The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-12
Mornaonisn.
Views of Son of Orson Pratt, Gov. Muir
ray and Congressman Reed.

A son of the late Orson Pratt, one of the ORR
ginal Mormon apostles is in Washington. HeIis
an ardent anti-Mormon. He Gays: "We have
been waiting 20 years, thinking that each sue
ceeding Congress would do something for Utah
but it has never been done. When the Poland
bill was passed we hoped something from it,
but the vital part was taken from it, so that it
amounted to nothing. You ask how it happens
am not q Mormon. I'll tell you. am the son
of nv fathers first wife, and had mother who
taught me the evil of the system. There are
many such persons in Utah, and, the tendency
of their education being opposed to Mormanism
they grow up hostile to the institution, and
more than half apt to be Disguised with all
forms of religion. Some of the older and more
fanatical Mormons have an idea that the gov
eminent cannot deal with them. They think
they are more powerful than the United States
OF course this is not true. Of the more intelli-
gent class, Mr.. Cannon for example, they know
better What we want is blow struck at pol
ygamy. We want it wiped out. don't care
straw for the sunseatipg of Mr.. Cannon on
techpicaity, if nothing is to be done to put
down polygamy I would as soon have Mr.
Cannon in Congress as Mr.. Campbell, and per-
haps rather. 1t is not Mr.. Cannon we are fight
ing, but polygamy."
Mr. Pratt was asked what would be the re-
suit in Utah by the unseating of Mr.. Cannon,
provided the committee on elections reported
against him. He replied: "The case in that
event would, suppose, be referred back to the
people, and the Mormons would elect another
ma n, but monogamist. The vote in this case
shows about the proportion OF Mormons and
Gentiles. 1t ia over ten to one in favor of the
Mormon population, and, of course, they can
always carry the election as long as they have
the right to VOTE"
Gov. Murray of Utah said: 81 am not
in favor of dividing the territory of Utah as
some have proposed, and attaching portion of
it to Colorado and Nevada. This would accom-
plish no good. 1t would simply insure Nevada
to the Democrats, and also most likely turn
Colorado into Democratic state. The Nor
mons are Democrats. am in favor of abolish
ing the present form of territorial government
and administer the affairs of the territory by
council appointed by the President. What We
are striving for is the agitation of the subject
and to rouse Congress to action. We want Mr..
Cannon unseated, for the moral effect it will
have on the polygamist."
Congressman Reed of Maine remarked
that the great difficulty in the way of effective
legislation against polygamy. in his opinion,
was that, under our system, the enforcement
of laws depended upon the local sentiment of q
community to which it applied. Congress
might enact statute, but if the weight of pub
lie sentiment was against it, it would be mop
erative. This was the case in the South, and
it had become SO apparent that it was no use to
attempt to force law upon community
where the weight of public opinion was so hos
tile to it, that the position had to be practically
abandoned. This was the trouble in Utah.