The Rock Island Argus., 1884-01-14
THE DAILY ARGUS.
Monday January II. 1884.
AFTER THE SAINTS.
Senator Cullom Reviews the History
OF the Mormon Church.
He Argues Against 4Ey More TinlI.
ering with the Twin Relic, and
Wants Some Radical
LegiSintiOn.

Wants Some Radical
Legislation.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 14--During tho |
session of the senate on Friday, the Molylon
question was discussed at length by Senator
CUlom, OF Illinois. Mr. Cullom's address !
was very strong arTaignnent of the Nor
mons, and commanded unusual attention
The senator expressed the opinion that a care
ful examination OF the history of the Mormon
church from its organization down to the
pres nt day ought to convince every
senator that it was their bounden duty
as representatives Of the people and
as in part responsible for the per-
petuiiy of the Christian religion, TO
take such legislative action as would result
III the certain subiection of the Morlnons to
the laws of the nation. BE reviewed al some
leneih the history of the Mormon church,
finding IN it numerous illustrations of the
dangers that threaten the country By reason
Of the lawleSs spirit and treasonabla designs
OF that organization, aud sketching its pro
gress from the period when Joe Smith
pretended TO have discovered the 50 called
Book of MOrmOns" down to the present
day. Referring in forcihle terms TO
the infamous Mountain Meadows massacre as
the one dark spot in the disgIaceful record OF
MormOnism that can never he etlaceti Gov
Cullom declared that the organization had
always been so corrupt and immoral in
its practices teachings and tendencies, as to
Justify the government in assuming absolute
control of Utah territory and in giving to the
Mormon church or its followers abso-
Ia, +ha lr,,5,,
of public affairs The Mormons
had been at war with good society and with
good morals wherever they had secured
foothold. They were to-day building up
government hostile to the government of the
United States and essentially at war with
Republican institutions and principles. By
well organized system of immigration they
were annually bringing to this country
thousands Of paupers from the old world,
subjects of Mormon delusiot, who were
taught TO hate this gov, Inment Wherever
Mormon societies existed the laws of the
United States were a dead letter And this
people, animated by such a spirit and gov
erned by such a teaching have increased in
numbers, material resources, and influence
at a rate that promised to seriously threaten
the peace of the country before many years
They have obtained possession of all the
valuable lands in the territory, and secured
control of all the water-courscs in the terri,
tory, and in large part of Arizona and
Idaho. They completely controlled Utah,
and If allowed to carry out their designs uu-
checked would ere long control five OF six of
the western states and territories. Under the
present organization of Utah the government
had failed utterly to use its own courts to
punish polygamy or to compel obedience to
the laws of the nation.
In this connection Gov. Cullom alluded to
the Intellectual efforts he had made fifteen
years ago, while a member Of the house and
chairman Of the committee on territories.
to secure legislation that would enable the
courts to enforce the laws in Utah He be-
lieved the Edmunds act inadequate to
remedy the existing state Of affairs. and was
informed that instead of discouraging polvg-
amy the practice had actually increased
since it went into effect The duty of gran
pling with this question could not with safety
be put aside. Delay was dangerous and a
disgrace. What should be done3 In the
senator's opinion there was but one thing left
to be done, and that was to strip the Mormon
church of all political power. 1t was wors
the question from year to year. and at
the same time leave the whole legal power
of the territory in the hands of men who de-
family violate national laws The entire ma
chinery Of the local government of Utah was
in the hands of Mormons, who were dictated
to by the church This local government
was an ecclesiastical despotisrn, such as
should not be allowed to exist in this coun-
try The only adequate and peaceable
solution of the question, Senator CuI-
lon believed, was b. placing the govern
ment of the territory wholly IN the hands Of
men loyal to the constitution, the laws, and
the institutions of this country-men subject
to removal by the president, and whose laws
should be subject to approval by congress.
His bill simply proposed to substitute for the
territorial legislature, now wholly CON
trolled by the Mormon church
legislative council, chosen by the presi-
dent With such change he believed
that the country would soon see
the end Of the ecclesiastical despotisn for
thirty years prevailing in Utah, and the be-
ginning of obedience to the laws Of the GOV
ernment He did not advocate this as a
permanent arrangement, declaring himself
as in favor of local self-government as a gen
eral proposition, but as an expedient that
seemed to be necessary to remedy the present
deplorable state of affairs. He wanted to
strip the Mormons of political power, not be-
cause of their religion, but because they held
higher allegiance to their church than to
the republic.
In conclusion Gov. Cuilom fortified the
proposition made in his bill by citing author
tiles, showing that congress had full authority
to govern the territory according to its sound
discretion. This position was sustained by
Story and by Kent and by decisions of the
supreme court and by the action Of congress
itself in several cases. And to show that
congress had the right to take away
from the people Of Utah the govern
nent it had given them, he referred to the
case of the District of Columbia when the
right of suffrage was revoked and govern
ment by commissioners established, and to
the provisional government set up in the
southern states during the period of recon
struction, concluding by expressing his con-
viction that congress had power TO do what
ever the necessities of the case might require
and the hope that the subject would receive
the consideration from the present congress
il deserved