Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-02-03
THETWIN RELIC.
A delegation Of Later0ay foints at
WashingtOn Expls1ni. AoK-
mOnfam

Wash1ngtOn EXplo1m1. e 40x-
mOnism.
The consideration of the Mormon
question by Congress Is about to receive
fresh impetus through the presence
in this city of committee appointed.
by the General Conference of the "Re-"
organized Church of Christ of Latter
Day Saints" to wait on the President
and Congress and present their version
of the Utah trouble and their proposed
solution.
Messrs. Il. H. Gurley and E. l.. Kel--
ley constitute the committee, and yes
terday they were preserved 10 Presi-
dent Arthur by Representative Kasson,
of Iowa, and had an extended confer
ence with him. They have prepared q.
memorial, which will soon be lad be-.
fore both Houses of Congress and which.
they think will not only remove some.
false impressions relative TO the Nor
mon Church, but will facilitate truea
appreciation OF the Utah problem and,
perhaps, suggest a solution OF it.
Their memorial sets forth that the,
Mormon Church, although closed and.
known generally as Mormon" is, and
ever has been, opposed to and uncon-
promising with the polygamic body in
Utah also called mormon" The re-
organized Mormon Church, under lead
ership of Joseph Smith, the son of the
original Mormon head, and duly organ.
lied and incorporated under the laws
of the State OF Illinois, has steadily,
for the past thirty years, opposed and
denounced the doc rines and practices
Of polygamy. and has all this time kept.
and sustained missionaries In Utah TO
preach against them, the result being
that at least 10000 persons in that Ter
ritory have thus been exLricated from
the corruption Of polygamy and its con-
comitant ills.
They ask that more effective meas
ures be enacted, and carried into effect
by the Government, for the suppression
Of polygamy in Utah. The Mormon
church says this memorial, has in
round numbers 500 organized churches,
45O of which are in the United States,
with a ministry of 1900 persons, aud ..
mem Dership of 10000 communicates,
and 10000 others who sustain the
church IN its work. Nine-tenths of
these are citizens OF the United States,
and all are loyal to the Governm mant.
The memorial discusses at some length
the legal questions involved, quotes
from the book of Mormon to show that.
polygamy is not part of Mormonism,
but on the contrary is.expressly inhib.
tied, and urges that the true standpoint
from which to deal with polygamy is
that is no part cf the Mormon faith,
proper, but lOathsome incumbrance.
This, they say. will prevent those who
practice polygamy from raising the cry
of persecution, and thereby holding
with them thousands of honest ignor-
ant souls of their number in Utah, who
are not actually engaged in the practice
of this crime, and who would otherwise
repudiate it and become good citizens.
The memorial suggests additional leg.
islation by Congress-, so that avowed
bigaMists be not allo we'd to sit as jurors
when one of their number is being
tried for bigamy; that the strtues oflim-
tations be so amended that all persons
male and female, may be punished for
polygany; that The homestead law be
so amenGed that polygamous wives
shall not be recognized under tie title
of "heads of falni Iies," that the repnta-
tion of living tog ether and cohabitipg
be rec eived in the courts as evidence to
prove the marriage relation.