The Indianapolis journal., 1885-05-21
TIE EDMUNDs BILL.
Senator Vest Thinks 1t Strikes Blow at the
Marriage Relation.

Senator Vest Thinks 1t Strikes Blow at the
Marriage Relation.
New York Tribune.
In speaking about the visit of the Mormon
delegation to President Cleveland Senator Vest
of Missouri, said yesterday:
ssI have always regarded the Edmunds BILL
in one of its features, as striking at the most
holy of connections-the marital relation. I'M
der that bill the wife may be brought into court
and compelled to tell what has passed between
herself and husband under the sacred cover of
marriage The bill pretends to uphold the
Christian marriage of one man to one woman
but really strikes it the most dangerous blow
ever known. Why, man may be wed to one
wife for thirty years, and then remove to Utah
and become afflicted with the polygamous craze.
The woman may be opposed to it in every form,
but she can, under the Edmundss 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 thing is simply damnahle-out-
rageous- The only excuse that Edmunds could
make for it was that the husband could not be
convicted without the testimony of the wife.
Bayard and Garland voted for the bill. | told
Bayard that with his views of the sacred char
acter OF the marriage relation he was doing
wrong. Garland had alocal 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
Mormon out in Missouri, but went on the
stump and defended my action and was sustained.
Yet our people are as bitterly opposed to Nor
We drove Brigham Young and Joseph Smith and
their followers out of the State. The remains of
the walls of the old Temple of Zion still stand at
Gallatin. 1t is a beautiful spot on a high hill,
overlooking the country for miles around. The
Mormons certainly had an eye for beauty in
choosing it. If old General John B. Clarke had
had his way he would have wiped out Mormon
ism right there. He captured the Mormons and
condemned Young and Smith to be shot He
was just about to execute them when Colonel
Doniphan came up with Clay County regi
ment He told Clarke that it wouldn't do to
shoot them without communicating with the
Governor, whose name was Boggs. A messen-
ger was sent to Bcggs at the capital, and he
came in person to Gallatin Meanwhile Young
and Smith had agreed to leave the State if re-
leased When Boggs came he agreed to those
terms, and the Mormons went back to Nauvoo,
ILL.,, where Smith was shot.
"A curious commentary on the operations Of
the human mind came recently to my attention
in connection with this affair There is a man
living at Chillicothe Ohio, well-known mer-
chant, who was with the Mormons at GalIatin.
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 in
structed to kneel in prayer. The prophets told
them that there was no danger whatever as the
angels of the Lord would come down and sweep
the Missourians off the face of the earth. Well,
General Clarke, not having any fear of angels,
just deployed his troops, surrounded the temple
and scooped them all in as captives. 1t was the
persuaded the Chillicothe man that Smith and
Young were false prophets, and he left the Nor
mons soon after. But no longer ago than last
year he argued with me at some length the gen.
uineness and authenticity of the Mormon Bible
as a revelation from Deity"