Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-04
Body of Missing Man Found-jailcd I
PROTEST OF TIE N0RM0Ys.
They Set Forth Their Grievances. and
Ask for Redress.

by Telegraph
SALT LAKE, May 2d.-The mass meeting
this afternoon at the MOrmOrn Tabernacle
for adopting protest to President Cleve-
land and the nation against the present
crusade by Federal officials in Utah drew
an immenSe audience John 7. Caine.
member of Congress for Utah, was Chair
man His speech outlined the general his
tory OF the Mormon people from the or
ganization of the church to the present.
Alter asserting the loyalty of the people all
through their history he referred to the
abuses imposed on them by Federal officials
appointed to Utah. assisted by otfice-seekcrs
whose object is apparently to 50 influence
public opinion outside Of Utah that laws
should be passed and measures taken 10
Cypress the Mormons. The speaker claimed
il was the duty of the people to protest
against the present crusade existing here.
A protest, of which the following is an
abstract, was presented and unanimously
adopted as the sense of the meeting:
To the Presidcat cnd People Of the United Stdtcs -
FELLOW-CITIZENS: a condition of affairs i'm
pcriling the vital interests OF the vast majority
of the people of Utah and their co-religionists
in the neighbOring states and Territories impcls
us, their representatives. TO address You. We
are unpopular with our felloW-Countrymen il
is Our religion which makes us So As 10 our
reli. iouS faith it is based upon evidence which
to our minds is conclusive; convictions not to
be destroyed ny legislative enactme"tS or Judi
cial decisions Among the principles of our re-
ligion is that of immediate revelation from God.
one of the doctrines so revealed is celestial or
plural marriage, for which oStenSiblv, we are
stigmatized aud hated. This is n vital part Of
our religion the decisions of Courts to the con
trary Notwithstanding. Polygamy, rs under
stood among the occidental nations, is Il system
of sensuality. But the Latter-Day Saints be
lieve that the marriage relation is one which,
when properly sOemniZed here, exists in elern-
ity. Every faithful woman in the church be
lieves that in order TO insure her eXaltatiOn III
the presence OF God and the Lamb. she should
be married Or sealed to an upright, faithful
man. They firmly believe that God has re-
ycaled this to them as n command, but while
patriarchal marriage, as it is termed. Is Il part
OF their faith and practice, they have no idea
that It should become universal
At the same time we fully believe that women
should be married, even if two or three of them
become the wives of one man.
Plural marriage was publicly proclaimed Il
doctrine Of the church in 1872. Congress de
clared il Il crime in 1852, but the law enacted
against ii remained for seventeen years dead
letter, the Federal officials heSitating u enforce
Il. as If they doubted its Consutut9nuity. Plu-
raj marriage therefore, was openly sught and
practiccd ten years before any law existed
against il. All through p,ir history the general
Government has seemed TO regard us less as
loyal American citizens than a dangerous
alien element
The authorities at Washington have disre-
gaTded our rights in the matter of local self
government ! Territorial Government is not
republican institution, but for thirty-tive years
we have been compelled To accept the colonial
conditions which it imposes.
1t has been the underwriting policy TO send
strangers into our midst rs Governors, Judges,
Prosecuting Attorneys and MarShals. men who,
with honorable exceptions, had no interest in
the common welfare. We complain lot only of
the personal character Of these officials, and
that they have acted the part of petty despots
among us, hut we also complain of repeated
manifestations of i'll feeling firm the Darput
Government.
Our numerous petitions, protests and mcmori-
ais in our own defense have been Usually passed
over uunoticed. The Commissioners appointed
under the EdmundS law have grossly abused
the authority conferred upon them. They OIL
ciou-ly formulated an unauthorized and Illegal
eXpurgatOry test oath, and required each Clec-
tor in the Territory TO take it before he could
register or vote. They have arbitrarily assumed
TO exercise lcgiSla.i i've powers. They have pre-
Sumed to exercise the highest order OF judicial
authority, by declaring void acts of the LegIs-
latiYe Assembly of the Territory of Utah They
have constituted themselves Il Supreme TTi-
bunal for the determination OF MI matters in
the Territory pertaining to elections and the
qualifications of voters.
They have grossly abused their authority in
the appointment of registration officers by
selecting for such positions, whenever possible,
only such persons as belong to the antMOrmon
faction. They have assumed to be charged. as
the representatives of the Federal Government
here, with the duty of suppresSing polygamy.
power. have usually been despOtic i'll their min
isterial acts. The present Governor, especially,
has acted the par: OF petty tyrant He has
accused lis of lack of interest in educational
matters. The Edmunds law, which not only
provides for the punishment OF polygamy, but
also cOhabitation with more than one woman,
whether in the marriage relation or outside of
it. is made to operate upon one class of people
only-the MOrm0nS The nOn-Mormon who
violates this law walks the streets in open day.
These are some of our grievances Now hear
our protest:
We protest against unfair treatment on the
part of the general Government. We protest
against continuance of Territorial bondage.
subVersiVe OF the rights OF treelnCn and cUii-
trary to the spirit of American institutions. We
protest against special legislation, the result of
popular prejudice and RELIGIOUS interference.
We protest against the conscien of one class of
citizen, being made the criterion by which To
judge aGOther. We protest against the tyranny
OF Federal officials, and the continuance in
Office of men who disgrace their positions and !
use their official powers aS q means Of optr,s-
sion. We u OteSt against the partial atlnllnsira
ton of the Elmunds laW-ihe punishzu@ f one
class for practising their religion aud exempt
ing from prosecution the Votarle> OF lust and
crime. We protest against the n.ia il" Up of |
family relations formed previous 10 tle passage
OF the Edmunds law. and the deprivine of wom-
en- and chilGren of the support and protection |
of their husbands and fathers. We protest
against the pros cution Of persons, many of
whom are intirln and aged, who entered into
plural marriage before 1t was declared Il crime
and have never violated any law. We respect |
fully ask for the appointment by the President
of Il commission to fairly and thoroughly in
veStigate the Utah situation and pending its
report we solemnly protest against the continn
6nce of this mercilesS crusade.
\ delegation was appointed TO proceed to
Washington and precent the petition and
resolution to President Cleveland. Meet
ings Of similar nature, indorsing the same
protest were held in all large towns in
Utah and in the Mormon tabernacles in
Idaho and Arizona this afternoon.