The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-12
The PUKE OATH.

CSo OnO LAOAO ~ IClp VIC All
minority Of citizens in the territory
to deprive the vast msjority OF their
political and othsr right4. SOFT is q
swindlipg sort Of an oath, to begin
wish. Robbery of rights is the d.
lect of it, under color OF restoring
them. Another desperate and des
picsble part Of a desperate and deg
picAble scheme on the part OF the
minority 10 deiraud the majority.
I wonder how any honorable man
can put up his hand for it. He CENT,
unless he is ignorant of some things
which he ought to know when he
takes part in such matters.
TIE applicant for this cath uuat
swear that he is mot now a bigamis
or polygamist." How cen tie do
that, seeing that the commissioners
have ruled that once bigsmist al
ways bigamist, once a polygamis,
always polygsmist, and seeing alec
that they stick to their ruling. How
will he get out Of this dilemms2 Will
stroke of the presidential pen make
one man bigamist or poIygs mist,
and another man not O bIgamjst or
polygamist? But the difficulty is
greater than that. Il lies here-the
applicant must swear that he ia not
q bigsHist or prlyeamist before the
Presidents makes STROKE OF bis pen
on pardon tor hum. Then If be is
not a bigsmiet or polygamist why
does be required pardon? Hey!
For the commissioners declare that.
if he ever has been a bigamlst or pO-
lygamist, he is one now, henceforth,
and forever. You see this oath is
getting Things into terrible muddle
He must swear that be does not
now believe in, advocate, or in any
way uphold or couptepsnce the prac-
tice OF bigamy or polygsmy." So
that he must bind himself by oath
nevermore to exercise the freedom OF
speech or OF thought. How 10 that
for free American" Does it not
smack rather OF the Romish iuquisi-
| tion otby-gone ages?
He must swear, what it is under
stood all United States appointees for
Utah have to promise, "to DO all he
can to oppose the Mormon church. "
etc. That is q nice thing for the
President OF the United States to re-
quire citizens to do.
He must swear that he twill not
violate any law of the United States. :"
How many will keep that part Of the
oath, if it will pay them 10 break it?
But it meaue this, thst 10 matter
what law Congress shall make, the
oath-taker binds himself to keep that
law. 1t may be rankly unconstitu-
tional, il may forbid prayer to God, it
may forbid the practice OF or belief
in a particular religion, or any relig-
ion, yet the oath.tsker agrees rot to
violate it. He may violate the con
stitution, he may violate his consci-
ence, nut he must not violate las
OF the United States, or his oath will
be of non effect to him, be will lose
HIS political rights agSin. Now /
want to know what court can law
fully punish man for violating an
unconstitutional law.
This oath is wholly tor men who
have prsctised bigamg or polygamy,
and really for those who have prac-
tised it under the belief that it was q
part of the law of God to them. So
shat, to get the benefit OF the oath.
they must prove recresnt to their re-
| ligion and their God, and renegsdes
to their brethren of the same faith
and practice. They must throw up
every practice of the kind and also
all belief in its righteousness in the
sight of God. Yet Congress shall
make no law prohibiting the free
exercise Of religion" Ono.
Now this oath specially covers acts
Tin the marriage relation" and il
violation OF the Claw OF the United
States" So that s. man may be 9
horse-thiei, q swindler, burglar, g
fornicstor. seducer, an sdultererr
WhoFemonger, yea, murderer
and yet he need not be whitewashed
by this oath in order to vote and hold
Office, because those offenses are
committed mot in the marriage re-
lstion," and are not in violation O.
the laws olthe United States, gener-
ally speaking.
Lastly, before person can obtain
the benefits OF thin very curious oath,
he must secure the good graces o.
the holy Murray and the judges o.
the supreme court. What will be
the price of securing Murray's good
will and signature to the cath is not
for me to say, for I find nothing in
the oath, no Zee bill nor anything OF
that eorts TO enlighteud nee upon
| the subject. But | may be safe in
saying that 10 Mormon need apply.
Whatever he may have to pay in fees,
it is hardly supposable that anybody
will be eligible until he has thrown Oh
his stomach every trace Of every
deed, word, or thought that ssvors OF
Mormonism, and l am Eure some OF
them will need a very powerful
emetic, far stronger than ipeeac or
lobelia. Hence, is it not perfectly
I IL FNTNRat