The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-23
LONE WHO KNOWS"
Mormon, NOn-MOrmOn and Jack
Mormon Views of POlYgamy.

10 tue EOlLOr OF Lne evening IOSt.
SIR-There. are really but two parties
in Utah. and upon all questions of a
public nature on which there may be
a division of sentiment. the line is drawn
between the two elements, Gentle
and Mormon" In local politics the
term Democrat and Republican are
scarcely know. While, as a rule. the
Mormon people solidly support their
church and its elders, they are by no
means a unit in their agreement on HE
question of polygamy. Many, very
many, will tell you they do not believe
in the practice, nor under any circum-
stances would they encourage it in 9TH
ers, for the one reason, II for no other,
that it is prohibited by law. A large
majority of those who had been living
in polygamy when the Edmunds Bill
became law put away their plural wives,
or all but one, actually cohabiting with
but that one. honestly intending to live
and conscientiously believing that they
were living, within the law, yet were,
under the peculiar construction given
by the Utah courts to the term 'unlaw-
full cohabitation, brought to realiza-
Oll vi lAC LdCl bldI lnCO mCIc llf1lS
olation of it; that offences against it
might be constructively committed; and
under this ruling number of convic-
lions followed.
l do not say that this is true of all
MormOns. There can be no question
that the religious fanaticism OF some of
them carry them to the extent of ''liv-
ing up to their full privilege" in def
ance of the law, openly proclalming
that the law of God. as Interpreted by
them, is more binding ;on their con-
sciences than the law of man: but they
are the < options.
The extremists are not found alto
gether on the Mormon side of the tw,
parties in Utah. They exist as well il
the ranks of the Gentle" element
Many auch vociferously proclaim tina
"Mormons have no rights which anti
Mormons are bound to respect" 1t i,
a well-known fact that there does exist
in Salt Lake City. and. in fact. through
out the Territory, q ring" within
whose charmed circle only the elect"
of the Gentle element can enter. Hun
dreds of non-Mormons. or anti-Mor-
mons, if you please, who honestly de-
sire to see the blighting curse of polyg-
amy obliterated, men who are advo-
Gates of the most radical measures for
its suppression, will tell you that all
they desire is obedience to the law
while those 1.-THE aforesaid ''ring'D who
arrogate to themselves the right to
speak for the entire Gentle" popula-
ton of Utah. will say to you that ''po-
lYRamy is the least of the evils, "
and, in the language of the Salt Lake
Tribune, lit is but the cement which
binds together the walls of Mormon
ISM" that there can be no solution OF
the Mormon problem unless the mem
bers of that creed shall be Invested of
all the rights of citizenship OF as
means for the suppression OF polygamy,
for the absolute and voluntary renun-
citation of it by the Mormon Church as
a religious or any other right would not
satisfy these men, but for the very pur-
pose which Captain Goldman states.
The appropriation to itself of the
government of the Territory" Let an
honest Gentle, radically opposed to
polygamy, say to these men that when
the Mormon Church shall cease to prac-
tise polygamy and its members declare
their intention to live within and obey
the law, that is all we have the right TO
expect. that is all we can ask; and he
will have it thrown into Ii, teeth that he
is Jack Mormon.
have had ample opportunities for
studying the Mormon question; have
been brought face to face with it; have
seen it in nearly if not quite all its
phases. A more industrious, provident,
hospitable. and. IN their business rela-
lions. more honest people never lived;
and, with but the one exception named
they are, as a whole. not in the least
tainted with disloyalty. Here and
there may be found some fanatical fool
who gives utterance to dIsloyal senti-
ments; but of the loyalty of the bulk OF
the people outside of their religious
fanaticism there can be no question.
ONE WHO WNows.
UTAH TERRITORY, February 3.
Our correspondent, who has had an
experience in Utah which entities him
10 his signature. has favored US with
long communication, great part OF
which Is needlessly devots d TO the de,
tense of one of our correspondents
against the attacks of a Utah news
paper We omit all of that. and pre-
sent some extracts which just now de-
serve pnblie attention. -New York Ere,l-
ng Post.
NERVE-LIFE AND VIGOR restored