National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-15

CRIME all tne Safeguards To personal liberty y
five can suppress and subdno other criminals
without doing anythlngbut what IL in perfect
accord with the great principles Of personal
safety, why not regulate this matter by the
slow. You cannot at once expunge any state Of
things from tho face of the earth. There have
been established great guides of procedure
which will not BIO departed from TO punish
murder, larceny, or arson, or any other crime.
We have adopted these methods because ortheir
supreme excellen6ei because of the good which
they do TO society in their careful. iudicious,
wise, and humane administration.
Now, you have crime which oflends a Ger.
tain class of people who have worked them.
selves into frenzy, and who aro pursuing the
Mormons as calling, although they have not
suffered a particle from them or anything rolat-
ingto polygamy. They only know OF polyRamy
by hearay; they have become perfectly enraged
at what they call the terrible state of immor-
md clnmor that all the great principles Of our
law be suspended that we may punish this out
rngeous race of polygamists in the territory of
Utah. The remedy is teniold worse than the
disease. i believe that men develop under the
protection that our law gives them faster than
they do when these projections are torn down
and our prejudices aroused TO stamp out Ger.
tain practices. Civilization Is of slow growth
= '' SnOt thrive under persecution. IL grows
90. . flower grows, out OF favorable conditions,
OLt ul humane surroundings, under Christian
and charitable treatment of men. our COtstitu.
ton is the grandcst code Of principles ever
known in the annals OF our race, and | can con-
ceive Of no wrongs that can appeal to us so
strongly ny to justify a committeeot lawyersrep-
rcsenting the Congress of the United States in
susp, nding any one of the great principles Of
that constitution. protest against II.
This bill proposes TO disiranchise the women
of Utah.. / never got very much excited In
that ever shall. think they have their own
way now pretty generally. never knew them
10 want Tor anything that they did not get IT,
but still the law toerates female suffrage, aud
81
franohi ed. They arc under the ban. They
arc forbidden to appear In the elections
nj nil. Those who do not practice polygamy
are asked to be excluded nom voting. Under
given locality know more rs to what Is to their
interest than the people who live remote from
thtm. To This end we have established sys'
ten OF local governments, which Is the pride
Of our constitution. Nothing compares In
sanctity or In wisdom with the right OF local
solEgovernmcnt in the Unitel States. The
right Of local sselfgoyernmcnt Is the sub.
lect Of political agitation Throughout the
world. The territories Of the United States
have been permitted TO govern themselves
without exception for the last sixty years.
There was an exceptional government cstab-
lishcd in the territory of Florida at one time,
but only to meet temp Orafy state OF affairs.
Since that time the people of the territory have
been allowed togovern themselves.
:, Mr.. Stewart. All except you people here In
Washington.
Mr. Chandler. Here the government owns us
body mud soul. They own our parks aud build.
inps, they own our streets, and we have but
little 10 govern ourselves about,
The Chairman, Would not the reverse prop.
oosition in some degree be true-that you own
the government?
Mr.. Chandler. Not ut all. think the most
insignificant position II man can occupy In
Washington is to be Il simple citizen. Ii he is
not clothed with power he may not he man
to lie looked upon with contempt, but he Is re-
garded with the most painful Indifference.
I1lt tlpy 1n mot natulliCh Cnnh n
government in Utah ms we have here. Here
you have committee for the District of Co
lumbia alone, and besides you own three
fouTthS OF everything that Is worth owning In
the District. Then again q conference is con.
stantly going on between the agencies you es.
tnblish for government and yourselves. You
do not give the commissioners any power TO
legslate as is asked for In Utah. Here is a
proposition TO give thirteen men the right 10
lcpislate
Mr. Stewart, That is not in this bill
Mr.. Chandler. No; but that was in the propo-
sition of the gentleman who came here to ask
your help in humiliating the MOrmons. The
proposition is that the Mormons cannot be
trusted togoyern themselves, and you are asked
community. That's his proposition Now / say
either proposition Is condemned by the philOi.
ophy of our system. 1t was said long ago that
taxation without representation was tyranny.
That was our definition believe, and that is tho
standard definition of tyranny-that taxation
without representation is tyranny. You are
asked to disfranchise oil the Mormons and
turn the government over to $4,000 Gentiles
and allow the minority to govern the majority,
and to tax them without representation, or to
send Thirteen men out there, who Will make
the minority still less TO govern all the others.
You are asked to put legislative authority In
the hands of these thirteen men with power to
tax those who will be without the power OF
representation in that body. II that was
tyranny when this government was estab-
lished, Is II less so now?
Mr.. Stewart. | do not think IL is worth whilo
to spcnd nfy time In Srrnins that point'
Mr.. Chandler. / will leave IL.
MIR Stewart IL occurred 10 me individunIly
that IL was not worth while TO dwell further
uron that point, Ifthe chairman agrees win
me in That Won might MS well save tile time
The Chairman. You are arguing, Mr.. Chand.
Ter, the proposition of Committing the whole
legislative power of the territory To n commits.
sion,
MIR. Chandler. Yes, sir
The Chairman. That is not In tho bill,
Mr. Chandler. No, sir, but II is in the argyll
Inpnt of The gentleman who anpnnrsd here tho
other day.
The Chairman. think as II Is not In the bill
that may safely say to the subcommittee tLut
We do Gf1 v 70 put we IT, Now tho
proposition is to appoint board of govern.
meDt for the Mormon church. The President
is authorized to appoint trustees and the
ganize and to report 70 the Secretary of the
Interior. \ theological bureau Is to be estah.
lishcd, which shall be under the enlightened
administration of Secretary Lamar. lie Is to
be clothed with saceriotal robes, and to re.
treat into some obscure place when these theO-
logical questions arise and dispose of them.
Now. can the government OF the United States,
no matter how ambitions, do that? | say not.
] do not suppose there can be much contro.
vcrsy about the relation which the church suS-
tains TO the general government, or to any gov
eminent. The matter came up In Massachu-
sets, where the first rays of n higher civiliza-
ton are first seen. as is supposed, Judge Hoar
held that churches were private trusts.
The Chairman. i am authorized to say on
behalf Of the subcommittee that we do not
propose to become partners in running the
Mormon church. The question is what may
be done, or what should be DONE In reference
10 the incorporation Of the Mormon church,
and the amount of property 1t shall hold Is
question which you may discuss. The COM
mittee does not mean 70 abTldge your line OF
argument, Mr.. Chandler, but simply say
wherein we agree, and save yon discussion,
We accede to your proposition with reference
10 this church government.
Mr.. Stewart. The questions OF the repeal OF
the charter of the church, and the emigration