The Ottawa free trader., 1884-01-19
THE MORMON PROBLEM.

with Normonism. The method he pro-
noses for ITS solution is, however, not a
new one; 1t ia substantially the same as
that suggested by the President in his mes
sage, though Mr.. Culom claims priority
rs lis inventor, being the same he had the
honor 10 propose when member o! the
other house of congress eight years ago
It IS simply 70 take all poli!lca! power
away from the people of Utah, an! place
the control of the territory in The hsnds
Iuf legislative cOnncil consisting Of nine
men, citizens Of the territory, 70 oc ~,
pointed by the President and confirmed BY
the senate, said council 70 have the same
powers that have hitherto been granted to
the territorial Legislature. In the lengthy
speech Mr. Culom made in support Of
this proposition he IS reported as saying, in
substance:
at Is worse ihan folly Tor the Govern
mcnt to tinker with this question from
year to year, and At The same tune leave
! The whole legal power Of the territory in
the hands Of the men who arc telia1tly
violating national llw The local leg'sl?-
,ors are meh high IL the church. The
Judges OF the local courts arc Bishops ~
iolher high officers OF the church. The
local Government of the Territory Is az
ecclesiastical despo,ism such as should uo!
be allowed to exist IN this country. II
placing the entire government o! these
people IN the hands Of men lCyal to the
Consultation, the laws, and the Institutions
of the country, men subject to removal by
the President, and whose laws shall be
subject to the spprova! of Congress, Will
not result in producing better condition
of affairs IN Utah, know oi no poaceable
solution of the question, II the bill
which have had the honor of presenting
should become o law there need be very
little difficulty IN bringing about the
change which would be necessary in the
Territory. It's sole purpose Is 10 take ell
political power and control from those
people, because they hold o higher alleg!-
ance 10 their church than 10 the Republic,
and 70 substitute Legislative Council in
the stead OF the Territorial Legislature
now provided by iaw,"
But, Mr.. Cu!loAl, il these people hold
a higher allegiance to the church than 20
the Republic" and IN all things obey the
ecclesiastical IN preference TO the civil
authorities, how will your legislative coun.
Gil Of nine govern the people any better or
differently from the present legislature ?
There Will continue to be, az there are
now, two governments in the territory, the
grand sanhedrIm or council, or whatever
Il Is called, OF the church, and the terrific
rial legislature changed by this bill into q
council Of nine. In all matters Of local
administration pertaining TO the affairs Of
daily life, evil and criminal, the two gov
crnments will probably continue, as here
tOiorc, 10 be in perfect accord. Bat a. 10
the higher matters" pertaining g re-
Iligiop, the "sanhedrlm" will 20 On lovyinE
ts ti,hs, regulating the educational mat
tiers, the worship, amusemcnt', holiday
and everyday conduct of the people, ~
mics, as fully rs II NJ legislative or other
authority in the territory existed, And
what is the government u 10 about ~
With the Mormons this Is all matter oi
,elig,ous duty and faith, and have they not
the same freedom ,ha, is guaranteed ~ all
other people by the constitution in matters
Of religious belief and practice? Only N
the one poInt-lhat Of polygamy will t1e
two bodies come III collision, and on that
pom, they have already been in COLLISION
for years. To say nothing ot the stringent
provisions against po!ygamy in the Ed
munds bill, other laws Of congress, a. long
as ten years ago, have pretended T. trca,
polygsmy IN Utah ~ n crime and attempt
ed 20 punish il IN the courts Bat has u
single polygamist ever been punished
The answer of course Is none, and Why
none? Have The courts been dishonos' or
failed IN their duty? The courts have
been appoiItees Of the federal executive
and never lacked in u willingness or snxi
etyIto punish any polygamist to the extent Of
the law that might be brought before them
and convicted. But no such conviction
could ever be had, because, although the
accused might bc openly AMI VIGOROUSLY
living with and supporting u dozen of
wives, 10 evidence Of his polygamous
marriage could ever be screwed out of
whatever witnesses might b. brought into
court And will this council oi ninc he
able % DO any better: To say nothing Of
the very questionable constitutionality of
the measure, for u is hard TO see how a
lawab,dlng citizen Of territory csn be
legelly disiranchised because his priest
has dozen Of wives any more Than "a
Catholic can be punished because his
priest has no wife,-it is pslpable thst II
can have no more effect in the way Of
eysdica,ing or even touching the crime Of
poiygsmy IN Utah than puff of wind.
In splte Of the Cullom bill, the Mormon
problem RENAME upsolved.
THE GtIIDTs THREE mUrdege1, .x-