Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-29
POLYGAMY As vaoMAE's CUES.


As wss anticipated, the Edmunda bill fails
when its provisions are put into operation,
to curb the practice of polygamy among the
Mormons in Utah. II the Mormons have a
right 10 marry and live with as many wives
as they please, as the Mohsmmedans do in
Turkey, then that bill is uoj1st in forbidding
that nractice II the Mnrmnna in Utah
have no more right to plurality of wives
than have the citizens of the United States
generally, then they must be held 10 equal
responsibilities with other cit zeDs who, il
they marry one wife while another is living,
are subjected by the law to pains and penal
ties. The Salt Lake Tribune says: 1.-THE
Edmunds Law was framed in mercy, and
was meant TO provide easy stairs
up which the Mormons might as
cend to the plane of real Americanism."
That law removed penalties for past
transgressions, legitimatized thousands OF
Legitimate children in Utah and, the Ifi-
bune says, would have been gladly accepted
by the Mormon people, bat their ruling
priests, by evil coupsels, led them TO oppose
it. "Fhe American people," adds the Tribune,
care 40 free that they recoil against abridglng
the claims OF any who, in the name of lib
erty, appeal TO them" but The Mormons, it
is clear, are not 10 be won from their "pecu-
liar institution" by forbearance. The re-
suit OF the Edmunds bill lays clearly down
before the people of the United States the
unpleasant alternative that polygamy must
either be efectuslly prohibited as a crime, or
admitted as practice allowable to citizsus
Of these States, and 80 TO admit Utah, with
polygsmy, as q Stale into the Union.
But men could not with any consist
enoy be put into the penitentiary
in one s ate for an act that was
legal in another. Polygamy thus legalized,
the legality carrying with it the right OF the
Utah citizen 10 carry and hold mis- wives in
another State, no wife in any part of the
country would be safe from having other
wives introduced by her husband into his
family. Viewed in this light, the Mormon
question assumes a very serious sspecl-one
affecting every household, snd one of su-
preme Importance to every American woman.
POhgGmy in no State, or polygaHly in every
State, il the alternative that stares US all in
the face. an alternative that viii, before
long, compel the attention of every American
citizen, for The pOlygamy question cannot be
kept shut up within the confines of Utah, SO
that we may say it ia no concern OF ours, thus
asking the question we find in the
Scriptures, "Am 1 my brothers keeperT
We learn from the Salt Lake Iri5Gns
of Friday last that the next move
of the Mormon priests is foresh allowed in
their orgsn, the Salt Like Nsws. 1t is to get
up test case in the courts, for the purpose OF
obtaining decision that no polygaui man
or woman can be deprived of the right OF
voting at elections until they have been legally
tried and convicted Of polygamy. The Iii'
bttne is of opinion that the courts would have
to decide in favor of this Mormon claim, and
we presume most lawyers will regard that
opinion as correct. As the Mormons marry
secretly, in a way 10 elude all attempts 10
prove the commission CT an otfense against
the law, such a cecision reduces the Edmunds
law to a nullity, and leaves the Mormons as
unrestrictsd as before ii was passed. The de-
cision of the courts in favor Of the Mormon
view of the question will bring clearly before
the country the broad question-is every
State 10 be open to polygamy or none? And
every American woman will have 10 asks
my household safe?