The National tribune., 1882-02-25
The Mormon Question.

OF the temper of the people, and pOrtend positive
action of some sort in the near future. Indeed
the Mormon question: after having served for
years as the football of our statesmen, seems to
nave suddenly become one of the leading issues
OF the day. 1t is the theme of daily discussion
in the press, it commands the eloouence Of the
pulpit and even Congress at last appears to be
awakening to its Importance. 1t is good sign,
but we venture the opinion that something more
than spasmodic oratory will be needed to compel
from Congress the legislation that is essential to
the determination of polygamy in Utah and the
adjacent Territories. There never has been any
material difference in public opinion as to the
iniquity of the Mormon creed, and the desirable
| ity of blottng out this stain upon the fair name
of the Republic, &c, &C. The trouble has always
been to find peaceful legal and at the same time
effective way of doing it. No one has ser iously
| advocated the suppression of MormOnism by force
of arms-that would smack too much of religious
persecution, and it might turn out, indeed that
the blood of the martyrs would once more become
the seed of the chuIch--yet experience abuna-
antly shows that the legal remedies available are
wholly inadequate. How. then is the evil to be
cured?
1t has been suggested-and the plan has been
strongly advocated-that inasmuch as the prac-
tical difficulty in the way of procuring convic-
tons for polygamy by juries in Utah is the i'm
possibility of empaneling juries absolutely free
Utah out of the map and parcel it eut among the
neighboring States and Territories. That being
done, cases might be removed from Salt Lake
city, where fair trial could not be had to other
places where it would be possible to secure a
hearing before jury untainted with Mormon ia
naticism, and in that way enforce the laws against
polygamy. This plan, however is open 10 many
serious objections. In the fist place the Nor
mons are colonizing so rapidly-as if in anticipa-
ton of some such coup etat-that it is not at all
certain they would not be able to influence iuries
in Nevada and Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming.
as well as Utah. In the second place, the Gentle
inhabitants of Utah are as bitterly opposed to
the partition of the Territory as the Mormons
themselves and certainly they ought not to
suffer for the latters iniquities 4 better
remedy, it seems to u.s. is that contemplated
ate, which proposes, as a first step towards
the enforcement of the law, that the Terri
torial government of Utah shall be vested
in a Commission to be chosen by the President
and ordo he 70 J,or
from which all polygamists or those who believe
in the sanctity Of polygamous marriages are to be
vigorously excluded. 1t may be said, perhaps,
that even this provision will not prove effective,
since Norman would not hesitate to commit per-
jury where the safety of his church was involved,
and might therefore surreptitiously get place on
Jury after ALL but considering the opportunities
for effective challenging which would still be left
it must be admitted that the odds would be as
heavy against the Mormons as they now are in
their favor
The passage by the Senate, ON the 10th inst,
of Senator Edmunds' anti-polygamy bill, the
chief features of which were described in our
last issue, is the first decisive step that either
House of Congress has yet taken towards the sup
preston of the Mormon monster and should it
eventually become law, its practical workings
will be watched with curious interest During
the debate which preceded action in the Senate
the bill was passed by UiUa roee vote-some seri-
Gus objections were raised to it. not because Of
any want of sympathy with its objects, but on
account of the doubts which some of the Sen
atOrs entertained as to its effectiveness. The
mort novel objection which was brought for
ward was that urged by Mr.. Pendleton, of Ohio,
who opposed the exclusion from the jury box Of
known polygamists in trials for polygamy, and
declared that in this the bill Disseminated
against man faithful to several wives, and in
favor of one holding adulterous RELATIONSHIP
gardless of the well-attested fact that pOlyga-
mists look upon the institution of polygamy as
more sacred than the law, and therefore, uni
fOrmly refuse to convict for that Otfense. Imag-
inc the prosecution in the Guiteau case permit
ting man who believed that murder was not
crime to sit on the jury which was to try MIN
for the assassination of President CARRIED! IL
may be that the Edmunds bill will fail to ac-
complish its purpose through some unforeseen