The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-07-17
MEN OF CONSCIENCE.
Who win Not Deny Their Faith
and Belief.

PARIS, July 14th, 1885.
To the Editor of THE HERALD:
You will find enclosed copy of an
official statement OF thirteen Mormon
members of the Grand Jury, which was
handed to Judge Morgan yesterday,
18th. 1t explains itself. Of course he
could do nothing else bit discharge
them. lie still retained the three nom
Mormon members, however. perhaps
with view to try to complete a jury.
But il is pretty certain he cannot get a
Grand Jury, much less trial juries.
from the non Mormon element, as there
are not enough of them. Perhaps his
| ioea is to go on in the useless manner he
mas been going to get large lot of the
county scrip issued a. he has an agent
here buying it whenever it can be closely
shaved. Only the other day q good
tsized batch of said scrip was sent to
Morgan's bank
AT any rate there is nothing but
chaos and anarchy in the government of
| this county at present. and it must re-
main so. as long as the Territorial law
makes it crime to merely belong to
the Mormon Church. NJ courts can
oe held; no indictments found; no
criminals punished, while the poor
Mormon has only the blessed privilege
of being taxed and raising the flag to the
top of the mast.
Morgan was sick at his stomach when
he read that statement. He thought to
get through smoothly. He was very
anxious for jury-almost coaxed
Morinons to act. He feared to face his
own damnable work, and would like to
slide out as quietly as possible.
Here is the statement:
COPY.
To Hon. T. Morgan. Ju &c of the Third
Judicial District IN and tor Bear Lake
County, jelly Term, 1885.
Sir-We, the undersigned. members
of the present Grand Jury. duly empan-
eled and sworn. and before entering
upon the discharge of our duties, would
respectfully represent TO your Honor
that in our examination on our voir
dire under the questions propounded by
j. G. Ricn, Esq., and from the instruc-
lions of the court as to the construction
of the law in regard to the present
teaching of the organization to which
We belong, concerning plural
or celestial marriage or polygamy,
we answered in all sincerity that, view
ing the question in the present tense, or
as the court intimated, since the pas
sage of the election law. we honestly as
serted that we did not remember hav-
iIg heard any teaching of that prin-
ciple since the time mentioned.
After having now heard all the dis
cussion in court, and particularly hav-
ing examined the law in all its bearings,
and also the recent teachings of the
leaders of the organization of which we
we are members, we, now to satisfy our
and that we may not
even apparently acquiesce or lend
our innocent aid in any matter of
questionable illegality, and possibly rem
der our labors useless, and also lay
ourselves open to suspicion. if not
direct charge. of perjury. We have de-
cided in our own minds and to our en-
tire satisfaction that the organization TO
which we belong does hold the doctrine
Of plural or celestial marriage to be of
divine commandment, and al the pres
ent tine said organization does teach
and publish the said doctrine, recon-
its practice as essentially nee
essary for the improvement of the moral
condition OF society; and we, as nem-
hers thereof. accept the said teachings
and hold its practice at the present time |
to be agreeable to the will of God, all of |
which is set forth in the Holy Scrip |
lures.
Therefore, we, with honest hearts and |
motives of interest to the public, as |
we'll as desire to place ourselves fairly !
and squarely on the record before your
Honor and the public, do hereby make
his statement officially.
Under our present understanding of |
he law and the evident intention of the
legislature in prescribing and di>fran-
.hising all members of the organization
o which we belong, we cannot consci-
undertake to discharge the
luties of Grand Jurors under the ban of
he law as we now understand it. with
nut degrading our manhood as citizens.
nd. before God doing violence to our
We therefore most humblv. but earn
silly, request your Honor to relieve us
rom the performance OF Il duty which
re are certain we can neither conscien-
iously nor legally dis barge.
Signed by thirteen Mormon members
( the Grand Jury.