Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-15
Congress and the Mormon Problem.

congress ana tne mormon fTOOlem'
| 1t is noteworthy that in the debate
| in the senate on Senator Cullom's anti
/ polygamy measure, the Southern sena-
tors, as rule, deprecate drastic legis-
lation. In no instance, of course, do
they offer even word of excuse for
polygamy They simply condemn the
methods which it is proposed to apply
to Utah-the abolition of the territorial
government, Acknowledgement of Nor
monism and the institution of form
of government radically different from
that in force in the other territories.
| The Southern senators no doubt recall
the reconstruction period in the South,
when the overthrow of local sell-gov-
eminent opened the door TO horde of
adventures, bold and unscrupulous,
who preyed on the Southern people
and grew fat on the spoils and pick
ings. 1t is TO be feared that Utah is
drifting to the same fate. The bulk of
her people are Mormons. If they are
DISTINGUISHED, uebarred from holding
office, sitting on iuries or testifying in
court, ii is easy to imagine at what u
disadvantage they will be placed in all
transactions involving their personal
rights or security, or protection of
property. 1t sounds strange to hear
in the United States congress PROPOSE
tions to deal so harshly with the peo-
pie Of any section of the Union. And
ii is to be doubted if even this iron
clad policy will have the effect of eX-
terminating polygamy. Intolerant
treatment makes heroes and martyrs
of men who otherwise would be ve.y
common place characters, and in perse-
cution the Mormons will find strength
If left to itself, treated wi h contempt,
we verify believe the polygamy feature
of the Mormon religion would die out
with this emtury. Utah Is one isolated
spot where the system exists. The
waves of moral, vigorous civilization
are washing against it from every side
and it is bui % que ton of time when
they will sweep over t, downing out
the last vestige OF a prac ic, that is r.
pugnant to the civilization of the
world. Census statistic, show that
seven out of every ten Mormons are
monogamists. The younger genera
ton that is growing up and coming
on the scene OF action are men who
take but one wife. With the passing
away of the Older generation, the men
who were contempOraneuus with
brigham Young, the polygamy fea.
ture will have nearly disappeared.
The fragment that is left can not con-
tend with the forces of our American
civilization. One of the most brainy
Americans Henry Ward Beecherl
who has investi .nted this Mormon
problem, gives it "a his candid opiuion
that acknowledgements and imprison-
ment will never root out the evil. And
men like Senator Brown and other
Southern senators, who listen to the
proposition TO deny civil rights and the
ordinary privileges of liberty to an en-
tire section of the Union discern there |
III step fraugh with gravity--a prec- I
edent that may be dangerous and that
VIII return, some day, to plague some
other section long after the Mormon
trouble has been disposed of. There
cannot he, as we have said, any pallia-
'lon Tor polygamy, but 1t may be said
That even polygamist has some rights
which the nation ought to respect.