New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-25

Attorney General Hurd, says an Indian
apols dispatch, has just returned from Utah
with a new plan for dealing with the Mormon
problem. He says that the Mormon women
being sincere believers in polygamy from a re-
ligious point of view, regard the prosecution of
their husbands rs martyrdom, and are only con-
firmcd in their faith by the rigid execution Of
the Federal laws. Now, SAYS Mr.. Hurd, The
"only way, | believe, that MoTmonism can ever
abe reached is to enact a law enabling a woman
who has been sealed to Mormon to recover
"a proportionatc share of his possessions and to
"obtaIn divorce whcncye she becomes dis
satisfied. Then encourage a few advent
"urcsses to go to Utah, become sealed to the
"weathy Mormons, and in few weeks, rs a
"purcy business transaction, become dissatis-
81 fled and demand division. You can reach
"thcm through their pockets quicker than any
"othcr way" 1t does not seem to have oc-
CURED to AttorneyG encral Hurd that the
scheme he proposes SO confidently would be
rather a queer one for the Government of the
United States TO engage in.
In the first place, it Is necessary to bear in
mind the nature of the objections to poly gamy.
That practice Is denounced on the score of pub
lie morals principally and this being the case,
how would it look for the great and powerful
Government which occupies this high moral
ground to proceed against the evil it opposes by
means of what could only be considered a
matchmaking conspiracy against the Nor
mons What would be the aspect of the case
when the United States Government posed as
an encourager and patron of female advent
urers, and facilitated their endeavors to lay
traps for and then plumber the Mormons under
the cover of law made for the express purpose
of enabling this kind of robbery to be perpe-
tratedY In proposing so immoral Il plan Mr..
Iiurd has laid himself open to the imputation of
believing that the end justifes the means
maxim the advocacy of and acceptance of which
has produced more abominable deeds than per-
hnps any sophism ever evolved by human per-
vcrsity. But while the proposition Is altogether
Objectionable on the ground of its ethical char
acter, there is really no eason for supposing
that it could succeed if adopted.
For it is certainly not 10y any means true that
the MOrmons can be reached moro quickly
through their pockets than any other way.
Like all fanatics. they have manifested a com
parative indifference To their material interests,
and the most formidable obstacle to all legisa-
ton directed against polygamy has from the
first consisted in the fact that they were ready
to submit 10 fine and imprisonment rather than
abandon practice which they hold to be sane
toned and sanctliicd by religion. If the ques-
ton had ever been simply one of material in
terest 1t could have been settled long ago. Ii
is precisely because it is complicated with re-
ligious belief that Congress has found it so in
lracabe The case being thus it cannot be be-
licyed thai Mr. lurd's strange proposal is a
practical one, and unfortunately there can be
no doubt at all that it is dlscreditable one. If
the Mormon question cannot be settled by
honorable and proper nethods it would be-
better to let it alone. Doing evil that good may
come is a line of action which no lpvcr Of his