St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-03
MORMON UPRISING.
protesting Against Prosecutions
Some Startling Declarations.

protesting Against Persecution
Some startling Declarations.
SALT LAKE, May meetings were
held throughout Utah, Idaho and Arizona
to-day, at all the Mormon tabernacles, al
which q declaration of Grievances and
Protest" which had been formulated at g
general conference of the Mormon church.
April 5, was read. The declaration is adj
dressed to the president and people of the
United States 1t begins by saying: A CON
dition OF affairs imperiling the vita
interests OF vast majority
of the people of Utah anC
their cO-religionists in neighboring states
and territories impels u.s. their representa-
tives, to address you. Our rights as Amer
lean citizens are trampled upon, and be.
lieving it our imperative duty, in the pres
ence of such danger, to protest against
the gigantic evil which threatens not oul
liberties, but the liberty of every free man,
we, in general mass meeting assembled. in
the name of freedom, justice and humanity
make this appeal for relief and pro
lection. If we are unpopular with
our fellow cOuntrymen, it is our religion
which makes us SO. We are small minor
ity in their midst, but we haye yet to Learn
that these are grounds upon which to jus.
| tlfy, in q land OF liberty, the
| ACTS OF OPPRESSION
which we as a people from the beginning Of
our history have been made to suffer. Az
to our religious faith, it is based upon evil
| dence which to our minds is con.
elusive, convictions not to be de
stroyed by legislative enactment
or judicial decisions. Force may ensave
the body but it cannot convince the mind t.
yield at the demand of legislature, or Judge
the rights of conscience, which would prove
us recreant to every duty we owe to Goo
and man. Among the principles of oul
religion is that of immediate revelation from
God. One of the doctrines so revealed il
celestial or plural marriage, for which os
tensibly we are stigmatiZed and hated
This is vital part of OIL
religion, the decisions of court
to the contrary Notwithstanding
The declaration, then, in defending thu
practice of polygamy, declares the practice
as understood among occidental nations il
a system of sensuality; but the Latter Day
Saints believe the marriage is one which
when properly solemniZed, exists in eter
nifty. Every faithful woman in the churcf
believes that in order to
INSURE HER ExALTATIoN
in the presence of God she should be mar
ried or sealed to an upright, faithful man.
The declaration then says: ''Acting upon
this belief these alliances are formed while
ON the earth, on the principle that the man
| is not without the woman, nor the woman
without the man in the Lord. They firmly
believe that God has revealed this to them
as command but while patriarchal mar
rage, as it is termed, is a part of theil
faith and practice, they have no idea that
it should become universal. The equality
of the sexes, if no other reason. would pre-.
vent this 1t is mistaken idea that Oul
church favors the propagation of this doc
trine or seeks to establish as universe
system. At the same time We
fully believe that women should
be married, even if two or three of them
as in the family of Abraham, Jacob and
| others, become wives of one man. Instead
therefore, of our system of marriage
PROMOTING sENsUALITY,
experience has proved that it checks it, and
instead of being destructive of family rela
ton, it is preservative of it, The declara
ton then asserts that the Edmunds law
4 which provides for the punishment of polyg
amy, but also cohabitation with more thar
one woman. whether in marriage relation
or outside of it is made to operate upon one
class of people Only-the MormOnS-anG
yet of the non Mormon class. who trans
gress the law, their name is legion. The
male paramour of the mistress and harlot,
secure from prosecution, walk the streets
in open day. No United States official puts
''spotter' on his trail or makes an effort
to drag his deeds of shame and guilt before
judge and jury for investigation
and punishment, but note the contrast
| The Utah. Idaho and Arizona concerted
assault is made upon the Mormon" peo-
pie. ''Spotters' and spies dog their foot
steps. DelatOrS thrust themselves into
| BED CHAMBERS,
and watch at windows. Children are Ques
toned upon the streets as to the materia
relations of their lparents. Families are
dragged before commissioners and Crane
iuries, and ON pain of punishment for con
| tempt are compelled to testify against theil
| fathers and husbands. Modest woman
are made to answer shameful, indecent
questions as to the sexual relations of meI
and women. Attempts are made to bride
men to work up cases against their neigh
bors. VIGOROUSLY disreputable characters
| are employed to spy into mans family
relation" The document concludes by
protesting against these forms of abuse and
| closes by saying: I'VE respectfully ask fol
the appointment by the president of COM
mission to fairly and thoroughly investigate
the Utah situation, and pending its report.
we solemnly protest against the eontinu-
| ance Of this mercileSS crusade"