The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-15

| But how different it is with the
gentleman when he touches upon
the Mormon problem. The inter
viewer says:
explained TO the bishop the pro-
visions Of the Cullom bill, now before the
Senate, which proposes the abolition of
the Territory of Utah, its government
BY commission which would enforce
the lax, and the remarkable attitude Of
Senator Brown, who would allow Nor
monism to shield itself under the
cloak OIL religion, which would defy in
terf.renee, and which the Senator would
only attack through ''an open Bible"
To all this Bishop Pierce listened with
interest and said;
"Mormonism can never be reached
| tor tho crime thst ii is by the strong arm
otjustics. Bigsmy is just as fiHl in Utah
as it is in Georgia, and oigamist should
not receive any more consideration IN
one plsce than the other. Abolish the
Territory. That Congress has right to
do. 1t is only when it becomes State
that it can take its place IS sovereign
community. Put commission Of de-
termined and discreet men in charge Of
the Territory. Punish sins Of impufity
Just as they a-e punished all over the
Christian world. Arm the commission
vita plensry authority. Missionary eff
fort might very properly aid the secular
authorities, bat one thing should not be
lost sight of, and that is that the evil
must not be merely talked about, but
extirpated.
It displays a weakness in his own
religion that the gentleman is an
wise to assert, in the admission that
the stree church" which he pros
fesses to have, could exercise little
or no influence in retaining the
Mormons, and leading them from
their sinful ways. At least the
Mormons have the advantage of
him in this respect, for they do not
call upon the Law to overcome the
alleged error in the belief Of
others, but through their mis-
sionaries attack those evils with
scriptural or religious weapons ;
they use persuasion instead of force
in leading from error, and if the
founder of Christianity taught any
one doc 'rine more ca nasty than
it was that man must be
led not driven to heaven. Bishop
Pierce knows the blacks, and truth
fully says they must be accorded
Justice, defining very clearly what
justice is-being simply the fair
and righteous treatment of the in
ferior race by the superior. I'M
The case of Mormonism also he
says they must be reached "by the
strong arm of justice" And what
Is his Justice in this instance? 1t is
to abolish the Territorial govern
nent, deprive all persons Of political
rights, put determined men in
charge of Utah.. arm them with
plenary power. charge them not to
lose sight of the fac. that Mormon
ism "must not be merely talked
about, but extirpsted." This would
be justice with vengeance. It is
the kind Of justice that a persen
who processes belief in God and the
teachings of Jesus Christ should be-
ashamed to suggest; it is the kind
of justice that he wouldnot dare ask
for the most depraved Pagans or the
of the Oriental religion,
lists. Perhaps the reverend gentle
man DOESN'T know what his justice
means; for the sake of Christian
humanity, we hope he does not.
But what makes the matter worse
for Bishop Pierce is the ignorance,
"a well as the rank and unworthy
pre- udice which he displays. When
q person presents a remedy
he ought to be reasonably sure that
it would prove a curative. If Bishop
Pierce imagines that the plan for
dealing with the Norm ons which he
endorses would prove effective as .
destroyer Of MormOnism. he is de.
plorably ignorant of human nature
as it maui'ests itself under the in.
faence Of religion. Unless history
is q lie and human nature has been
studied in vain the application Of
the peculiar justice that IL
suggested would lead straying Msr.
mons back into the fold and trans
form faithful saints into rank fanat-
los; it would destroy the faith
Of no one. and We question
il It would interfere with
the practices Of anyone. The
bishop. il he is familiar with
the history Of his own church,
knows how vain have been the at.
tempts to destroy 1t through the en-.
forcement OF schemes Of - ustics"
similar to that which he apnroves