The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-01-17
rHx aroRMoN pRoR1rn

( Its Discussion Yesterday In the Senate
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11-Calloin ad
j dressed the senate regarding his bill IL
: reorganize the legisia I've power of Utat
which provides that the g0Ternment OF
Utah shall consist of the governor and 5
council of nine, % be appointed BIZ the
president and confirmed by the senate,
and be citizens and qualified voters OF
) | territory.
CuIlom said every phase of Mormon
ministry Was married to some foul deed
The system is founded on fraud the most
notorious. It is at war with good gov
eminent aud society, and canno1 be per
mitted TO proceed IS for the last thirty
years. 1t is building up system hos
, tile 10 the United States, and Instead of
having republican government, either
the former spirit is essentially opposed
TO every principle of republication in
It's government, or the arrogant priests
teach that gentiles are foes TO the Nor
mon people, and consider proper every
device in their power 10 overthrow it,
They bring TO this country every year
thousands of paupers whom they teach
10 hate the United States government
The Mermons have the balance of a polit
zeal power in Arizona. Idaho and Wyo-
ming Territory, in addition to their
will soon control five or SIX states and
territories west of the Mississippi They
have trampled under foot ali
laws OF the United States.
In the present condition
Of things the United States government
| utterly fails TO use its powers 10 punish
the crimes of polygamy. The act of
congress creating q commission had
done some good but was not adequate.
1t would be a mercy to these misguided
| peof lie to adopt measures necessary to
relieve them from the domination of the
| priesthood. We do not desire war, but
If the Mormon question is not settled
soon IL will end in war. His bill, he
| said was 0nlya temporary one, as all
bills for tie remedy Of such grievances
must necessarily be. The people of the
| territory should, when the Evil was
eradicated, control their own affairs
| Meanwhile let the United States govern
ment take the management of Utah in
70 its own hands, discharge ineompe-
tent and reasonable agents of Nor
| mons who are officers of the territory
and purge out OF its civil code every yes
| tige of ecclesiastical policy Cnliom
maintained that IL was the perfect CON
stItuti0nal right of congress to do this
under the clause of the constitution Civ !
ing II the right to make rules and regu-
lattons for the government of territories, |
and cited the fact that congress revoked |
the right of suffrage in the District of |
Columbia and established government |
by commission.
Brown opposed the bill. He declared |
all the recent legislation of congress in |
connection with Utah affairs to be un- |
constitutional and indetenslble. The !
eighth section of the Edmunds act was |
DAlpAble violation of the constitution |
aud therefore null and void, and the |
Utah commission, acting under it and |
applying test oathS to voters, was acting |
without authority of law.
Referring to the question of the right |
of congress- TO destroy territorial govern |
ment, Brown said If congress could do |
it in one territory it could in all and If |
the new condition thus created could |
last one year it could last one hundred |
years and, therefore, there was nothing |
to prevent congress from making the |
territories satrapies or provinces, to be |
plundered at will by men In power. He |
could never subscribe TO q doctrine that |
the citizens of several states who aban- |
don citizenship in other states should |
lose the rights of citizens under an |
arbitrary aud tyrannical system, |
such az is recommended by the bill for |
Utah commission. Those people in /
Utah are as much citizens of the |
United States as citizens in any other |
part of the country, and entitled to equal |
protection by the laws. 1t would hardly |
do to punish $4,000 persons in Utah |
who are not polygamlsts, though Nor |
mons, IN order to reach $4,000 who may |
be such, and il congress proposed to |
stamp out one religious sect, might ii |
not, when that is done, begin on another |
and 50 crush out all the spirit OF relig. |
ious liberty. The Christian church was |
the true medium to deal with the Nor
mon question. Millions Of dollars were |
sent yearly to convert the polygamists
of India and China to Christianity.
Some of this money spent at home among !
people who apeak our language might |
result in producing a great change
In the position of the Mormon
problem. The real trouble of |
the problem is that the Mormons |
are not as good Republicans as the lead
era of the Republican party wish them
TO be. Without excusing polYgamy,
Brown in conclusion animadverted Sc
verely upon the Iaxity of morals now
prevailing in portions of the country /
of the thought and effort expended on
Utah should be directed TO the social |
evils nearer home.
Garland said he always thought the |
Edmunds bill for the Utah trouble |
much like prescribing corn plaster for
consumption, but hoped the right rem
edy would be found. The supreme
court had laid down the doctrine that
people could not shelter themselves
from the consequences of crime by
pleading the requirements of religion.
The senate took up the new rules after
the debate and then went into eXecu-
tive session.
Adjourned until Monday.