The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-26
AFFAIR SHOWING.


The Washington Post is one o.
the few new papers Of the country
which can discuss the Hoar-
Edmunds bill without prejudice
and is not afraid to speak of the
measure as it deserves. Below we
reproduce an editorial which ap-
peared in the Post of the Goth, and
which clearly and intelligently
shows up the iniqulty of the pro-
posed law. and in a way that should
have a beneficial effect upon Con-
gress and the c'untry:
The bill which has just passed the
Senate for the suppression OF polygsmy
| 10 Utah, or, as it might better be en-
titled, an act for The eXtirpstion of the
Mormon Church, is well calculated to
effect that object, SO far IS it is capable
of being effec ed by statute; but the ex-
perience CT all ages and nations gees to
show that while despotic power may
crush out almost every form Of liberty,
and even scatter 10 the WINS political
communities aspiring to be free. the
liberty CT religious thought i. mex
tinguishable.
There has never been devised an in.
strument of such att ociCus and disbolic
capabilities as to obliterste principle of
faith once planted 10 human soul; and
we search the annals of history in vain
to find the record of an established sys-
tenn of worship which persecrt on, in
any of its violence and arbitrary shapes,
has succeeded in blotting out of exist.
ence. Even where the temple has been
destroyed the spirit and the incense sur
Wye.
So will it be with Mormonism. It NAV
not endure forever, but it will only yield
to wise, humane and Christian infuA
ences.
While the government OF the = nited
Ststes in the exercise Of its Legitimate
over tbs Territories may right
fully inhibit practices that are IN conflict
with its own laws or antagonistic to social
order, it ID much to be questioned
whether the object in view caa be &C,
by reducing the Mormon
Church to vassalage and trampliHg per-
s0nal rights in the dust, that elsewhere in |
he land are declared insliensble, and Of |
which the violation is recognized as q |
asst cause Of revolution.
Under the extraordinary bill! before |
us, rules of evidence that have been sol> |
by immemorial usage are ruth |
lessly set aside, the control Of the cleo
tive franchise is taken wholly out the |
hands of the Territorial Legislature, the |
right Ct Suffrage TO women that is freely |
exercised in Wyoming is here revoked, |
the Probate Court is Invested OF all |
utisCiction over the esta tes of dec 3ased |
persons that rightful heirs under existing
avs may be dispossezsed of their inheri. |
ances. the act OF incorporation of the |
CHURCH OF the Latter-dsy Saints is so ar
Innulled az to bring a purely religious
Establishment under the political man
gement of trustees to be appointed by
he President, and the charter Of the
Emigration Fund Company lie not only
.bruptiy Voided, but its property under
direction of process to be instituted by !
he Attorney General, eschealed TO the
United States.
True, it is provided that the asset, of !
be company shall be turned over to the
common school fund, but the act is mono
he less an set of high handed conf:cs.
ion, in view OF which the American
ia pie esn well afford to sl.epend jutg-
neot as to the irjustce of The govern
Dent @ LAZY coLGscatinp the eststes
# the Propaganda. If that is unjust,
bis Is inf nous.
1t is 1t by sucd methods, characteris-
ic more OF barbaric than an enlight.
ned sge, efecting more the spirit of tn
ourteenth than the nineteenth century
hat the Mormon Zion is to be brought
. terms; and il it has come to this, that
mericsn ststesn snship is incspsble of
diving plain, economic problem, with
ut renouncinR the whole til DRY 81 the
rec institutions on which the govern
nent Is based, and resorts 10 measures
nown only to the Clio L despo,i= ms of
be Old World, the repub' ic is in fair
1ay to confess itself an inglo. ious and
until ating failure.