Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-03-24
THE NEW FIELD FOR RECON.
STRUCTION.

OIL II OC11OUs
Congress has just passed an act, the os-
tensible purpose of which is to crush out
Mormonism. The law, if such an act can
be termed law, makes the extraordinary
provision that Mormon is to be debar-
red from voting or holding Office on the
suspicion of living in poIygamy, and with
out trial or conviction of that offence.
The law is as barbaric as the state Of life
against which it is directed is the product
of ignorance and symptom of barbarism.
But the reader must not fall into the error
that this sudden and vigorous move
against Morm0nism is the offspring of
of any new accession of. virtue on the
part of the movers; 1t is political rather
than moral throe. The Mormons are a
people Of great vitality who after many
explosions from among decent people,
have settled in and caused the territory
Of Utah to bloom like garden. They are
industrious, thrifty, virtuous according to
their own beastly standard, honest, have
heavy and well enforced penalties against
gaming, druHkness and prostitution, vices
which are not known among them, except
when introduced by the "Gentiles'' as 9TH
er than MormonS are called. In that state
of civilization, if such it can be called, the
victims Of superstition into which their
children are thoroughly educated by their
church schools. and of a fanaticism nearly
allied to insanity these Mormons fatten
and thrive. The majority of them practice
the vice, they call it doctrine, of plural
| ity of wives, brutal system which is de-
! grading to the women but pecuniarily
profitable to the husband who has the prof
1t of the labor of his many wives at the
bare cost of giving them food and cloth
ing, both Of which are stinted by rigid
rules of the church enjoining frugality in
diet and plainness of dress. Aside from
the moral deformity of polygamy, its econ
omy seems to be cunningly arranged plan
to keep women in the ignorant condition
of slaves In African slavery times, and en-
joy their labor without paying for it more
than the merest pittance.
The most virtuous and eager among
| those who are essaying to convert the
Mormons to monogamy by law are the
'Gentiles." The leaders of these are the
territorial officers OF the National govern
| ment in Utah. While the Mormons have
I fattened upon their own labor and that Of
their wives these people have fattened on
the Mormons. They are looked upon by
the Mormons as set of rapacious carpet
baggers; while they in turn look on the
Mormons as people who have no rights
they are bound to respect. Against the
latter the weight of public opinion in the
nation on account of there moral obliquity
| is heavy. and, pretty much like the States
formerly in rebellion were in reconstruc-
tion times, the nation is ready to believe
all the i'll that is said of them, especially
any i'll to the effect that they are ready to
rise against the National authority. Utah
has for a long time been entitled by popu-
the social blot has caused deaf ear TO be
| turned to her application for admission.
With the law Just passed DISTINGUISHING all
| MormOns on suspicion and without trial
| the territorial officers will fluid an easy
transfer into the State offices, senatorship,
members of congress and the like. and
those who are now merely carpet baggers
may flourish III the halls of the U. s. Sen
ate as those from the Southern States dur
ing reconstruction used to do. In fact the
territorial Governor Murray has already
taken step in that DIRECTION by refusing
a certificate Of election to the Mormon
delegate to Congress. Cannon, who was
elected by large majority, and giving il
| to his Gentle Republican competitor.
This Is about as fair statement of the
Mormon question" as Cali possibly be
made up from tie conflicting statements
Of both sides that have of Late flooded the
| press. But far above Ill political macbi-
nation and trickery there is grave feeling
of unrest in the conservative mind of the
| country that will not be satisfied until this
! blot on American life in the far West
shall be made clean. 1t is feeling that
will not be quieted by such law as this
| just passed and of which the only visible
fruit will be mGnogamy or perjury in tis
| State officers and congressman from Utah
! and the retention OF polygamy at the
tireside. This conservative public mind
recognizes the gravity of the situation and
the danger in taking unlawful methods in
dealing with it., which may recoi with
damaging effect in other crises not now
foreseen. A moral change in the Nor
mons themselves is probably to be the
final solution Of this matter, and we have
great itope in the moral pressure that can
be Brought to bear by fifty millions of
right minds on a few thousand of wrong
headed people, whose chief need is bet
ter secular aid religious education.