Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-23
VEST ON THE EDMUNDs BILL.
He Thinks it Strikes Blow at the mar
riage Relation.

Aelhblons
In speaking about the visit of the Nor
mon delegation to President Cleveland,
Senator Vest, of Missouri, said:
Il have always regarded the Edmunds
bill, in one Of its features. as striking at
the most holy Of cOnnections-the marital
relation. Under that bill the wife may be
brought into court and compelled to tell
what has passed between herself and hus-
band under the sacred cover of marriage.
The bill pretends to uphold the Christian
maTria2e1Of one man to one woman, but
really strikes 1t the most dangerous blow
ever known. Why, man may be wed to
one wife for 30 years. and then remove to
Utah and become afflicted with the poly
gamous craze. The woman may be
opposed to it in every form, but she can,
under the Edmunds bill. be forced to
come into court and swear away the
liberty OF the partner of her youth. She
IS still his wife. Why, such a thing is
simply damnable-outrageou The only
excuse that Edmunds could make Tor II
was that the husband could not. be con-
victed without the testimony OF the wife.
BaYard and Garland voted for the bill. l
told Bayard that with his views Of the
sacred character of the marriage relation
he was doing wrong. Garland had
a local excuse. The people who were
murdered at Mountain Meadow came from
Arkansas. stood up in the Senate and
opposed the bill, as | would again. They
called me a Mormon out In Missouri. but
l went on the stump and defended my
action and was sustained. Yet our people
are as bitterly opposed to Mormon
polygamy as the people of any other State.
We drove Brigham Young and Joseph
Smith and their followers out of the State.
The remains of the walls ofthe old Temple
of Zion still stand at Gallatin. 1t is
beautiful spot, on high hill, overlooking
the country for miles around. The Nor
mons certainly had an eye for beauty In
choosing 1t. If old Gen. John B. Clarke
had had his way he would have wiped out
MormODism right there. He captured the
MOrmous and condemned Young and
Smith to be shot. He was just about to
execute them when Col. DOnaphen came
up with Clay county regiment. He told
Clarke that 1t wouldn't do to shoot them
without communicating with the Gov
ernOr, whose name was Boggs. A mes
senger was sent to BOggs at the capital,
and he came in person to Gallatia. Mean
while Young and Smith agreed to leave
the State if released. When BOggs came
he agreed to those terms, and the Nor
mons went back to NauvO0, ILL.,, where
Smith was shot.
"a curious commentary on the opera
tiOns OF the human mind came recently
to my attention in connection with this
affair. There is a man living at Chilli
Gothic Ohio. well-kuown merchant, who
was with the MormOns at Gallatin. He
told me that Smith and Young gathered
the women on the inside Of the Temple.
The men all got outside or on the walls,
and were instructed to kneel in prayer.
The prophets told them there was no dan
ger whatever, as the angels Of the Lord
would come down and sweep the Missou-
rians Off the face Of the earth. Well, Gen.
Clarke, not having any fear of angels, just
deployed mis- troops, surrounded the tenn
pie and scooped them all in as captlves.
1t was the failure Of the angels to come to
the rescue that persuaded the Cbillicoths
man that Smith and Young were false
prophets, and he left the MOrmons soon
after. But no longer ago than last year
he argued with me at some length the
genuineness and authenticity Of the Nor
mon Bible as a revelation from Deity"