Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1882-03-04
n DOOMED.

not shared the fate OF its predecessors
and been deprived Of it, effectiveness by
the elimination Of the clauses offensive
to members fearful Of using too harsh
means to erase the blot upon our civ
ilization that fleurishss In Utah. The
Edmunds bill passed the Senate by q
rira rocs vote. NO negative being heard,
though Its provisions were severely crit.
ieised In debate. It provides penalties
for polygsmy and ~disqualihes for service
- jurors polysamists and persons BE-.
lisving polyssny to be right. The issue
Of polyssmous marriages prior to Janu-
airy l, 1883. are lsgitimatizsd. No polys-
amist IL entitled to vote or bold Office.
AL the repatriation and elective Offices
Of Utah are declared vacant, and the
conduct Of elections shall be performed
BY . Board Of ave persons. not more
than three to be members Of one poli,i-
cal party. to be appointed BY the Presi-
dent. The Board shall not exclude any
person otherwise eligible to vote from
the polls on account Of any opinion
such person may entertain on the sub
jsct Of polygamy. Each House OF the
Assembly. after its organization. shall
have power to decide upon the elections
and qualifications Of its members; and
at or after the Arst meeting Of the Legis.
la.ivs Assembly whose members shall
have been elected according to the pro.
visions Of this Act. the Assembly may
make such laws. comfortable 10 the
Organic Act Of the Territory. as 1t shall
deem proper concerning the filling Of
the Offices declared vacant by this Act.
While the bill will DO acceptable to q
large proportion Of the Gentiles OF Utah,
the storm Of opposition It will meet at
tho attempted displacing Of polyRamists
who have held full sway in the admins
tration Of the Territorial government
since ito organization, will be terrific.
This opposition will come not only from
the whole Mormon Church, but from
their Gentle friends in Utah and else
whore. The commercial interests In
Utah controlled BY Mormons are vast,
and during over twenty years Of business
relations with Gsntiles East and West
the Mormon leaders have made many
friends from whom they will not fail to
enlist sympathy, which will DO tempered
only by the extent to which they will be
permitted BY public opinion to 60. The
Mormons have also long had the symps-
thy Of many members Of different sscts.
who have opposed legislation for po-
lysamy either from indifference as to
whether or not Il be allowed to flourish,
or through fear that not permitting q
free exercise Of judgment as to religious
belief would be contrary to constitutional
guarantee.
The President. having tbs appointing
power. will have to msetth this opposition
will he do 30 BY the appointment Of q
Board composed Of men wise and able
10 enforce the laws'" he, having ex.
pressed his determination that vigorous
measures would DO used in dealing with
polyesmy. and Secretary Frelinghuysen.
as Senator. being the author Of Q bill Of
similar import to the Edmunds bill. they
arc 80 pledged on this question that 1t
would be reasonable to infer that men oil
integrity would compose the Board which
10 to rsorganizs the Territorial govern.
msnt a. proposed by Senator Edmunds.
and that no obstacle would DO placed in
the way OF . speedy beginning to the
wipins out Of that odious and degrading
system now rapidly increasing in the
heart Of our country, were 1t not for the
indecision Of character and dormant en-
srgiss displayed by them in the Blaine
controversy and the administration Of the
government during their short career.
Several reasons have been given for
opposition to legislation for abolishing
polygamy. A prominent Senator de-
clarss his belief that the Mormons will
receive . revelation at NO distant day
which will be generally accepted and
polysany voluntarily given up. Such a
belief indicates Q lack OF knowledge OF
the institution Of polygamy and the
Mormon leaders that in q Senator is de-
plorabls. POlysamy is so deeply rooted
in Utah that only by arduous labor and
most reprsssivs measures can 1t be wiped
out. The remark Of Apostle Erastus
Snow. that he would defy hell or the
government to enforce the Edmunds
BILL" Is only o Of many similar ut
tsransss that are echoed by the lesser
lights throughout the Territory almost
weekly, and to which the amen" 10
promptly said.
That polygamy is not popular with
the young people 10 in . measure true.
The young people who have grown up
In Utah have witnessed its degrading in
fusncss, have heard the hesrtbroksn
sobs OF their wrstohsd mothsrs-for
them u has no charms. But many Of
the converts from oil parts Of the civil.
lied world. blindly led to Utah by The
spscioss promises Of Mormon emlssariss,
do not discover their error until their
arrival in Zion and have entered polyR.
amy. II is then too late to rstrac'; they
must submit. And still many women
enter polyQsmy, knowing they will re-