The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-07-30
THE MORMON QUESTION.

hibitlng the free exercise thereof"
For century, under this guarantee
Protestant and Catholic, Jew and
Gentle, have worshiped God accor-
ding to the dictates Of conscience.
But religious liberty must not be
perverted to the justification of Of
fences against the law. Areligious
sect, strongly intrenched in one ofthe
territories OF the Union, and spread
ing rapidly into four other Terrific
ries, claims the right to destroy the
great safeguard and muniment Of So
cial order, and to practice as arelig-
ious privilege that which is q crime
punished with severe penalty in
every State of the Union. The sa-
credness and unity of the family
must be preserved as the foundation
of all civil government, as the source
of orderly administration, as the
surest guarantee of moral purity.
The claim of the Mormons that
they are divinely authorized to prac-
tice polygamy should no more be
admitted than the claim of certain
heathen tribes, if they should come
among US, to continue the right of
human sacrifice. The law does not
interfere with what a man believes
it takes cognizance of only what he
does. As citizens, the Mormons are
entitled to the same civil rights as
others, and 10 these they must De
confined. Polygamy can never re-
ceive national sanction or federation
by admitting the community that
upholds it as a State in the Union.
Like Others, the Mormons must
learn that the liberty of the individ-
ual ceases where the rights of socie-
ty begin.
OUR CURRENCY.
The people Of the United States
though often urged and tempted,
haye never seriously contemplated
the recognition of any other money
than gold and silver-and currency
directly convertible into them.
They have not done so, under any
necessity less pressing than that Of
desperate war. The one special re-
quisite for the completion of our
monetary system is the fixing of the
relative values Of silver as the
money of account among Asiatic
nations, taken in connection with
the increasing commerce ofthe world
gives the wsightiest reasons for an
international agreement in the
premises. Our Government should
not cease to urge this measure until
a common standard of value shall be
reached and established-a standard
that shall enable the United States
to use the silver from its mines as
ali auxiliary to gold in settling the
balances of commercial exchange.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The strength of the Republic Is
increased by the multiplication of
land-holders. Our laws should lock
to the judicious encouragement of
actual settlers on the public domain
which should hencefOrth be held as
a sacred trust for the benefit of those
seeking homes. The tendency to
consolidate large tracts of land in
the ownership Of individuals or cor
porations should, with proper regard
10 vested rights, be discouraged.
One hundred thousand acres oflands
in the hands of one man is far less
profitable to the Nation in every
way than when its ownership is di-
yided among one thousand men.
The evil Of permitting large tracts
of the National domain to be consoli-
dated and controlled by the few
against the many is enhanced when
the persons controlling it are alien.
1t is but fair that the public land
should be disposed of only to act
nal settlers and to those who are
citizens Of the Republic, or willing
to become SO.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our National interests one
languishes-the foreign carrying
trade. Il was very seriously Grip
pied in our civil war, and another
blow was given to it in the general
substitution of steam for sail in
ocean traffic. With a frontage on
the two gereat oceans, with freigh-
tage larger than that of any other
nation, we have every induce
ment to restore our navigation.
Yet the Government has hitherto
refused its help. A small share of
the encouragement given by the
Government to railways and to man
ufactures and a small share of the
capital and the zeal given by our
citizens TO those enterprises would
have carried our ships to every sea
and TO every port. A law just enac-
ted removes some Of the burdens
upon our navigation and inspires
hope that this great interest may at
last receive Its due share OF attention.
All efforts in this direction should
receive encouragement.
sACREDSEss OF THE BALLOT.
This survey of our condition as
nation reminds Us that material
prosperity is but mockery il it does
not tend to preserve the liberty Of
the people. A free ballot is the safe
guard of republican institutions,
without which no national welfare
l. assured. A popular election,
honestly conducted, embodies the
very majesty Of true government.
Ten millions Of voters desire to take
part in the pending contest The
safety Of the Republic rests upon
the integrity of the ballot, upon the
security Of suffrage to the citizen.
To deposit fraudulent vote is no
worse crime against constitutional
liberty than to obstruct the deposit
of an honest vste. He who eorrupts
suffrage strikes at the very root Of
free government. He is the arch
enemy of the Republic. He forgeis
that in trampling upon the rights OF
others he fatally imperils his own
rights. at is a good land which the
Lord our God doth give Us" but we
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