Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-04-07
AN EPIsTLE TO THE PEOPLE.

Last evening there appeared in the
NeCS an epistle from the First Presi-
dency of the Mormon church, which was
read at the Logan conference. 1t is
mainly a sermon interspersed with poll
tics and expositions of the Constitution.
The epistle says that Z for wise purpose
in His providence He permits the wicked
in the exercise of their agency, from
time to time, to afflict His followers 1t
seems, then, that the wicked are as
much His instruments as those who are
afflicted, and that without the wicked
He could not test the righteous. In
heaven the wicked were in the minority,
but it seems that here on earth they are
in the majority. But have the ''raids"
of the last few months been wholly with
out cause? Has not the sole object of
the prosecutions for polygamy been to
enforce a law of Congress? And is it not
true that that law is supreme in Utah
until the Supreme Court of the United
States declares otherwise? The jury sys-
tenn has been the most valuable safeguard
for liberty ever devised by law makers,
but it was devised by man, and has con-
tinually been modified by man.
Nor is the American Congress
bound to follow letter for letter the
jury system of England, no more than
England is bound never to change it from
what it was in the early Saxon times.
The iuries of this Judicial District have
been composed in accordance with the
provisions of the Edmunds law, and that
law excludes all polygamists in practice
and those who believe in the
doctrine in polygamy trials. The Terri
torial Legislature has also excluded
from juries in certain classes Of
cases those who have conscientious scru-
pies against certain punishments.
But is the law an outrage for
this reason in crimes where
certain persons cannot sit on Territorial
cases? Has there been a man convicted
for polYgamy who has not been guilty ?
We do not say that the men who have
been convicted were not sincere in their
belief of the divinity of their institutions,
but we do say that there is not one of
them who was not guilty as charged.
Doubtless, also, the gentleman who
signed the epistle deem these laws I'M
constitutional, but does not good citizen
ship consist in obeying all laws, no mat
ter what opinion each citizen may have
of them, rather than in saying they believe
them unconstitutional and disobeying
them? In the Mormon church it is not
each member who decides what is
and what is not the doctrine OF the
church and its rightful Interpretation, but
the constituted authorities, the highest OF
all authorities being the First Presidency.
And is a man not in bad fellowship who
disobeys the counsel of the authorities ?
So it is in civil government.
No, it is not necessary in America to
have passports and have them Uised for
gentlemen, nor is it necessary for officers
to send gentlemen word that they have
subpenas to serve and indictments also
to serve on them until the officers see
them. The officers have certainly been
diligent in trying to see them, but have
failed so far. Are the laws made to en-
trap the gentlemen, or have the gentle
men broken law made to punish and
prevent certain practices and made a trap
for themselves? Is this not strange
statement? "We are fully conscious of
our innocence of all violation of the laws
of God or of Constitutional laws enacted
by MANI"
The reference to the English govern
ment in India is unfortunate, as it recalls
the reference which Mr.. Cannon made
some time ago to India, when he said
that the disfranchisemento of the "eIite of
this people" reminded him of the man
ner in which England had deposed the
princes of that country.
The government of the United States
does not care for the sanctity which a
Mormon throws around his marriage cere-
mony, but it cares that the foundation of
the State shall not be changed to give to
any body of men independently of the
law the right to control it. Civil govern
ments have always regulated and con-
trolled the marriage contract, and that is
merely the determination of the United
States, determination to control this
relation.
The denunciation which the epistle
makes of the crimes of foeticide and in
fanticide will meet with the approval of
all citizens, or at least should. They are
crimes against nature and the State and
should be most severely and relentlessly
punished. But what guaranty is there
that they would entirely cease if the po-
lygamic system were prevalent every
where? None whatever.
The epistle contains the statement that
not over two per cent. of the males of the
Mormon church are practicing polyga-
my, then ninety-eight per cent are
cheating God by their professions
and are not following the practice which
was specially, and as they believe,
divinely, revealed for them. This per
cent would make it a little less than one
per cent. of the whole number of inhabit-
ants in Utah who are disobeying the
anti-polygamy law; surely very small
per cent to make so much talk about a
"raid" on the whole people. If ninety
a;olt NOR cont ara NOT nracticino nolv-