National Republican., 1886-09-14

territorial legislature. This seems to be q
sort Of second addition OF the Mississippi
plan, slightly improved. Section 10 pro-
vides three years. residence in the penl-
tentiary for any one committing adultery.
IL the woman be married she must go along
TO the penitentiary with the man, but II
single she goes free IL this law was in
force generally, and enforced as II is pro-
posed to be against the Mormons, would
there not in some cases be trouble in keep
ing a Mormon through the session Of some
legislative bodlesY Section % gives the
marshal or any Of his deputies tho right TO
arrest any and all persons that he may think
are offenders OF the law and commit them TO
jail. Could law be more infamous and
cruel?
Salt Lake City Is full of people that desire
and expect to see the Mormon property
conflscated, and not a few anxiously hope
and expect to largely benefit by such con-
flscatlon, and It would be impossible for
man to make stronger or more perfect law
for these purposes than the Edmuuds bill.
The bill is worthy Of the acute mind OF the
author.
Poiygamy is contrary to law and contrary
to every principle Of well-regulated, moral
society, and should be blotted out. But
for Congress TO pass laws, separate aud
apart, for the government OF Utah that are
inhuman In every feature, and that repeal
every principle Of law that protects the peo.
Pile and society in their proper rights in oil
the states and other territories would, In
my opinion, be far more dangerous to the
republic than polygamy, as bad as II is con-
ceded to be, confined to Utah; and, besides,
no law would be less likely TO succeed than
this cruel Edmunds bill, II law. The day
has gone by for any man Of ordinary sense
to say that the Mormons do not rellglously
believe what they preach.
| 1t is more than forty years now since the
| Mormons settled Salt Lake. and during all OF
that time the President, the courts, aud Com
| gress have known that polygamy was long
| practlced as part Of the Mormon religion.
| Governors, judges, and other officials have
been sent to the territory to govern them,
and at no timo has the character or ltness
OF the .appointees, been question. They
were simply, In the language OF Mr.. Lin
coin, troublesome pigs, and put In holes
that happened TO be vacant, Some OF these
appointees speculated with the Mormons.
some done other things, and some married
with the Mormons. And the Mormons
done all the time as they pleased, aud their
Legislature passed such laws as they pleased,
and Congress did not repeal them. Congress
passed laws against polyGamy, just as the
states passed laws against adultery, but no
no one enforced the laws much in either
Salt Lake or In the states. The result is
that nearly all Of the younger people OF
Utah are the children Of polygamous
fathers. They have had happy and prosper
ous homes, been educated, loved, and cared
for by their fathers, and now Congress in a
spasmodic flt Of virtue, with the white
house in view with some and the fear of
the home votes by others, proposes to send
these fathers to the penitentiary aud
bastardize their children. That is not the
honest way. That is not the humane
way, and II is not the Christian way to
break up polygamy. All accounts from
| m N
do not take to nor like polygamy. Nearly
one.fourth Of the population are Gentiles.
III Congress Will pass an amnesty act at
once, relieving the fathers Of the present
young generation from further prosecu-
tfon, and send to the territory governor
and judges who are honest and intelligent
men, who understand human nature, who
will firmly but humanely enforce the law
against the future law-breaker, 1t will not
be long before polygamy will end. When
the young Mormons find that their fathers
are not to be sent to the penitentiary they
would help to enforce the law. Under
law OF amnesty, with practical, honest, sen
sible territorial officials, 1t would take but Q
few years TO have a moral sentiment In
Salt Lake that could enforce the Law
against polygamy. Under the last few years
excitement against the Mormons, It was
only those least at to govern that have
been sent there to govern. Quiet men
did not want to hold Office in Utah. Il
they did not quarrel with the Mormons
the preachers and politicians would quar-
rel with them.
The great mistake was In giving Utah
territorial organization and then appointing
Brigham Young governor. The Mormons
with their Indian religion, should bav
been treated as the Indian tribes, and 1
would be far better to-day II the territorial
,, charter Of Utah was repealed than to pas
the Edmund bills, or any such bill Repea
, the territorial charter and establish stron
military post at Salt Lake that will protec
individual rights and stop foreign immigra
tion, II you please. Anything is presei
able to turning the dial Of law and justic
, back to the dark ages In the proud reput
lie that boasts that the law protects all alik
and oppresses none. HAWKINS TAYLOR
WAsnINGToN, Sept. 8, 1886.