The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-14

the law shall be impartially administered"
You are entitled to that" said the Presi
dent, and so far as am concerned. shall
see that il is SO. l will give thsse matters
nv attention as early as possible"
The following is the address presented By
the Mormons:
Mr. PREsIDENT-The Latter Dsy Saints assem-.
bled in General Conference, at Logan, Utab. on
the 9th day of April. 1885. and appoin ted COM
mittee 10 draft specific statement OF the wrongs
they have suffered and still suffering from the
tyTannical conduct Of Federal officials The CON-
mittee tn created submitted the result of its
labors to the Mormon people OF Utah, gathered in
mass meetings in the several counties OF that Ter
ritory on the I'd of May. 1885. The people of their
own free will unanimously and enthusiastically
ratified the Declaration Vi Grievances and Pro-
test, and the undersig gned were delegated TO come
here and formally deliver the same TO you. In the
performance OF this duty. we beg leave TO
assure YOU that this document voices the
sentiments OF the whole body OF the Mormon peo-
pie 1t is not the mere dcsUm o. the church
authorities. The first Presidency Of the church
had nothing whatever TO do with the preparation
or ratification OF this declaration of the peo Pies
grievances, and they protest against the wr1ngs
inflicted upon them. The people wanted to have
formulated the facts OF their faith which made
the cause of complaint against them, and also
statement OF the acts Of the men who have been
sent by the General Government 10 rule over
them. This has been done. and the people have
p rOved thereof aud made il their act and deed.
Ia The exercise of a right guaranteed TO them by
the Constitution OF the Unite: States, nearly 29O.
0oO citizens appeal 10 their fellow citizens for
fair hearing. and peti;iton you for a
redress of their grievances The Mormon
people have been patient fOrbeariDg and
long suffering. They have not be en-, they are not.
and they will not be disloyal. or Law defying.
They have written the law, steadfastly resisted
what they believed to be unjust enactments. bus
they have MT resisted anO will not resist the
judgments Of the courts. They maintain, how
ever. that they ought not to be made the victims
Of special legislation enacted under the form of
general laws. Tne act of Congress Furnishing By
imprisonment unlawful cohabitation is unques-
lv !ovv vi offE no
inhabitants OF the Territory over which the Uni
ted States claims jurisdiction. 1t must have been
intended TO suppress vice and immortality well
as 10 punish Mornons who maintain marital re.
latir ms with their plural wives. But the prosecu-
tors OF vices in Utah have declared this Law was
not made to be applied to non. Mormons and taa
courts have held this TO be the fair aud
rlghtful Interpretation of the unlawful cohabita-
ton act. They have, morever, held that Nor
mons who have maintained the offspring of their
plural marriages and recognized their wives
the women they espoused before the passage OF
and upon this ruling men have been condemned
and sentenced, and are now undergoing punish
ment, although they were ready and offered TO
prove that they had not ''cohabltatiOn with more
than one womsn." Very recently man vino
coniesstd to having seduced mis- wifes sister
ton" but wss released. set rec by the Chief JUS
tice of the Territory, who held that the Einuuds
law was not intended to and did not apply 10 such
Cases. IL is probably needless 10 add that the
accused In this case was not Mormon.
The Mormon people do not ask that you hall
wrest at once the law TO your authority in
order 10 do great right TO them. They
Will endure vastly tnan tue pub
nc conscience would expect OF any
the right ao do that the a@s
soould be impartially administered: that the men
who administer them should be fair, upright, un-
binsed and impartial; that the executive and ad-
miDisiraive officers sent ihither by the Federal
Government should be honest, and coItine them
selves TO the performance of their legal duties,
snd not become the allies OF an INSCRIPTIONS
coterie whose sole object is to plumber the Nor
mons OF their property and their liberty. The
Mormon people are charitable, aud are not prone
10 speak evil even OF those who despitefaly use
them. The merciless war which has been waged
against the m for many years they believe to be
directed against their religion. They knoH that
the faith which they profess and practice is un.
populsr But they know also toat in this respect
they are but enduring that which has been
the common lot OF true believers in every
age of the world. Tney believe that it is as true
of them as ii was OF those TO whom the Son of
Man spoke, more than 800 years ago. "sud We
shall be hated of all men for my namesake, but
he thatendureth tothe end shall be saved -
Their abiding faith In an overruling Providence
makes them confident OF the III innate triumph of
their cause. They feel and know that their
lgon is good, and that the wicked and ungodly
will strive against it in vain.
We are not here, Mr.. President to ask favors at
your hands. Those who sent US ask but for sim
pie justice. They do not ask you TO stand between
them and the law. but they do insist that the
laws ought TO be administered with equal exact
ness TO all men regard less of RELIGIOUS autipsthies
They recognize the fact that it is your duty TO
fully executed but they maintain that faith.
ful execution" in this Instance means the perfect
equality before the law of MormoDs aud ~
Mormons. Therefore in their behalf we respect.
fully ask you will you hear their protest aud give
heed to their request for fair and impartial in
vesIigation OF the Utah situation?'
This is their protest:
We protest against unfair treatment on the part
OF the General Government We protest against
OF the rights Of reemen and contrary to the spirit
OF American institutions We protest against
special legislation. the result OF popular preju-
cice and religious interference We pro.
test against the conscience of tnst
class of citizens being made the criterion
by which 10 judge another; We protest against
the tyranny OF Federal officers and the contlnu.
ance III office of men who degrade their positions
and use their official powers as = means OF o9-
tering of the Edmunds laws the Furnishing of
one class for practicinC their religion, ana ex-
empung from prosecution the violatorS of law
who are non MormOns; we protest against the
breaking up CT family relations formed previous
TO the passage of the Edmuuds law. anu the de
priviDg of women and children OF the support
apd protection of their husbands and fathers
We respectfully ask for the appointment by the
Pr Hdent OF Commission TO fairly ana thoroughly
investigate the Utah question, and pending it,
report we solemnly protest against the continu-
ance OF this merciiess crusade.
in CONCLUSION. Mr.. President. permit us to
press tie belief that a firm and candid investiga-
ton OF the Mormon problem would disabuse the
public mind and remove much of the pref 1dlce
exciting against Us. Msy we not therrfore, en-.
terrain the hope that you will institute sucn an
invesiieation for the settlement OF the ''yexed
question"
The President to-day appointed the follow
ing Presidential Postmasters: 81. l. Sniveiy.
az Rawlins, Wyo., vice James France re
signed Albert @. Snyd der, at Cheyenne City,
Wyo.. vice John w. Jones, resigned George
w. Evans, at Ocean Grove, N. Y. vice Henry
Beagle, resigned; Henry Kingsley, at Scho-
barrie, n. Y, vice George P. CLARK, resigned;
w. b. Collingsworth, at Richmond, Va,
vice G. X. Gilmore. commission expired;
Daniel Diddell, st Gadsden. Ala, vics w l.
Ewing, commission expired; Jacob Van
Ryser, at Rutherford, n. j., vice W. n.
Herens, commission expired; Charles Ritten-
house, at Hacketstovn, n. j., vice Robert
Rushing, Jr., commission expired
Mr.. George V. n. Lothrop, recently ep.
pointed United States Minister to Russia
qualified at the Department OF State to-day.