Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-28


HOW MONOPOLY WAS BRED.
The Senate then took up the bill to grant the
Cinnabar and Clark's Fork Railroad Company
the right of-way through portion of Yellow
stone Park.
Mr.. Logan vehemently opposed giving a
right of way to anyrairOad company through
the National Park. The mines were very
good cover, but the real object of the road
was ultimately to give the Northern Pacific
Railway a branch through the park. There
was disposition to "gObble up" everything
IN connection with the park by railroad and
hotel companies. He (L0gan) had found a
herd of cattle and horses in the park. A
department OF the United States Government
had divided into seven parts the ten acres
which the law allowed to be rented to one
company, and placed one company in posses
sion OF all the hotel privileges in the park and
drove every body else out, and now the Con-
gress of the United States was to be made a
football to be kicked about by men outside Of
il for their own personal gain.
lie (Logan) would have to do some plain
speaking upon this subject even if it caused
pain. He had been ''lObbied" more this win
ter in behalf of this railroad, by an Official of
this government, who was in receipt of 5000
a year. than he ever had been lObbed in his
life. OF course he knew the gentleman well,
but thought it very bad taste for officer of
a department having charge of the park to
become a lobbyist for the destruction of the
park. Whatever that gentleman may think Of
his (LOgan'S) remarks was immaterial. That
gentleman and Mr.. Logan had always been
good friends, but he (LOgan) lost respect for
any man who would lobby for a corporation.
lie protested against the destruction of the
park.
Mr. Vest gave the details of the manage
ment OF the park. and said that every word
stated by Mr.. Logan was true.
IN RUFUS HATCH's POWER.
The Interior Department divided 10 acres
by :, and located each one OF the fractional
parts around some of the principal natural
curiOsities of the park many miles apart, so
that. though the Rufus Haich improvement
{ hold hnf Of land
purposes, the 10 acres were not in one place,
but seven places. This established a mo-
nOpoly in one company, and was 4 distinct
violation of the spirit in which the act author
izing hotel privileges was passed. All the
transportation facilities OF the park had also
been placed in the hands of the same company.
The result was that the park was as complete
ly under the control OF the company as II 1t
were their private property. The company,
however, was, he believed, now bankrupt.
Mr. Allison inquired whether Mr.. Vest
meant to say that the park was absolutely un-
der the control Of private corporations, the
very thing that Congress had endeavored to
guard against.
Mr.. Vest said that that was lust the fact.
MIR. ingalls, asked whether it was true that
no one could get access to the park except in
vehicles of this company.
Mr. Vest replied that such was the order.
Although Congress had absolutely forbidden
a monopoly 1t had been permitted. Congress,
he said had not adjourned one week before
the contract was made. After further debate,
participated IN DY MoSSfS. harrison. MCBlef-
son. Voorhees,, Wilson and others. the matter
at O'Clock went over and the Utah bill was
laid before the Senate.
Mr.. BROWN SUPPORTS HIS AMENDMENT.
Mr.. Brown spoke at some length in support
of his amendment, offered yesterday, prOvid-
ing that voluntary sexual intercourse of a
married person with one OF the opposite sex
not husband or wife of such married person,
should be cause, and the only cause, Of absO-
lutte divorce from the bond of marriage in the
aaFaH fHsaN Il
other places subject to the exclusive jurisdic-
tiOn OF the United States; but divorces from
bed and board as common law may, in
proper cases, be granted. The constitution
he said, expressly prohibited the United
States from passing any law respecting the
establishment Of religion, or prohibiting free
exercise thereof, but this did not authorize
the practice OF immortality under the cloak
or in the name Of religion, According to the
practice of the Christian world and by the
statutes Of the United States, pOlyg-
amy was grossly immoral, and punisha-
BILE by Imprisonment but the government had
no right to punish man for a crime until he
was fully convicted in a court of competent
jurisdiction. 1t had no more right to resort to
a test oath in order to ascertain persons
guilt or innocence as to poygamy than as to
murder or manslaughter. The Edmunds bill
was shameful violation of the constitution.
There were 100000 MOrmOns who did not
practice polygamy, and the United States had
certainly no right to punish those because of
the sins of others.
