Daily Republican., 1880-01-29
The troublesome Mormons.

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Ever since the days Of James Buch
anan the Government has been compro
missing with the polygamists in th,
vain hope that the evil If left alone will
die out Of itself. 1t was predicted thai
when the Central Pacific railroad was
finished to Salt Lake, that being brought
into contact with the outside world OF
morals and civilization, and our social
and commercial influences, polygamy
would commence to wane. The rail
road has been completed, the gates si
Utah have been opened, large numbers
of Gentiles have flocked there from all
quarters and established themselves in
business, newspapers have been start
ed antagonistic to polygamy, Mormon
women have been brought into contact
with the outside world, even one Of
Young's wives has taken the platform
and lectured against the system, our
customs ard habits have been intro
duced, our education and religion
have found their way there, in short,
every virtue for which our nation is
noted, has been encouraged and foster
ed by the national government, but
still polygamy thriveS. Itis said when
Brigham Young died Mormonism
would be weakened, and polygamy
would die out, that the successors to
Young would introduce a new code of
marital life, but Brigham Young is
dead, his successors are in power. and
polygamy is as stalvart now as in days
gone by.
Polygamy is protected In Utah arder
the cloak Of religion, and has two OBJ
jects in view. One Is that the poor
miserable dupes ofwomen carried away
by such shilly, shally nonsense, may
labor and support the men in idleness,
and the other otjsct is that the impure
lusts of the men may be gratifed. Ia
both senses the women are the most ab-
ject of slaves ard they are subjec to the
prosecutions Of the low capricss of their
lords as much as the most down trodden
slave women. Their life brutalizes
and debases them and as they come
from the lowest, most ignorant and
most superstitious classes, they accept
it without complaint or resistance as
part of their religion. The Mormons
cannot plead ignorance as an excuse
for their crimes. None know better
than they that polygamy is in violation
not only of the law and public opinion
OF the country, but in importing fresh
victims for this infamous system from
Europe. They defy the laws and snap
their fingers at the Courts with impu-
nifty, quoting old Judaic polygamous
practices in their defence which are
now obsolete. 1t may be safely accep
ted as certain that the Mormon church
will never divorce itself from polyg-
amy and if it is not arrested it will
spread its pernicious principles in.
to other Territories, and it must
be conceded that if the Normons
have the right to practice it in Utah,
they have the same right to extend it
and practice it in the territories. If
The laws are not enforced in Utah, there
Is no consistency in enforcing them in
Montana, Arizona or any other State or
Territory. liza Mormon is allowed to
i've with dozen Of wives in Utah,
.lrre is no good reason why he should
not be allowed to do the same thing in
Baltimore, Wilmington or Philadelphia.
| here is now left but one way to stop
he disgusting and sinful practice of
'olygamy, and that is by stopping it at
'nce by assiduously prosecuting every !
lie who practices it, commencing with
he highest and going down to the low
st, and if necessary use the whole '
'ower of the Government to assert its 0
ignity and authority. 1t is worse v
han useless to dilly daily or temporize
onger with this crying sin against =
end the plainest principles
f christianity, against civilization, ana
he bold defiance of law.