The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-07

any other citizens VINO dwell under the
Dag of the Republic. Under any anc
all circumstances We are their peers
Such trials as the Latter-day Saints
now undergo in the courts in these Ter
ritories are not the trials of ordinary
vulgar criminals. However much those
who figure as prosecutors, judges or
furorS IN these cases may scheme and
plof and falsify TO reduce them to this
level, and TO fix the brand of criminal
ity or the stigma of infamy upon our
conduct, they cannot deceive the world
This which we are now passing through
is to all intents and purposes a relig
ious persecution and nothing else. IL
will yet be recognized as such by the
whole world. It's hideous features, its
lstrocious character, its travesties OF
Justice, cannot be concealed by any
amount of Justification or disguise
Already men are beginning to under
stand the motives and objects of those
who are engaged in il, and history will
set its seal of condemnation upon it
and them, and 1t will yet stand as an
lineff4ceable blot upon the boosted civ
ilization and liberty of our generation.
The scenes which We are now wit
Messing in this Territory are the results
of. a deep-laid aud carefully planned
conspiracy, which has been In process
of formation tor years. Its originators
knew the elements they had 10 deal
with, and by cunning Continuance they
have effected wonderful combination.
Religious and irreligious, ministers in
sacerdotal robes and atheistic scoffers,
business men of integrity and black
legs, temperance men and drunkards,
men OF strict morality and pimps and
harlots, are crowded together on the
platform they have constructed, and
they mud no Inconvenience from each
others cOmpanionship. Each is made
to believe that 1t Is to his direct inter-
est 70 combine to destroy mormon
ISM" A more motley collection Of
human beings was never witnessed,
Diner as they may upon everything
else, there has been one common
thought and purpose running through
! the whole and holding them together,
and that Is hatred OF the religion of the
Latter-day Saints and a determination
TO destroy it and them. The conspira-
tors have appealed to the prejudices of
each one TO induce HIM 70 work in con-
cert for this common end. In the min
listers they have found ready and willing
allies; in fact, these have been the ii0f
authors and promoters of the conspir-
acy. The Pharisees in the DAYS of the
Savior were no more ready to egg the
multitude on to cry out Cruelty him,
cruelty him." than many of the minis
tiers OF our time are TO urge Congress
to enact measures for our destruction.
1t Is now some years since the sectarian
ministers here with the exception of
the Catholic clergymen) combined in a
! document TO Congress, urging that
body to legislate against Us.
This action they have often repeated
since. Destitute of confidence in their
own religious systems and their power
to cope with the truth which we pos
sess without aid from the secular
power, they make the air resound
with their clamors for Congress TO pass
laws to crush US and our religion.
They enlist men of their cloth Else
where in the same unchristian bust
ness. It Is only a few months since,
and at the time the whole ma
chinery of the courts here was being
used most savagely in sending men,
and women also, to prison on account
of their religion, that deputation of
these protested teachers OF the doc
trines of the crucified Redeemer called
upon President Cleveland and pre-
scented a memorial signed by upwards
of thousand persons, and, 1t was said,
by some of the most prominent di-
vines in the country, earnestly urging
MIN to enforce the anti-polygamy act
Could the old Pharisees haye done any
more?
But while the ministers engaged In the
conspiracy through zeal for their own
craft and sectarian hate, the moralist
and the politician, the debauchee and
the drunkard, were drawn into support
of the plot by appeals to their inter-
ests The cry OF polygamy has made
good battle cry: this has called the
faDatical element into line; but under
meath and above this question of polyg-
amy, and completely enyeloping IL, mas
been the design tosldestroy our rights
liberties under the Constitution and
the laws, and to obtain the political
control of our country, so that, being
as voiceless in the affairs of govern
ment as the Indians or Chinese, we
could be taxed and plundered with
impuniJy, and be lorded over by 8 set
of political harpies who would revel
and fatten at our expense. This has
been, and still Is, the object of ali the
outcry raised against us, of the
innumerable falsehoods with which
the public journals have teemed, of the
constant appeals 10 Congress to legis-
in the name of law inflicted upon us by
the courts. The same coyetousness
and envy that led mobs to band them
selves together TO drive us from our
former homes are the sentiments which
prompt the present attack upon US and
our liberties. Then mobs acted openly
and dehanIy, regardless of law; now
the policy is more subtle one; il Is to
reach the same ends under the shelter
and pretence of law. II meant robbery
and the deprivation of rights under the
old system; under IL the new tactics
means the stealing of the political con-
troll OF the country, TO be followed by
rapine and spoliation.
Trace up the acts of the conspirators
from the treason of the Governor in |
setting aside the will of the people and |
bis usurpation of the powers of the |
National House of Representatives, in |
pronouncing upon the qualifications of |
one ofits members, ana giving a GER |
tihcate of election SIS Delegate to Con- |
gress to man whom the people had |
rejected, down through the greater |
part Of the proceedings of the courts. |
and especially the conduct of the Cow /
ernor during the last two sessions OF /
the Legislative Assembly, and irrefra-