Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-26
AGITATED.

clause of the Edmunds Act. Well they
may be agitatcd if they still think that
those who break the laws have right TO
do so, and that to punish them for so do
ing is hardship and shows great venom
on the part OF those officers whose duty it
is to cnforcc the law. 1t is rather Il
noticeable and remarkable fact that not II
solitary Mormon paper has ever once sug-
gested the idea that perhaps it would be
rs well il not better for the Mormon peo-
pie to consider the other side OF this Utah
question, that is, the side OF the law. They
have never suggested this idea much less
the idea that perhaps after all the law
may be right and they wrong, Form the
very start the Mormon people and press
have assumed that the law was not
only harsh but unconstitutional, and that
they were right and could not be wrong.
In all countries when there is any i'm
portant question TO be discussed and set
tied, all parties who are ut all Interested
in il discuss the pros and cons and then
ter. The people OF Utah make up their
minds without any consideration OF the
pros and cons or anything else. On the
assumption that the Mormons are right
and the law wrong, still the fact remains
that the Mormons are settled in II coun-
try with a government and laws, and
that some OF those laws forbid certain
practices in which the Mormons indulge
rs religious rite. We believe it is very
properly question OF morals and ethics
whether any people have right to claim
the protection and hospitality of II coun-
try and ut the same time disobey some OF
the laws of that country, laws which were
enacted for the express purpose OF pre-
serving the unity of the family rs the
basis of the State. II the claim OF the
Mormon people that the Constitution is
an inspired instrument is true, then
every part and parcel OF that instru-
ment is inspired, and the methods which
it employs for the determination
OF all questions in regard thereto are like
wise inspired. The method adopted by
this instrument for the determination OF
the constitutionality OF any law passed by
Congress was the institution OF the SUI
premc Court, and such other courts as
Congress in its discretion might see fit tC
establish. Congress, in accordance with
the power given it by this inspired instru
ment, passed II law for the suppression o
polygamy and unlawful cohabitation, and
this law has been tested as to its consti
tutionality by the very method which the
Constitution provided, and found to be
constitutional. The law OF which sc
much complaint is made in Utah on nc.
count OF its harshness and unconstitution-
ality is inspired, rs il was made in nc,
cordance with power given in an in
spired instrument and was shown to be
SO made by the only method known to
this inspired instrument for determining
the constitutionality OF law. But on the
other hand it is claimed by the people ol
Utah that God likewise inspired the prac-
tice OF polygamy, the very thing fol
which this inspired law was enacted
to suppress. Surely here is an
apt Illustration OF the saying that
"God moves in mysterious way
There is but one way in which these con.
ilicting inspirations can be reconciled
which is for the Government to submit
the constitutionality OF the laws to the
decision OF the Mormon church or for the
Mormon church to submit the decision oi
these questions to the Supreme Court
and then abide by that decision. Such 4
course of action on the part OF the people
here would soon lead to complete and
satisfactory solution of the mucii-vexed
Utah question. 1t would simply be &
recognition of the doctrine that all good
citizens must obey the law until by legiti
mate agitation the law, ii obnoxious, can
be repealed. The people of Utah are
agitated simply because they desire tC
persist in violating the law, and for nc
other reason. Supposing the Government
were TO allow the people hereto do rs they
choose on the ground that they claim &
religious right to do so, and suppose that
the same number OF Catholics that there
are Mormons in Utah were to come here
and claim the same religious right to dc
as they choose that the Mormon peo
pie do. Either party could justly
invoke the Constitution as authoriz
ing them to act according to the dictates
OF their own conscience. Now, would
not the Territory OF Utah very soon be
made fit place for the reception OF the
Savior and the ushering in of the reign
OF peace which is to last II thousand
years? And as the war OF determination
between the Mormons and Catholics fol
the rights OF conscience and the estab
lisnment Of religious freedom wentSn, il
is more than likely that the more zealou,
Methodists would shout hallelujah ant
say that the wicked were being swept
from off the face OF the earth. The con
temptation OF such condition OF thing,
is pleasant and really makes a man be
lieve that all who would engage in sucl
a scene are after all but carrying out the
precepts and following the example o
Him who, when dying upon the cross thai
the world might be redeemed from sir
and sorrow, said, "Father, forgive them
for they know not what they do"
For the interests Of humanity and civ
ilization it is far better that tn,