McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-05-14
TO TIE PRESIDENT AND PEOPLE.
An Appeai 6y the Mornons--H Protest and
Declaration of Grieranccs.

An Appeal 6y the Moinnons--4 Protest and
Declaration of Grievances.
Meetings were recently held throughout
Utah, Idaho and Arizona at all Mormon taber-
nacles at which declaration Of grievances
and the protest which was formulated at the
general conference of the Mormon church,
April 5th, was read. The declaration is adj
dressed to the president and people of tho
United States. 1t begins by saying:
ga condition of affairs imperiling the vital
interests of a vast majority of the people Of
Utah and their co-religionists in neighborng
states and territories impcls us, their. repre-
sentatives, TO address you. Our rights as
American citizens are trampled upon, and be-
lieving it our imperative duty in the presence
of such danger to protest against the ggan-
tic evil which threatens not only our liberties
but the liberties of every free man, we, in
general mass meeting assembled in the name
of freedom, justice and humanity. make this
appeal for relief and protection. We are I'M
popular with our fellow countrymen. IL Is
our religion which makes us 81. We are n
small minority in their midst but we have vet
to learn that these are grounds upon which to
justify in a land of liberty The acts of oppres-
sion which We as people from the beginning
OF our history, have been made to suffer. AS
TO our religious faith, it is based upon evil
dence which, to our minds, Is conclusive
convictions not to be destroyed by legislative
enactments, or Judicial decisions. Force may
enslave the body but it cannot convince the
mind. To yield at the demand of a lcgisla-
ture, or a judge, the rights Of cons fence,
would prove us rccreant to every duty we owe
to God and man. Among the principles o.
our religion is that of immediate revelation
from God. One of the doctrines so revealed
a nY nil mo r,,fIi,
sibly we are stigmatized and hated. This is o
vital part of our religion, decisions of the
courts to the contrary notwithstanding"
The declaration defending the practice Of
poygamy declares that the practices as under
stood among the occidental nations is 4 systcI'I
of sensuality, but the Latter Day Saints be-
ieve that marriage is one which, properly sol
emnized, exists in ext. rnity. Every faithful
woman in the church believes that il order 10
insure her eXaltatiOn in the pre- senrc of God
she should be married or sealed to an upright,
faithful man.
The declaration then says: "Acting upon
this belief these alliances are Formed lille
uion earth, upon the princi lie that the man
Is not without the woman nor the woman with
out the man in the Lord We firmly believe
that God revealed this to them as a command,
but while patriarchal marriages, as it is
termed, is part of their faith and practice,
and they have no idea that it should become
universal. The equality of the sexes, if forno
OGICI ItdSOHi "Ouli prevent LIllS. II is Il his
taker idea that our church favors the propa-
cation of this doctrine or seeks to establish it
a universal system.''
1t then goes ON to say that the general gov
ernment has ever been willing 10 lend willing
ear to all reports of solutions made among the
Mormon people, and the right of citizenship
has never been cOnf,rei upon them, and
petitions against these abuses have never been
needed.
Continuing. the protest eays that the com
missiOners appointed under the Edmunds law
grossly abused the authority conferred upon
them and have usnrpcd extraordinary, i'll, gal
and arbitrary powers. They officially fOrmu-
lated an unauthorized, Illegal, expurGatory
test oath which could not be taken by ny one
who ever lived in pOlygamy, thus disfrar' his
ing thousands of legal Mormon voters. 1t is
further asserted that they constituted them
selves supreme tribunal for the determine
ton OF all matters in tie territory pertaining
to the election and qualification OF voters. 1t
is asserted they greatly abused their authority
in the appointment of registration Officers by
selecting for such positions. whenever possible,
only such persons as IriOn9ed to the anti
Mormon factions. Complaint is made that the
United States officials have generally allied
themselves with tie $ ctariau priests and po-
litical adversaries, lending their executive IN
fuence to fonent local excitement and degrade
us in the estimation of the people abroad.
The present governor especially, says the r.
port, has acted tic part of a petty tyrant. 1t
Is clicu tuaJ ne vetoed 9 Dlll p1S-ci by the
legislature for the erection of Il univc sty. and
also a bill passed in accor aucc with tie Ed
Inunds law for the discOutinHance OF the Utah
commission. The declaration then asserts the
"Edmunds law" winch not only provides for
the punishment Of poiy-amy, but for c, habi-
tatlOn with more tian one woman, whether
in the marriage relation outside of it, is
made to operate upon one class of people only
-MUrmOns-and Vet OF the nom Norm II class
who transgreSs the law the name is legion.
The paramount of mistr sSes and haIos secure
from prosecution, walk the streets in open
day. No United States otlicia! puts ''sputtcrs'
on his trail or makes effort t. draG his
deeds of shame and guilt before the iudgc aud
jury for investigation and punishment. But
now the contrast. In Utah, Idaho and All
IONA, a concerted assault is made upon the
Mormon people. spoilers and spies dog
their footsteps. DeIators thrust themselves
into the bed chambers and watch at the win
dows. Children are questioned on the streets
as TO the marital relations of their parents.
Families are dragged before the commissioners
and grand juries and on pain Of punishment
for contempt are compelled to testify against
their father and husbands Modest women
arc made 10 answer shamcfully indecent qucs-
tons as to the sexual relations of men and
women. Attempts have been made to bride
men to work cases against their ncighbors.
disreputable characters are cru
ployed to spy into mems family relations"
The document concludes with various pro-
tests against these proceedings and by asking
for the appointment BY the president of q com
mission to fairly and thoroughly investigate
the Utah situation and pending its report it
protests against the continuance of this merci-
less crusade.