The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-07-01
EXCLUDE MORMON IMMIGRANTS.


Twenty-Five Mormon elders and 500 O
their dupes arrived from Liverpool on tbs
steamer Arizona yesterday, the prose
lytes being 400 Swedea and NorwegIsns,
100 English and Scotch. A Mormon
missionary was metapbericslly kicked
out Of Bavaria few days ago, and il is
to be hoped that other nations will awe
similar assistance 10 the exit OF other
proselyters from Salt Lake City. But
the duty of the United States In the pro-
hibition of Mormon immigration is quite
as plain as that of Europe to exclude Nor
mon missionaries. II there is any doubt
IS 10 the constitutional power OF Congress
to enact a law forbidding the admission OF
Mormon immigrants, let an amendment
covering the ground be promptly framed
and submitted to the States. Mormon
immigrants enter the country with the
expectation of violating the United
States law against polygsmy. An immi.
grafton so peculiar in Its character and
objects needs especial legislation TO pro
tect the country against its infection OF
deliberately intended criminslitv. The
5000 Mormon population OF Utah ia
rapidly increasing, and the rulers OF the
Mormon Church will not believe the
nation has seriously resolved upon the
eradication of polygAmy in it's Terri
tories while their missionaries are per-
miited to bring proselytes fr m Europe
by the shipload.-New York Mail ana
Express.
1t is just such "rot" and
driYel as the above which
induces weak-minded Congress
men to devise the hogwssh
anti Mormon bills that are pre-
sented at the opening Of every ses-
sion, and invites a crack>brained
Secretary of State like Evarts to
issue a childish circular, asking
foreign governments to prevent the
coming to America of Mormon
proselytes. 1t is such stuff as the
Mail and EGpreSS is perpetually
perpetrating in regard to the Nor
mons which induces statesmen and
lightweight. editors to pose as asses.
The government would find itself
the laughing stock Of all it's sane
and intelligent citizens were it tc
undertake the task of preventing
the immigration of Mormons
just as il would make itself lidicu-
lous In the eyes of mankind geuer-
ally were it to say that Catholics.
Methodists OF Quakers could not
land on its shores. It is admitted
by the New York papers-with the
exception, perhaps, Of the Nail and
EDpresS, which admits nothing that
suggests fairness towards the Saints
that the Mormon Immigrants are
superior physically and intellectu-
ally to any immigrants who ar.
rive in large bodies at that port, and
whatever may be their intentions
with regard to matrimony, theil
conduct is above reproaeh or critic.
ism even. 1t may be fact that
within a month of his arrival the
Mormon immigrant will be married
to- half a dozen women, and yet
will the intelligent New York edi
tor say how. the man could have been
stopped from comingIthe latter hav'
ing violated no law when he camel
The suggestion of q constitutional
amendment "coYering the ground
is an even more supremely ridicu-
lous and asinine proposition than
the other.
ASS matter of fact, however,. the
Mormon immigrants do not "enter
the country with the expectation of
violating the United States law
against polygamy." II they did SO
expect the test oath which has been
applied with such sturdy vigor for
the past two years would
have discovered among the 14O, o0o
Mormon population more than 12,'
900 men and women who had vic.
lated che law; and it would also have
discovered that the majority
of the male polygamists
were foreigners instead Of native
born citizens as the facts are.
When editors and statesmen come
to treat the Mormon question as il
is and not as they imagine it to be,
and not as they would like it to be.
there may be some intelligent &C.
ton thereon. The matter mayh e
be stated briefly, and SO NainIy
that even the editEr Of
the Nail and E9preAs vii
be inexcusable for not under
standing it: The Mormons believe
they have a religious and constitu-
tionally legal right to practice plura
marriage or polygamy; Congress
denies that the right exists, ant
anacts laws for the punishment o