National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-10-14

One Of the most pcrplcXug questions
with which American craftsmanship and
jurisprudence have ever been called to deal
is presented in that tenet in the creed Of the
Church Of the Latter Day Saints which
makes polygamy Il religious duty. 1t is
easy, and 1t is common, to snecr at the
polygamists as a set Of hypocritcs. profess
ing what they do not believe, and clmging
to their peculiar institution" from base
motives rather than in faucicd obedience
to a divine command. But It is altogether
probable that most Of the saints do actually
and sincerely believe what they protest.
and, while this honesty Of belief does not
make polygamy any more acceptable to the
conscience and good sense of the country,
1t vastly increases the difficulties cncoun.
tered in the attempt to suppress IT, His
tory records few successes in similar efforts
Religious delusions as great as this and far
more dangerous have shown wonderful
tenacity in resisting opposition.
There Is, however, reason to believe that,
under the operations of the anti-polygdmy
law Of Congress, the work of erldicatng
the great social ulcer has made such prog
mate success. True, the annual general
conference of the Church of Latter Day
Saints, which began at Logan, in Utah ter
ritory last week, has practically announced
that the Mormons will cling to polygamy
and quietly submit to the penalties pro-
vided under the laws Of the land, vet this
announcement cannot be accepted at its
face value because Of certain well known
facts. For instance, instead of cinging to
the faith and abiding the consequences,
Bishop Sharp and Orson Arnold abandoned
polygamy some months ago, un Ter vig1r-
ous prosecution, and avoided imprisonment
by giving a solemn pledge to obey the law
in future.
The Mormons were sadly disappointed in
| the new Democratic administration. They
had gotten the idea into their heads that the
| election Of a Democratic President would
| giyethcmrcIlef from federal persecution. -
When they foand there was no hope In
that qudIter tteir rage showed itself in
most offensive demonstrations OF disoyal
feeling. 1t was predicted that at this
annual conference they would make violent
threats. Yet they made no threats, and
| their dcmeanOr was not out of Keeping
with that Of persons who thought they
We're undergoing persecution for righteous.
ness sake. The New York sun elitlrialy
digcsts some of the addresses delivered Ia
the conference, thus:
The epistlo Of Presidents Taylor and Cannon
to the conference asserts that the first revcla.
tion of the doctrine OF plural mlrrllge was "a
severe trial" only obcycd "as Il divine CON-
maud which meant damuntiOn IL irdisDbcycl."
The cpistle explains that only the truly good,
or those ''aboye reproach in their lives" are
allowed to enter the polygnmc state. The
address Of Apostle Richards at the conference
is "A good summary of the position held by the
| Mormons. The covenant of celestial mar.
riages," he says, has swept all old covenants
away lie holds that the alleged revelation
TO practice pOlygamy is the higher law which
demands obedience even against human law.
| I'm taking more than one wife each" says
Apostle Richards, I've have harmed nobo ly.
stand firm, therefore, in the Gospel, and live
up 10 the covenant of celestial marriage"
Apostle Smith pleaded that he must dsobcy
the statutes in order to escape dnmnatiou."
1t Is evident that the brethren aimed ia
avoid giving the Gentilcs reason for de,
mandmg of the forty-ninth Congress addi-
tional anti-polygumy legislation. The con,
ference puts on US bold face as prudence
| permits, but the line Is giving way. With
scores of the saints in Jail, aud Others
begging of on promise Of giving up polyg.
amy, we may fairly conclude that the worst
Of the long, hard struggle is over.