The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-01-26

& What shall bo daao viih ihe M0rmuns
Is question uhich seriuasiy puzzles the
bead, q our uisosi Legislators and affords
~ isisrssilns topic ior discussion M over
Z ibe counirr j srcns 10 b. generally 81.
miiiel tiai something onRbi 20 u donc
/ A, long svo A. lsG1 CouRrcNs tsasscd
law which sts intended a. pat q stop 10
I polygamoas marriages Il imposed Cue
" not more than 500 and imprisonment
~ bot morr than ave years ior each Of
I feuse. Oply one case has been prosecuted
81 sucecssial issue under this Law. which
case vas carried 70 The Supreme court of
the United States 20 test the constitution
aliiy o. the Law The court decided the
lsw 10 be- constitutional but Il has remain
el dead letter iof the reason that Il can
not b. enforced onc reason for this is
thAi proof Of plural marriages cannot be
obtained The marriages are all perform
Ell With the utmost secrecy and wives are
not allowed to testify against their hus.
bands Another difficulty is the difficulty
Of getting lury that does no, contain
more or less MOrmons, aud with mixed
jury there would he no hope Of conyic
ton
Congress can pass laws regulating these
things aud then 1t would probably be nee
cssary to employ more force than a sheriff
and his posse 10 execute the law. II such
we're the case would the country sustain
the government IN the use Of troops TO e1
ecute the law We tinnk Il would. The
laa is nor au Unreasonable one. II is a
r.. which the good sense OF the people !
has placed on the statute books Of every
state IN the Union. Good society and |
good government everywhere recognize
the necessity Of preserving the sacredness
OF the marriage relation. Plurality Of /
marriages is conntenanced by no civilized /
nation on earth and is Justly considered a
relic Of barbarism The fact that this is
free country gives no one the right TO do
Shat society aud the people Of the country
At large regard as a wrong. Laws are
made 70 repress wrong and there Is no
reason why law against polygsmy should
not be passed and enforced, even lift takes
military power to do 1t The Mormons
clam TO be n law abiding people, but facts
do not bear ont the statement Residents
of the territory other than Mormons tell a
different story,
Governor Murray OF Utah, in his message
% the territorial Legislature, lays down
The propositions that in no case is the soy.
,regnty Of church over state in eonso.
lance with the constitution and laws; that
political power is welded by church au.
hority throughout Utah. that the officers /
Il the church exercise authority in tenn !
,oral affairs; that the sovereignty OF the
hurch is supreme, and that its practices : |,
re followed, the laws and courts Of the
United States TO the contrary. This bein &
rue 10 whole or in part, he continues:
DO yon believe that the government OF n
he United States will much longer for. n
'ear { assert ITS Sovereignty In regard @
0 polygamy Governor Murray says The k
ystem Of plural wives was, by act Of Con. @
ress in 1862 denounced as a crime. The n
Of this act has been fully h
ustained by the supreme court Of the
'Dited States. II being claimed that the
eople OF Utah are law abiding people,
submit as sequence that you as their C
representatives. should enact laws in accor. j
ance Herewith I,