Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-03
MORMON ADVERTISEMENTS.

territory and their colCltlon. AT these
times the country is solemnly informed
that the expected Mormon immigration
ios the coming year will be so many thou.
sands, and then speculations are INDUCED
as to the future plans of the Mormons,
and usually some of their agents are in
terviewed. Then the press takes up the
whole question of Mormonism, and OBJ
serves that this kind of immigration is both
disgraceful and dangerous and the more
energetic and impatient papers want to
know how long the Government is going
to put up with it, and demand that Con-
gress shall at once legislate against polyg-
amy. Last year Mr.. Secretary Evarts i'm
parted little variety to the business by
sending a grave circular letter to our En-
voys and Consuls all over Europe,
protesting against the introduction
of intending polygamists. As might
have been anticipated the protest
produced no results whatever. Foreign
Governments did not see their way to
experimenting and wedding out the emf
grafton to the United States, and it is just
possible that they did not care greatly
what happened in the premises. But what
does continue to happen is the steady &C.
cess;on OF recruits to Mormonism the
steady extension and growth of that Pc
culiar people the steady disregard of
Congressional legislation aid journalistic
! obiurgation. In word, the Mormons 60
about their business Systematically, qui-
city, but with an energy and persistence
which produce very appreciate results,
while all the opposition to and denuncia.
! ton of them end in smoke. Congress has
several times tried its hand at solving the
Mormon problem, aad each time it has
failed. General Garfeld in his inaugural
referred to the question as one which he
should like to see settled. But while
it is very easy to evoke the strongest
kind of expressions on the subject,
thus far nothing has been done
which in the least degree detracts
from the growth or power of the Mormon
hierarchy, or which has advanced the case
one step nearer to real solut ton. Poll.
ticians often make feint OF taking it
up, and talk all round it in general way,
but when it comes to legislation the SOW
ereignty OF the United States always ap-
pears inadequate to cope with the situation.
We have several times endeavored to point
out the reason of these failures. The case
of the Mormons is in nearly all respects
identical with that of the South The les
son it teaches is that no government can
impose upon community laws which
they believe to be unjust or Ubiquitous,
unless it is proposed TO enforce them by
the importation of extIaneous forces. So
long as respect is paid to the spirit of free
institutions it must be impossible to do
this. It has proved impossible in the
South, and it has proved impossible in
Utah We are not now concerned at all
with the character OF the beliefs which cause
the rejection and notification of the laws
sought to be imposed. We are only con.
cerned with the facts. The Mormons are in
truth an alien community. They do not
believe as the American people generally
believe The laws which the American
people regard as necessary and right, they
regard in many instances as unnecessary
and wrong. The question is whether IN,
der these circumstances it can ever be pos,
sible to enforce the laws of the United
States without treating Utah as con
quered country, and coercing the Mormons
Of course the further question whether
such course rs this would be compatible
with due regard for the principles upor
which the republic stands, is involved
But both these questions will, it seems
clear to US, have to be met and answered,
before the Mormon problem can be prac.
tically dealt with. Meantime all that is
being said about that people only adver-
tises them the better, and no doubt serves
to increase their annual army Of proseIytes.
TIE coMaIrrEg OF CONFERENCE.
1t having been determined to appoint
Committee Of Free Conference, for the
purpose Of efectDg some arrangement
between the Senate aud Assembly On the
appropriation bill, the Senate yesterday
began the work in the most inauspicious
way possible by taking the appointment
OF its committee out Of the hands of its
presiding officer, and by appointing three
members whose position on all the ques-
tions at issue is hopelessly antagonistic to
that of the Assembly. The only possible
result OF this action will be to drive the
Assembly into selecting on its part three
members as firmly opposed to compromise
as Messrs. Scare, Wendell and Glascock /;
and thus the Committee of Free Confer
ence will enter upon it's duties with all the
essentials Of a irst-class deadlock The
wisdom of selecting the most uncom-
promising members to serve upon u com
m.ttee whose only justification for ex-
is.ence IS its capacity for ef'ectipg COM
promises, does not require to he called in
question, for the fact speaks for itself.
When Committee Of, Free Conference is
appointed, beth houses firmly resolving
that thew ,yin hold ont IN two IasA do1,
unless their opponents yield, it does not
need prophet. to foretell the failure OF
the experiment.
The PRESIDENT FIRM.
Once more We are informed that the
President win hear of no compromise OF
retreat in the Robertson case, and at the
same time it is declared that Conkling is
equally resolute. The situation in fact re.
minds one of the old school question,