St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-14
THE MORMONS TALK.
The Latter Day Saints Set Forth the
Wrongs They Have Suffered
They Protest Against Furnishing ono
Pract1cing Their Religion.
And Exempting From Prosecution
the Votaries of Lust and Crime.

WASHINGTON, May 13.-Congressional
Delegate John T. Game of Utah, Mr.. John
Taylor, son of the president of the Mormon
church, and John @. Cannon, son OF ex-
Congressional Delegate Cannon, who COM
pose the delegation sent by the Mormon
church to lay before the president state
ment of the grievances of the MormonS ana
present protests adopted by a mass meeting
of Mormons against the action OF the red
eraI officials called by appointment at the
executive mansion this morning, and were
received by the president in the library.
The president listened attentlvely TO Inc
address. and at its conclusion replieu'
''Well, gentlemen, so far, OF course, as the
Edmunds law was concerned, L, OF course,
had nothing TO do with that. VI course II
is my duty to see that it is impartially adj
ministered, and, so far as any appointments
which [ shall make are concerned, L WILL
endeayor to give you the character of men
who will see that the law is impartially ADJ
ministered."
THE ADDRESS.
Following are the main points OF the ad-
dress:
In the exercise of right guaranteed to
them by the constitution of the United
States, nearly two hundred thousand cItl-
zens appeal to their fellow citizens for fair
hearing, and petition you for redress OF
their grievances The Mormon people have
been patient, forbearing and long-sutferlng.
They have not been, they are not, and they
will not be disloyal or law-defying.
They have, within the law, steadfastly re-
sisted what they believed to be unjust en-
actments, but they have not resisted and
will not resist the judgments OF the courts.
They maintain, however, that they ought
not to be made the victims OF special legls-
lation edacted under the form of general
laws. The act Of congress Furnishing by
fine and imprisonment unlawful CO.
habitation is unquestionably gsn-
eral law, applying alike to all the
inhabitants of the territory over which the
United States claims exclusive jurisdiction.
1t must have been intended to suppress vice
and immortality, as well as to punish Nor
mons who maintained marital relations with
their plural wives, but the prosecuting off
GERS in Utah have declared that the law
was made to be applied to none but Nor
mons and the courts have held this to be
the fair and rightful Interpretation of the
unlawful cOhabitation act. They have
moreover held that the Mormons who have
maintained the offspring of their plural
marriages and
RECOGNIZED AS THEIR WIVES
the women they espoused before the pas
sage of the Edmun's law, were guilty Of its
violation, and upon this ruling men have
been condemned and sentenced and are now
undergoing punishment, although they
were ready and offered to prove that they
had not cohabited with more than one wO-
man." Very recently man who stood
confessed to having seduced his wife's sis
ter was arrested upon the charge of ''un-
lawful cohabitation,'' but was upon
habeas corpns proceeding released. Set
free by the chief justice of the territory,
who held that the Edmund's law was not
intended and did not apply to such cases.
It lie probably needless to add that the ae-
cused in this case was not Mormon.
The Mormon people insist that the men
who administer them should be fair, up
right, unbiased and impartial; that the ex-
ecutiVe and administrative officers sent
thither by the federal government should be
honest and confine themselves to the per-
Torrance of their legal duties, and not be-
come tue allies of an INSCRIPTIONS coteri6
whose sole object is to plumber the Nor
mons of their property. We protest against
continuance of territorial bondage sub
versive Of the rights of freemen
and contrary to the spirit OF
American institutions. We protest against
special legislation, the result of popular
prejudice and religious interference. We
protest against the conscience Of one class
of citizens being made the criterion by
which to judge another. We protest against
the tyranny of federal officials and the con-
tinuance in office of men who disgrace their
positions and use their official powers as
means of oppression. We protest against
the partial administration of the Edmunds
law; the Furnishing of one class for practic-
ing their religion and eXempting from
prosecution the
vOTARIES OF LUST AND CRIME.
We protest against the bringing up of
family relations formed previous to the
passage of the EdmundS law and the de-
priving of wamen and children Of the sup
port and protection of their husbands and
fathers We protest against the prosecu-
ton of pessons, many of whom are aged
and infrm, who entered into plural mar
rage before it was declared a crime and
have never violated any law. We respect
fully ask for the appointment by the presi-
dent of commission to fairly and thoroughly
investigate the Utah situation, and pending
its report we solemnly protest against the
continuance of this mercilesS crusade. In
conclusion, Mr.. President permit rs to ex-
press the belief that fair and candid in
vestigation of the Mormon problem
would disabuse the public mind and remove
much of the prejudice existing against us
We may therefore entertain the hope that
you will institute such an investigation, and
thus open a door for the settlement of this
veXed question.