CHRIST'S TEACHINGS.
Christ was the authority Of the
Christian world on the subject Of
the marriage relation and one wife
system. 1t necessarily followed that
He was or should be authority for the dissolu-
tiOn of that relation. The rule laid down by
Him was that whOsoever did put away his
wife, except for fOrnication, and should
marry again, committed adultery, and who
soever married her who had been put away
committed adultery. 1t followed that every
m "a who his wife
cation, and married another, was an adul
terer. the State law to the contrary nOtvIth-
standing. He was bigamist or polygamist,
and the woman who had illegally put
away her husband and married
another was guilty of polygandry.
because she had two husbands living. This
was as illegal according to the divine law as
was the polygamy of MormOns. Similar Of
fe lses, whether done in the District of CO.
lumbia or Utah, should be punished with like
severity. There was no escape from this
position. 1t was as illegal for man to have
two wives in Massachusetts or Georgia as In
Utah.
MORMONIsM VERSUS PROSTITUTION.
Mr.. Brown cOntrasted the social sys-
tenn of Utah with that elsewhere-lhe
prostitution of Utah, only found in the
other States and cities. Under the Mormon
system, he said, the husband cohabited
with all his wives, and
they were generally fruitful of
offspring. Under the system in other sections
of the Union, where prostitution and fOctcde
were practced, the state of things was worse
than MOrmOnism, for the murder of unborn
offspring was worse than adultery or fornica-
tiOn. Mormon held himself bound to
support and care for the offspring OF all his
wives. The GENTLE did not hold himself
bound to support the offspring of his adulter-
GUS intercourse, but cast mother and child
together INTO the streets. Why punish the
Mormon and not the Gentle? Why not take
hold of both and deal with them alike? Mr..
Brown cOntrasted what he termed the poyga-
my of New England and the polygamy of Utah,
stating that while he had no purpose to at
tack New England he made the comparison
between it and Utah because New England
had kept statistics of its crimes while other
States had not. The picture he drew was
drawn more in sorrow than in anger"
There had been over p 600 divorces granted
in New England within the last 20 years, des-
trOying p 900 families and turning loose 54,O
persons to marry again, Allillegally except
those who were divorced for adultery or for
nication in another party.
UTAH's $4,000 PoLYGAMIsTs.
Assuming that one third of them had been
divorced for adultery it would leave $4,000 di-
vorced and married again who were practic-
ing pOlygamy IN New England, while the
Utah Commission. under the Edmunds bill
after reaching Utah with test oath could find
but $4,000 men and women who would not
swear that they had never in their lives been
guilty of pOlygamy. Prostitution was prac-
ticed in New England to an alarming extent
and fpticide to an extent that If continued
would IN less than lU1 years ucpOpulate New
England of its Puritan stock. Vice avowed.
blatant and organized hindered to some ex-
tent its own diffusion, but vice silent, lurking,
trickled into all the creyasses of society.
nation Of Mormons was impOssible-not so
nation eff libertines. In Massachusetts in the
last twenty years the population had in
creased A per cent. and marriages 81 per
cent. while divorces increased l47 per cent.
II behooved the Christian and patriot to pom
der the consequence that must follow from
such a state of society.
INCoNGRUITY OF THE CHURCHES.
Churches denounced polygamv and de-
manded Its suppression, and the churcnes
were right, but how then could thev wink at
illegal divorce, how without censure see their
ministers officiating, for a petty fee. at an
adulterous marriage? If ministers and
churches did their whole duty public senti-
ment would soon sweep from our statute
books the wicked and immoral divorce laws
Mr.. Brown claimed no right to lecture either
Christian churches or their ministers but as
a citizen and Senator he felt il his duty to
express his convictions with regard to this
great evil which was undermining the sanctity
of the family, the safety of society and the
existence of the State. There were but two
means of dealing with the Mormon question
one the peaceable legal mode OF enacting
laws and enforcing them. the other to put the
MOrmons to the sword. Many had advocated
putting them TO the sword but the United
States could justify such a course, neither
before the civilized world nor at the bar of
Almighty God. How could we Justify the
butchery of 100000 persons who never prac-
ticed polygamy to atone for its practice by