The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-07
poLYGAMY AND DEMOCRACY.


ago, is spreading into adjacent Territories,
and its influence is still growing. The diff
Guilty of dislodging this nest of offenders
against the best interests of society will be
more apparent next year than this, for not a
month passes that it is not augmented by
fresh Converts" The opponents of this
faith" are busy in several of the States of the
Union, and all western Europe is being
systematically canvassed to secure prose-
lytes. Shipload after shipload of over-per-
suaded men, women and innocent girls are
being landed on our shores and hurried
away to the despotic theocracy at Salt Lake.
1t is a marvel that the evil has not gone
down long ago, for public sentiment every
where outside of the Mormon Church is prac-
practice of having a plurality of wives.
Its iniquity is too apparent to
require argument. The President,
in his annual message, has pointed
out a remedy. Let the territorial organiza-
ton of Utah be declared dissolved, so that it
will again come under the absolute control
of the government. Then such legislation
can be passed as will kill this thing.
The needed reform, so long apparent to
everybody, has been delayed by a hesitancy
to employ heroic means. 1t is this same fear
of violating technical laws that has enabled
the vicious and wicked to escape deserved
punishment. But for q supersensitive
respect for the letter of the law, we
would better observe its spirit and
intent. 1t is a reflection upon common
sense and destructive of justice to allow
technicalities to defeat the object of statutes.
Whatsha be the end of this polygamous
infamy, unless something e%ffectual be done?
Shall an unnatural respect for the letter of
the law work a defense for anything that is
harmful, not only to those who practice
it but to society everywhere? A due respect
for the law is the foundation of society.
This will be conceded without argument.
But the absurdity of placing an interpreta-
ton on law that is not supported by sim
plest reason is becoming so apparent that an
end will be put to it. 1t is no respect for
the law to put on it other than the
construction it obviously calls for. Nor is it
in the interest of anybody but criminals to
allow literal constructions to defeat the pur-
pose of any statute. We have had so much
of this that the public is heartily sick and
tired of it, and the feeling of disgust and
mistrust is only too frequently and disgrace
fully manifested through mob violence.
The open and defiant practice of polygamy
is a fostering sore on the body of this great
republic. 1t must be cut out and the horrible
scar healed over before we can ever hope to
respect ourselves in the eyes of the civilized
vel will be thai enlightened America toler-
ated it so long.
But there is one difficulty in the way that
will retard this needed reform. True to its
instincts, that invariably lead it to espouse
the wrong, the Democratic party, by its ma
jority in the House, scarcely dares take effect
ual measures against the Mormon iniquity.
The organ of the church at Salt Lake has bit
terly denounced the recommendation of the
President, and has defiantly declared
that ~polygamy is an eternal prlnci-
Pile that cannot be overturned. 1t con-
cludes its TRADE of abuse by appealing
with confidence to the Democrats in the
House to kill any action looking to the ex-
tirpation of the fundamental sin of the
people, who have chosen to defy popular
opinion and the best judgment of civiliza-
ton. That they will find allies in the Dem
t~eristic of the Democratic party to be wrong
and to defend the wrong. Saturated with a
love for States rights and slavery, that party
has never been able to rise above it's narrow
and prejudiced bounds, and can never
be counted on to voluntarily
take steps toward better govern
ment and a higher grade of public
morality. The charges, so repeatedly sus-
tanned, will still lie upon them unless some
practical means is offered whereby this ma
tional disgrace may be removed. During the
time that the Republican party had absolute
control of public affairs there were many
matters of even greater moment that called
for immediate attention. These are now
happily out of the way; rebellion has been
put down, slavery killed, the negro enfran-
chised, the great debt reduced, and business
established on a solid foundation. The
Democrats who now have control of the
Hous have it in their power to do some
thing that will be effectual. But it is unnat-
ural to expect it, for such reforms do not
originate with the Democratic party. The
nnblic will have an opportunitY to see what