The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-11-04


never disgTaced the statute books of the
nation. Yet, because the people of
Utah, by their prudent conduct /
and union. have not permitted |
it to work the havoc that was |
intended, they are threatened now
with still harsher legislation, and |
to hear the talk in some quarters |
upon the subject one might imagine |
the Edniunds law to be the most bene-- |
ficent Of schemes, and the people OF
Utah to be most senseless and defiant |
because they did not accept it as such. |
The principal reason now urged Tor
this additional legislation is that the
Edmunds law failed in its object.
Failed in its object! What could have
been expected from It? Can that be
called failure which by an in
geniously framed test oath, without
trial or conviction, or any other process
known to the laws, excludes 1900
citizens from the polls? The cry has
been 1--WE must strike down polygamy:"
With one blow 1000 have been struck,
and struck so deKtrOusly under this
law that no man or woman, however
guilty of sexual crimes outside OF the
marriage relation, has been touched.
What mex? Not satisfied with this
radical ami sweeping measure, Congress
has been asked 10 follow this up by leglS-
lation the Ike Of which can only be
found IN THOSE prosecuting edictS which
disgraced Rome, and which IN modern
nations, like France and England,
liberal men blush for, and were never
content nntii they had been wiped out.
1t Is something more than polygamy
now. The measure proposed would
strike down tic liberties OF the non
polvgamous people OF the Territory.
What frenzy is this? Is il the Mormon
religion thai is the object sought to be
DESTROYED? 1t must be that Orelse why
am [ and the tens Of thousands of non
polvgamous citizens of Utah to be
stripped of our rights of citizenship?
The only truthful accusation that can
be made against us is that Of our belief ;
and IS it for this that we are to be
punished?
1t is true that by the enactment OF
such measures as these now proposed
great suffering can be inflicted upon
the people of Utah; but they who
suppose that by such means either the
faith OF those now in that church, or the
growth o. tnc church will be checked or
DESTROYED, deceive themselves. They
never did, and while human nature re-
mains as it's, they never will accomplish
such results All history attests the
inefficiencY OF such measures IN ac-
compliShing such ends. No amount or
sophiStry can make these acts appear
other than acts OF persecution. They
viii be viewed rs such not ONLY by the
people Of Utah, but i'y thinking men
the world over,
Mr.. Chairman-The whole idea OF I'M
constitutional legislation is repugnant
But when unconStitutiOnality Is linked
with vicious tyranny, as in the case OF
the Legislative Commission scheme
proposition, the dislike is intensified.
The people of the Territory of Utah
have enjoYed the right of local Seif-gov-
eminent for more than a third of CEN
turv. There is no evidence that they
have abused this right. They have con,
ducte1 their Territorial government
duriI that time without incurring one
dollsr of bonded Indebtedness, and
taxa-ion has been light and equItably
Imrjosed. The ratio OF illiteracv is less
thin that of any other Territory, anC
be DIV that OF many States. Congress
hes rarely had occasion to revise tn
legislation enacted by their Territorial
Assembly.
What, then. is the object of this pro
posed extraordinary legislation by Con
gress? The preteXt Is to eradicate tn
alleged evil ofpolygamy. The exercise o.
unconstitutional and tyrannlcal powe
cannot be justified by the claim that
is necessary to effect the moral reforma
ton OF any community. Anothe
reason sometimes given why the peopl
4 of Utah should be disfranchiscd, Is be
cause the Mormons dominate the Tel
Z ritoryl True; but they are more tina
s. per cent. Of the entire population
the Territory. Thomas Jefferson III
clared that absolute Hcquiescence
the decisions of the ms ity is the Wit;
Driuciple OF republics, from which theI
is no appeal bus to force, the vital priI
chile and immediate parent of despo
ism.
The MormOnS not only conStitut
more than So per cent. of the populatiO
of Utah, but they constitute nine-tentl
OF the agricultural and pastoral porto
OF the community; with the exceptio
ofmining and smelling, they contr
almost every public enterprise in Il
Territory. They reclaimed the deSeI
and made it bloom like a garden. The
made the country habitable. Perhal
itsis not claiming too much to asse
that they alone could have accor
pHshed this truly wonderful wor
Their organization and community C
operation, verify believe, alone MAJ
it possible.
The object of this proposed legiSlatiC
must be public plumber political spoil
The concentration of power III f.
persons not accountable to the peoI
for their acts, would inevitably rest
in the most direful evils. That unscr
pulous men might attain power and G
ercise 1t arbitrarily and corruptly und
che proposed legislation is undeniab
The temptations would be great. /
ligioIs animoSity, local prejudiceS, a.
personal feeling-to say nothing OF 10
of power and greed for gain, would-co
spire to warp mems judgments a
bias their conduct. 1t would place
the hands OF the Governor and malt
itv of the Commission the entire II
chinery of the Territorial governmel
They could and doubtless would (
prive the Mormon people of all voice
their municipal, county and Tel
torial affairs They would parcel c
the entire patronage of the Territo
Nearly one thousand local offices woy
be at their disposal, to reward the ri
of men who are behind this scheme a
who hope and expect, should it becol
law, to receive these places for the
selves and their friends. The impc
ton and collection of taxes and the
bursement of all moneys would be unt
their control. These facts answer
question, What is the melting mot
10 this proposed legislatiOn1"
The Territory would be indeed a