Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-08-24
MORMOS,DEMOCRATIC POLICY.


so long as he himself keeps within
dhe law, and the existence OF such a
Jaw rs the test oath in Idaho has cast
a disgrace 90 the Territory.
This paragraph is taken from the
Nass'a county paper that, from an
early day after its FIRST publication,
has claimed to he Democratic. 1t
discusses, in connection with the fore
gong paragraph, the political .sitpa.
ton and the policy that should guide
the people of Idaho in ths coming
election. 1t boasts that Eat Aast the
Democratic party has come out and
showed its hand" and quotes and in
,dorses the disiointed speech recently
made at Boise by one of Mr. Haiey's
supporters, who had the tact to make
HALEY think he would be in his way
for Congress, and to get him out of
his path he secured for him an an
pointment. Those disjointed remarks
will have no effect on sensible men
except to arouse pity for the author.
The Cassla paper tells the truth
that sit matters not what a man be.
lieves so long as he keeps within the
law" Nobody denies that, and it is
barely, if at all, possible that the su
thor of that sentence did not know
the hypocrisy of the sentence when
he wrote it. The people of this Re-
public, OF all classes, believe in the
freedom of thought and religion, but
they do not believe that any person is
free to cover crime with mantle of
"belief" or opinion that teaches it is
divine to commit crime.
The "test OATH is nothing but a
safeguard placed around the laws and
constitution Of the Republic. The
elective franchise is only privilege,
not right. The privilege is granted
so long as 1T is used for the good of
the Republic and the maintenance of
its laws. When it, in obedience to
hostile sect, craft, organization, or
what you will, is used to forward the
exercise of opinions, actions, theories
or practises, that are crimes under the
laws of the government that grants
the privilege, it is the right and high
time for the government to withdraw
the privilege from those who, by their
criminal conduct, show themselves un.
fit to exercise it. No che who takes
advantage of the privilege of voting
to aid, push, or make handy the COM
mission of crime, is lit to enjoy that
privilege.
The Mogmons care nothing for the
American Government. Their mas.
ters and their "Opinion" teaches VIC.
iation of every law of that govern
ment that does not agree with the
prIest-given orders. The practical re-
suit is that the Mormons place these
pretendedly God-given orders about
temporal mot spiritual or religious)
affairs above the government under
which they claim to live and in which
they propose to have hand. This is
crime under American laws, aud for
crime the government has the right
and it is proper for it to withdraw the
privilege and opportunity granted by
it to its enemies to misuse it.
What is said here of Mormons
means and includes all Mormons, and
it includes also all sympathlzers, aid
ers and abettors with Mormons.
The man who aids and conspires
with any other-individual or collec-
tion--to violate the law, is alike an
enemy of the law, and should receive
the same punishment. Practically
there is no difference, so far as the end
aimed at and the rtsult is concerned,
between the Anarchists who were, on
Saturday last, condemned to death
and the Mor,nons and their ai,lers and
oo-workers and co-conspirators. The
one enemy sought to break down
the law by violence and bloodshed.
The others, for the present, seek the
same end by means equally illegal,
but not violent. We cannot see that
the "oath of self-protection" is a dis.
grace on the Territory.
Religion or "Opinion" is free in this
Republic SO long as it is confined to
spiritual affairs; but when it is used as