Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-10-05
AaNclstr, futelliQemce.
THURSDAY EVENING. OCT. 6. lseo.

Aa!lflStrt f:ltclliQetlcEs
THURSDAY EVENING. OCT. 6. lseo.
The Mormons Under the Harrow.
A Press reporter publishes an inter-
view with Judge Black in relation to
the working of the Edmunds bill in
Utah, the judge being the counsel of
the peculiar people who have made
that territory to blossom as rose and
whom the United State in reward there
for seek to disfranchise. The Edmunds
bill defines polygaEy as a crime and
punishes it with heavy fine and long
imprisonment, superadding also the pen
atty of disfranchisement. Judge Black
esteems the punishment cruel, but yet
one within the power of Congress to
declare, and no resistance is proposed to
the fair execution of the law. Nor is
there any intention on the part of the
Mormons to attempt to secure a repeal
of the law. The judge no doubt truly
declares that though they could show
that the law was unjust to savagery, it
would be folly to do 80 with the expec-
tation of moving Congress to pity /; for
that ilIustrious body, backed by the po-
litical piety of the country, would be
more likely to increase the punishment
than diminish it, and might send Nor
mons to corporal instead of civil death
for practices which they consider d.
vinely inspired.
Judge Black does not speak too highly
of the hopelessness of turning Congress
from its determination to plant heavy
foot upon polygamy not because con-
gressmen hate the institution or fail to
practice themselves its most objection
able features but because their con-
stituents howl against it. Public senti-
ment runs too strongly against polygamy
to be withstOod by congressman who
have nothing to make by withstanding
it. But it is not the worst offence against
morality, though it he the one most
severely punished by the law. The pub
lie appropriation of plural wives is a
vast deal decenter than the private
possession of plural women yet
the last offence may he practised
with impunity. Undoubtedly there
is a great deal of cant and hypoc-
ricy in the denunciation of polygamy !;
but those who spout it have the floor,
and have made the law, and there is no
present profit in discussing its policy.
The question now is whether the law
shall he upjustly administered by blind
bigots or justly by Intelligent executors.
The Edmunds bill provides five COM
missioners to be appointed by the presi-
dent to take charge of the elections in
Utah, and act as returning board.
Thee five commissioners are now max.
ing preparation for the November elec.
ton for delegate to Congress, and pro-
pose TO require every citizen to swear
that he was not married or cohabited
with more than one woman at any time
in the course of the past twenty-five
years as condition precedent to per-
mitting him to vote. That is an affida
Wit which would exclndc fair popula-
tion of the voters i'll every state in the
Union. If a test of that kind was start,
ed here, there would be some embarrass
ment to the political committees in
making out their lists of qualified voters
and fearful falling off in the election
footings.
The Utah commissioners seem to have
been struck by the inexpedieI.cy Of dis.
franchising every man guilty Of the Nor
mon sin without tie Mormon marriage.
and they have undertaken to let
the ordinary run Of sinners out of
their net by the phraseoiogy Of their
order. Perhaps they think that tley
have escaped their embarrassment sue
cessfully but it must have taken very
"hard cheek to tell the Mormons that
they could not vote because they had
taken to themselves more than one wife,
supporting and caring for them and
theirs, while al the same time letting into
the polls the gentileS who did not call
these women wives but the commits
siOners' brazenness was no greater than
that of the congressman who enacted a
punishment for polygamy, but had none
for an offense which does not claim Di-
vine sanction and does not have bibli-
cal example.
This decree of the commissioners it is
that Judge Black advises the Mormons
to resist as unlawful, because it is not
warranted by the Edmunds bill, and it
is not enforceable under the constitu-
tion. The law declares polygamy to be
a crime and disfranchises those who
practice it but it does not invest the
commissioners with authority to sum-
marily determine the guilt of the Offend
ers, who are entitled to he tried by a
jury and a court before trey are con-
demned and punished. Furthermore,
no man can he required to testify against
himself; yet the test which the COM
missioners make is the willingness of
the voter to swear to his innocence.
Again they require him to 90 back to a
period long anterior to that at which
his Offense was made an offense, thus
subjecting him to an &c post tacto law ;
which cannot be done. In his forcible
way Judge Black makes clear the un-
lawfulneSS of the commissioners action