Morning journal and courier., 1884-04-02
wednesday, April 2, 1854.
A SAINTS oomPLA1NT.

John r. Oaine, the Mormon delegate to
Congress from Utah, has been talking about
the attacks made upon the ''saints'' by
people in the East, and his remarks are in
tsresting on account of their impudence.
Delegate Caine cannot believe that any
of the various measures against Mormon
ism now before Congress will come to frui-
ton, since 'srs-peet for the constitution is not
yet entirely obsolete, and manliness and fair
ness have still their place in the midst of our
national lawmakers" He asks, (which is
the greatest crime-ths practice of patri-
archal marriage by possibly ten thousand
people, or the enslaving and spoliation of a
whole territory, nine-tenths of the inhabi-
tants of which are not even charged with
offences against the laws?" And he continues:
If sincere desire to enforce the laws against
polygamy animated the men who are now
crying for more legislation they would cease
to whine, since they know that there are al
ready in existence more than enough statutes
to cover the case. The trouble is that they
are not honest in their demand. They are
too intent upon using former laws and seek
ing new ones to disfranchise their political
opponents, to be able to pay much attention
to the supposed purpose of the laws. The
Edmunds bill became statute two years ago.
and under it about II, 900 people, without
trial or official investigation, were deprived
of the ballot. The Utah commissioners ad
NIT that this number included, according to
present praotisers of plural marriage. What
more could In reason be asked? And yet be-
fore the ink of the executive signature to
that law was dry the clique were declaring
that it was . failure, that it did not go far
enough, and were demanding further legisla-
tion And unless some moral revolution
should interrupt their schemes they will grow
old and die with this unseemly, dishonest re-
quest upon their lips. But if their demand
should be acceded to, and such a tyrannous
measure should be passed as would place
1OO, 600 industrious, thrifty, moral and tenn
perate people. with their homes and savings.
at the mercy of band of unserupulous ad-
venturers. as sure as men shall live to write,
future history will class our case with that of
the early Christians-the Huguenots and the
Pilgrims.
for the solution of the Mormon question
Delegate Caine had none to offer, but he said
all that the Mormons ask is a full investiga
ton Of Utah affairs by statesmen. And then
he again attacked the motives of those op
posed to Mormonism as follows The clique
who ask for stranRling legislation are as
rule men who have not single religious or
moral objection against plural marriage.
They use ''polygamy" as a battle cry and in
their hearts they do not have a single wish
for its annihiIation. If morality were their
actuating motive why did they not enforce
without discrimination the disfranchising
provisions of the Edmunds act? That law
expressly disqualifes from voting and hold
ing Office not alone men and women who
have entered plural marriage with the most
sacred and self-sacrifeing motives which can
govern humanity, but also practicers of the
social evil, monogamists guilty of marital in
fidelity, and makes altogether a very sweep
ing application.
1t is possible that the real spirit of Nor
nonism is not understood by the American
people as it is by Delegate Caine, but it
seems certain that Delegate Oaine does not
understand how the American people feel
about the vile system of which he is repre-
sentative. If he did he would hardly talk as
impudently and defiantly as he does Polyg-
amy must go.