The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-03-22
harmon Speaks For His
J People
,,, prrFR OF THE NATION,
an EpistIe Lately For
copy y rardod to the Presi-
dent.
III TIE HERALD:

Gr XII, Washington H. u
.,m sir:-Though 1 have not
Ho ,a.sTTe of your personal acquaint-
tns take the liberty of writing you
sncS ,..ts, believe you are an indi-
tn ,.a, whose purpose is good and who
giru Do what you think is right regard
VIII That others may say. Trusting
l p,s A. such a person I beg permission
' ,or before you a few facts bearing you
.5a Mormon question.
w Th.yp lived in Utah eight years; have
n almost every settlement from
Ss rnTtbern line of Utah to Manti in
H.. ~ south; have closely studied the
, n. peopIe and their religion; am
AOlLnUIil M acquainted with John Taylor,
p slsoanIt Of the Mormon church, and
p eslu' nther leading men of the same
H mai This. together with other facts, L
la i-I;deT has better fitted me for taking
e0 rao-e comprehensive view of the Nor
NM nToblem than any one who has not
iTg here and has not given the subject
@ much attention. -,
trious. benevolent people; They 6elleve
:; 1'f tss divinity of Jesus Christ and that
tbs Bible is the inspired word of God.
Thor church was organized IN
New York, in 1880, with SIX
mem and has grown rapidly till it
IN numbers some hundreds of
,bousands. They not only believe that
novgamy is right, but also that 1t IS
sSlyiine commandment for men to take
splurslitv of wives. They claim that
he Almighty sanctioned polygamy
,ncientIv and He does the same to-day.
In 1862 law was passed against polyg--
amy. This did not prove etfectual and
rscently what is known as the Edmunds
lsw was enacted. The Mormons look
upon these laws as unconstitutional on
The grounds that marriage is religious
CEREMONY and the Constitution OF the
United States declares that Congress
hall make no law respecting religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
They consider laws nothing more nor
less than national persecution and pre-
ier Chewing what they believe to be the
laws Of God.
The government has sent Federal Of
fcers here to enforce the laws. They
came with the fond hope of revolution
ling MOrmOniSm in a day and night.
With the arm Of the law tley began a
battle, but found a stronger foe en-
trenched. After many futile attempts
they became enraged at their mum erous
failures and fought the harder, but up
to the present comparatively nothing
has been accomplished.
Persecution will neither destroy Nor
nonism nor any of its principles. As a
people they have been scoffed at, ridi-
uled by pulpit and press, mobbed and
,nused tor half a century, and in all
mat time their numbers have increased.
frequently has the soil been caused to
lIlnk the blood of some faithful member,
ylI II only strengthened them. The
,scent massacre Of their missionaries in
tennessee only united them more than
''ef Truly has the blood of the Nor
non martyrs been the seed of
aef church. But this is only
| repetition of history. All re-
lsOns have had similar
1Perence. 1t matters little how true
y iase creed may be, it thrives best
1ael persecution is strongest. Neither
toss Il make much difference whether
-e persecution comes from private
f1iues or from governments.
Avs are not always the most effective
Ja ssSu5ss ior Graduating evils. This is
tbs- .eIl' Inc case when people consider
pq neon i,se'ees infringed upon. Most
s 5nS + consider they have q right to eat
ior a , LINK Whatever they choose, there
drint ,t u more law We have against strong
reTs ;1 '-e more there is used. License,
ms5a au e and prohibition laws have
fono, lle bulk of drunkards. Where
NJ ' Ell, eahgs the highest price there
rsina llYS' Is sold. Let the price be
t6s1Neu 70 lOOr % cents per gallon and
jaS.aunber Of inebriates viii eventuaIIv
per "SH When liquor sold for % cents
moan a-'OI out few drunkards were
ihe sro,. forbidden fruit seems to be
ghi, 55' ,est' Children cry for that
10 sve. aey cannot have, and want to
CALEB ny unlng except what they are
OOi ~ SpoI 70 do. Animals eat their
it, fsr' ate: after having been driven from
estsn mines unes. An article of diet is
AhobUotoes Yoraciously when it brings
Q e of price. To keep chickens
jS,. o. the garden reneatedIy
o ss them into it. If a i law was
nsr,r compelling every Mormon
Sd, eio,t ana support several wives,
sldren tbas and educate their
tebv mere mere would be'few polygamists.
es and H Soqld be considered an out
Elm rsb uyh men and women would
bat The sOislnon against it. The fact is
9aie Nor, ,aws against polygamy have
sSe San. polEgamists than ANYTHING
Sore noI. hdmunds has solemnized
sdghamp Tyygamous marriages than
stpt6 's me- What appears to them to
<onOt ebanse{ 7, cannot help it, and law
~Apels t5esg them, for common sense
spears h , An to believe that which
Jose who III III " De most reasonable.
aOse 4 IL believe Mormonism do So
Sen than s dlprs more reasonable to
IN men an an tnlng else. There are
sy1sly bel;o..ul women who conscien-
sled irom1l ne polygamy has been re-
, fIei exists S heaven. As long as such h. \
sulng to sood and men and Women are q
u Of eonss'ee'pt Its obligations regard REQ e. !
M such 4uuences, Just SO long vii III #
srss1 lor thew t +hs viii die for their
S Ssssr rewafd i IL az they viii receive a
iae l eS'ay may be a5ai;sho.e
lafi,,ssoned. BS RIM believing in it are
SouISS G(ned for b;g man hI. cannot be Justly
esaao,a have to be- l'S nr belief ii he could Il
eqglS1 be mads proven, and as man
QoF, not be pro W convict himself, il
oref ~ hs belief wen at, for no onf
TbaS remedy i1 { himself. There,