The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-12-26
PRESIDENT VS.. PREACHER ON
POL YGANY.

Fort worth, (rexasl Cazstfa-
It il interesting and perhaps in
structive to contrast the views of
two such men as President Arthur
and Henry Ward Beecher on poly
gamy. Both are men of the world,
but trained in the school of thought
and utterly at variance on some
very important questions that enter
into the political economy of the
country The president is impress
ed with the enermity of Mormon
practices and frankly confesses that
Utah and the polygamists are be-
yond the control of ordinary legis-
lation. DisfraDchiseraent, fines and
imprisonment, he comedies, are ut
terly inadequate TO work the sup
preston of polygamy and make
nonogamists of the the Mormons
And 1espairlng of the efficacy of or
binary legislation, he suggests, in
his message, what may be termed
(by courtesy heroic treatment.
To what extent this treatment shall
20 is left 10 surmise. But certainly
il must be more drastic than the law
now in force, and the country is
aware of its rigorous provisions.
This is the resource of a politician
and man of the world, wesried and
Disguised with the futile efforts of
the past. The preacher views the
matter as a man of the world, too,
but he reasons from an entire
different standpoint than the
presidents Mr. Beecher visited
Utah while out en- his recent lectur-
ing tour, ahd in recent sermon he
took Occas on TO speak of polygamy
and the Mormons. His remarks
seem especially designed for con
trast with the presidents utterance
on the same subject, which came a
few DAYS later. Said the preacher:
ais there no remedy? l think
there are two-one is to let them
alone. and the other is to put them
to the sword. Let us look at both
of them, and first, the Edmunds bill
has been not only no disadvantage
TO the Mormon Church, but a great
advantage 1t has driven in all the
wanderers and consolidated them.
1t has made them feel again perse-
cuted people.
think the poorest people on the
face ofthe earth to play at despotism
is the great intelligent American
people; and to send forth a body of
men armed to the teeth to exter-
inmate polygamy, not bound by the
laws of EVIDENCE, forming their own
Judgment rs to guilt or innocence,
laying the hand of power on whom
sOever they think it necessary to
lay il. would be an extraordinary
state of things. Well, what is the
other remedy? Let them alone, re-
ceive them into the Union; with
draw your soldiers; let them have
their Church. Let them be open
TO all the influences that are affect
ing the public sentiment of every
other State in the Union"
There is food for thought in these |
words of Beecher. He has grasped |
the situation and presented the alter
natives so clearly that they may be
read by him who runs. The coun-
try will soon be called upon to con
slider. the Mormon question again.
Mr.. Edmunds cOnfesses the failure
Of his anti polygamy bill, and he and
lther congressman are at work franz
ing new measures to deal with the
wonderfully blended system of re-
igio social ethics that has grown
up in Utah. Whose remedy is the
Tlsest, presidents or preachers?
History is full of examples where
has been the means of
up systems or policies
which unprecedented had surely per-
shed as by dry rot-pressed to the
wall and crushed out of existence
Dy what Mr.. Matthew Arnold has
lptly termed the tendencies of civil
ization.