican
forms is the assumption. on the part Of the Mormon
state Church. OF authority superior 10 that OF the
United states that we oppose. and 1t in the cause
Of free institutions, not specially in that Of morals or re-
hcion OF one name other unless incidentally. 1t is
;Ie right 70 commit treason and murder incest and
adultery all OF crimes. IN the name OF re-
gon which we contest. and which must contest call
a. what you WILL side with or against Us who may.
But our kind having been systematically robbed
murdered. and prescribed in Utah for quarter OF
century We are In minority, and Obliged 10 invoke
national aid We did SO years ago. but to effect The
Government did lust enough render 10 cOntemptble
and then stopped. Daily is the Auti-P0lygamy Law Of
1867 boldly violated. We ask the power 70 put "a
stop 90 this. that is al. There is no more
danger OF undue use Of this power, If
granted. 10 cypress the people and steal their
than there Of the indulgence in such ex
ce.es elsewhere. The oppression and despOins is and
has oug been on the other Ge. St do not seek 70
make reprsals We seek justice, 1.-THE Of the rights
Tor the poor aud the weak3whch you demand for the
rich aud the strong. What would be done with the
proposed law what is every where done where good
government prevails. The poor We would protect from
pIiesty spolaton-lhe young women rom further i'm
notation the altar Of Poly gamy those who have been
luveged The cruel tolls Of the system we would re-
lease with fair share OF the fruits OF their own labor
on applications the perpetual conflict over the jurisdic
ton % the courts We would end hy contning
the Probate Bishops 70 matters suited 10 tner capaely
ana temper and by making the District courts place
whore the citizen can obtain justice ana me crlmna De
punished, not Mormon trouna. win tederai nEnre-
head There Is no project OF WAOitsde prostculons LOT
violations of the law OF 1862. accompanied by conhsca-
property, &c. entertained anywhere IN Utah.
one must seek the VAIN lnaglnlues Oh such lmp
cable and UrepOsterOUs undertakings IN the brains OF
foreign editors apparently anxious FOR semblance
Of a pretext for standing on the strong side
Bat LAY aside all sentiment let Us LOOK at II prac
tcally Mornonisn Is an unmiucated eNll, you say
hut cNclndug poN -alustS lIoH iIICs 70 ~ ~ "a
msts would ne "a worse one. Poygamy Is felony
under the law. so lie stealing 1On INSIST that poyRa-
mst--tLa U.s. eluus-sAIl OIn part o. tI.e court IuI
the trial ~ p0vgaWist INSIST that thieves-that is,
feIons-sha form part OF tAe court for the tlal OF
thieves. Better Co let thieves run rampant ana prey AT
VII society than strike blow at ne rights oI tAe
peers-that Is. 10y thieves,
You NAV saw that THIS is not fair illustration But
of a kinds OF theving on earth DEFY YOU 10 pre-
sent one which upon the most thorough analysis shall
be seen 20 be half so monstrous as pOlyCany.
We are asked 60 slow, and 20 wait for pnhIc Opn-
ION. Public opinion can act finally ~ this country only
through legislation II Is i years since pubic OPINION
was ,O embodied bearing on this subject, and the
pOivgauiss. seeing that no one is I'D earnest ABOUT IT.
snap helr fingers al H. public opinion that Is forever
remedy Tor IT, is M power al all There IS no pQlyg
amc Mormon society Great Britain, nor was there
any persecution or revolution OF con
vu.sOu heard OF that account POlyg
amy Is felony in Great Britain, and so
treated That's al there is Of IT, and there an
end Polygamv "a felony IL this country but at every
attempt enforce the statute, everynody protests
What wonder that . h0Ur.sEes 10 our disgrace ana
scandal What would yOu saw OF nailona. or state
officer no should YOU all advise III reference 10
Tta7 WHAT did DO with the usuTpatlun OF Tweed
Yet Won expec, 20 endure patiently rule by the side
Of which that Tweed respectable ana II we DO
not You subject TO the most violent denunclatOn.
IL the pending bill were made aclye only from the
date OF is passage all good VIII sustain that, ana
none more cordially than thousands OF the MOrmuns
themselves II would u0tpe persecution anv more than
the prevention slavery murder elsewhere IF per
.ccutlou IL would cause sensible disturbance IN
Utah, because a.. men AID women Know IL 10 he Eght.
rler would Dc no chance o. Illicit gain IN any quarter
II won are going 70 nothing give effect 10 pubic
opinion. Why Coutuue % express III You might as well
af,empt whistle down ocean storm as 10 TAX down
pcvg1mv and calling the Genties OF Utah thieves VIII
nO stop their efforts to bring about different
state Oi thugs here any more tbau il VIII STOP tbeir
breathing. Indeed they IS easily stop one as the
other aud the two will 20 together until change II
effected somehow. u j. H.
sQ.t LG.c Cily, UlGh. June - ie74.