The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-25

able unless accompanied by some at
tempt to execute them. Our law o.
conspiracy is carefully guarded
against abuss in the hands of the
magistraoy, and something must be
done in pursuance OF an unlawful
combination before its participants
become indictsble. Section 8 of the
fourth article Of the federal Oonstitu'
ton empowers Congress to make al
neediul rules and regulations respect
ing the territory or other property be-
longing to the United Ststes;" and
section ( of the same article pre-
scribes that "the United States shall
guarantee to every state 3 republican
form of government" The first Of
the ten amendments, which became
operative almost concurrently with
the adoption of the Constitution, de-
clAres that Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment OF
religion or prohibiting the free exer-
else thereof" A thoughtful consid-
Grafton of the scope and import oil
these features of the organic law of
the Union can hardly fail to en-
phssige the difficulties and doubts
which environ the whole Mormon
question. The territorial rules and
regulations" must not be such as tC
contrsvene religious freedom. MOI
can conditions involving such inter
ference be Justly affixed TO the ad'
mission of new states framed from the
territories, provided the plan of gov
eminent proposed be republican in
form.
1t is a manifest petitiO principii 10
aver that any specified system of be.
lief aud practice touching religious
matters, no matter how monstrous or
absurd, is in fact irreligious, and
therefore not entitled to free exer-
cise" as a religion. The adoption by
the civil authority Of such a censor
ship OF creeds would be a direct step
toward g religious establishment. "
It would be to institute a religious
test at once. Criteria of this sort may
be formulated by q church, but not
by the United States. The attitude
of American polity is one OF entire
impartislity, and indeed neutrality,
toward all professedly religious sects.
II does not undertake to define what
religion is, nor to mark the bound
aries beyond which lies irreligion.
The rights of conscience and the
liberty of opinion belong alike to the
Catholic and those representatives of
the poles of religious thought, the
Christian, Jew and deist
are equal in the presence OF our pub
lilo law. Between Episcopalian,
Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist,
Unitarian and Quaker the nation
makes no difference, though the
state may thus discriminate if sufi-
Gent majority of its voters SO erdsin.
Affirmation. dissent snd negsLion az
to the dosmas Of theology stand upon
the same plane. An entire divesture
Of faith, q complete denial of the
sscerdotal, can be put under federal
no more than orthodoxy OF
the most pronounced and conserva-
live description.
As woman, by some strange and
perverse fatality, is in one way OF
another at the bottom of all the
trouble in the world, 90 in this Nor
mon imbroglio the kernel OF she
ia the question OF wives.
This the state has an undoubted
right to regulate; but it is mooI
point whether such power can be
constitutionally exercised by the gen
sral government. Wives are a good
thing, and very handy to have about
the house; but there may be toe
much of 3 good thing. In more o.
the thirty eight states of the Union il
any male person allowed more than
one wife as time. All, without
have statutes sgsins
bigamy. Were it not for the notable
TACT that a great many men do no
marry at ell, and have no desire ever
fer so much as one vile, it might b
suspected that envy had something
TO do with the current uncharitsblI
feeling toward the many -spouseC
Latter-dsy Saints. AS q conside:s
ton OF natural ethics, ABSTRACT.
viewed, and without regard to eccle
siasticsl ordinances or civic statutes
good deal may be said in fsvol
either of single or fS,lral mstrimony
The circumstance that in civilizeI
countries the number of men is sbou
equal to that OF women might b
taken as an argument from DGtur
in behalf of the one-wife plan, wer
it not for the pulling fact that Wher
the pstriarohal system has been il
vogue the female sex preponderate
the supply in each case thus answer
ing the demand. This interesting
problem OF sociology may be left +
the evolutionists to solve. The poly
gsmist can claim that the LeVitica
Law, which the leading Christian de
nominations have adopted from Juds
ism, does not prohibit q plurality o
wives. 1t may be furthermore alleges
against monogamy that it ia almos
universally supplemented by the socia
evil.
Aa apology for the temporarily
course of the Government towsrt
MCrmopism for the lsst quarter OF
century may be found in the intrinsic
difficulty OF the question. Polygsmy
ia as knotty as it is naughty. A bill
of indictment cannot be framed Il
include an entire community. Pros
eeuiions OF individual polygsmists tal
through defect OF necessary legal Ell
dence or from the refusal of luries t
convict. For this it Is ECt essy t
devise q remedy. The time IL cominI
Ehen something decisive will have t
be done; put what that something
no craftsmanship has yet been sbl
TO discover. Meanwhile, Moraouisr
marches on, and fixes its hold NOR
strongly with the lapse OF every hou
upon vast tracts OF our domain
Philadelphia Record, Jan. IA.
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