The semi-weekly miner., 1885-05-06
A MORMON APPEAL.
Text OF the TOlygamist's Appeal to the
PresileMt

President.
SALT LAKE, May 4.-The follow.
ing is the prott st adopted at the var
ious meetings held during the past
three days by the Mormons and for
wardea to President Cleveiand:
A condition Of affairs imreriling
the vital interests OF q vast majority
of the people of Utah and their core.
liei0nists in the neighboripg STATE es
and Territories impels US, their rel.
resentatives, to address YOU. Our
rights as American citizens are
trampled upon, and believing it our
imperative duty in tue presence OF
such a danger to protest against the
gigantic 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 human.
ity, make tins appeal for reii. f and
protection:
WE ARE UNPOPULAR
with our fellow count,ymen. 1t is
our religion which makes us so. We
are small minority in their midst,
but We have yet to learn that these
are the grounds on which to justify,
in this land of liberty, acts of opprt s.
sion which we, rs a people, from
tue beginning # our history, have
been made to >ufter fer our religious
faith. 1t is based upon an evidence
to our minds that its conclusions aud
its convictions are MT to be de-
stroytd by legislative enaciments or
judicial deoisiuns. Force may en-
slave, but we cannot make up our
minds to yield ut the demands Of
or Judge, the rights of
our conscience, which would prove
us recresnt to every duty we owe to
God and man. Among the prtnci-
piles of our religion is that of an inn
me diate revelation from God. One
OF the doct rines 50 revealt d is celes-
tial or plural marriage, for which os-
tensibly we q re stigm. tized and
hated. This is Il vital pa, t of our re-
ligion, decisions of the courts not
The declaration dt-
fendil &
THE PRACTICE OF pOLYGAMY
declares that the practice of polyg-
amy as undt rstOOd among occidental
nations is a species of sensuality, but
the Latter Day Saints believe that
marriage is one which, when prop
erly solelnnizel, exists in eternity.
Every faithful woman in the church
believes that in order to insure her
in the pr. sence Of God she
should be married or sealed TO an ul-
tight, fat, fui man. The declaration
Then says that, acting upon this be-
Ii. t, these ll'ances ale formed while
lpcn earth upon the principle that
man is no. without Woman, nor the
woman without the man In the Lord.
They bell, We that God revealed this
TO them as his command, but while
he patriarchal marriage, as it is
is pant of their faith and
practice, they have no idea that it
should become universal. The equa!-
ty of the sexes, if for no other rea =
,on, would prevent this. 1t is a
idea that our church favors
he propagation of this doctrine or
seeks to establish it as universal
,ystem. The General Government
las ever been willing to lend will
hg ear to all
REPORTS OF SEDITlON
,,ade against tie Mormon people,
d the right of citizenship has nevt r
'een conferred upon them. and their
petitions against these abuses have
lever been needed. The commits
ioners appointed under the Ed
nunds law have grossly abused the
authority conferred upon them and
,ave usurped extraordinary legal
md arbitrary powers. They have
'fficiously formulated an unauthor-
zed and illegal expurgatOry test
which could not be taken by anyone
Who ever lived IN p0lygamy, thus
DISTINGUISHING thousands of leg.l
Mormon voters. They have consti-
uted themselves the supreme tri-
'unal for the determination of all
matters in the Territory pertaining to
he elections and qualifications of
'oters. 1t is asserted that they have
.rossly abused their authority IN the
of registration officers,
" selecting for such positions, when
yer possible, only such persons as
'elOng to the aGti-MOrmOn factions.
is made that the United
states officials nave generally
lLLIED THEMSELVES WITH SEC
TARTAN PRIESTS
nd political Adventures, lending
heir executive influence to fJment
ocal excitement and degrade us in
he estimation of people abroad.
'he present Governor especially, has
c,ed the part Of a petty tyrant. 1t
) cited that he has vetoed bill
'assed by the Legislature for the
re- ton If a university and also
ill passed in accordance with the
Idmunds law for the discontinuance
# the U.ah Commission. The
Idmunds law, which not only pro-
ides for the punishment of po-
ygamy but for cOhabitatiOn with
more than one woman, whether in
marriage relation or outside, is made
D operate on one c'ass of people
niy-Morn,ons-and yet of the nom
4, rmon class who trarsgress the law,
heir name is legion. The paramour
t mistresses and harlOts,
SECURE FROM PROSECUTION,
Valks the streets in OF en- day. No
United Sta es official puts a spotter
u his trail or makes All fort to drag
lis deeds If shame and guilt before Il
ldge and jury for investigation and
n, i-hment, but note the contrast In
Jtah, Idaho and Arizona. A con-
erted assault is made upon the Nor
non people. Spoilers and spies dog
heir Footsteps, th'ust themselves
nto e,tchambers and watch at the
windows. Children are 4u estioned
n the streets as to the marital rela-
ions of their parents. Families are
ragged before the commissioners
nd grand juries, and on the pain of
for contempt are CONF
el ed to testify against their fathers
nd husbands. Modest women are
made to answer
INDECENT QUESTIONS
8 to the sexual relations of men and
women. Attempts are made to bribe
hen to work up cases against their
,aiohhn,a NOtOriOnSlv IiSra, ,,ltahlA