Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-11-23
THE CAMPAIGN OPENED.

The evening organ OF the dlsloyal
priesthood outlines some OF the presumed
objects of the Gentle element in Utah
in demanding additional legislation for
this Territory. With characteristic Nor
mon mildness, and with a smile that is
childlike and bland, the priestly mouth
piece courteously says "The purposes
of the plotters disclose more concentrated
diabolsm and unmitigated, though trans
parent, hypocrisy, than is usually wit
messed in the schemes OF the most un-
scrupulous and fiendish OF human COM
binations."
This bombardment Of big sounding
words by Conspiracy" Nicholson, dem
onstrates that he is q worthy successor to
the absconding Penrose, and is the signal
for the opening campaign. In connec-
ton with this fusilade of words, the
quadrangular array of paid Mormon at
torneys at Washington, Curtis, Chand-
Ter, Boutwell, and Gibson, have com
menced to play upon the Secretary of the
Interior.
According to the Chicago Inter- ocean,
on the 10th inst, George Ticknor Curtis,
from his angle OF the legal quadrilateral
fortress, directed a resounding protest
against the present policy OF the Admin
istration toward the Mormon law-break-
ers in Utah.
John Taylor, from the underground
council-chamber, under date OF August
g. 1886, writes to his venerable friend
and attorney, that the Mormons do not
intend to leave Utah, nor do they pro-
pose to give up their religious (polyga-
mous) convictions. He says: "Oui
destinies are interviewer with the des-
TIMES of the United States. We
have expected also that the day would
yet come when it would fall to us to up.
hold the Constitution and constitutional
government in this country. We fully
believe that this high honor is in store
for us and we are sustained in the midst
OF our present prosecutions by the con
sciousness that there is divine prov
dence in all that is taking place"
To think that weak and beggarly
sect, possessing neither good morals, nu
merical strength nor loyalty to the Ma
ton, should, through the exercise OF po
litical power assume such airs, is one o
the strongest reasons why its arbitrary
and dangerous rule should be at onct
and forever abolished.
or and Ss as aeh sSRss gssSSRaznG IL }2sn .s Lay
saviors OF a nation, which according t.
the recent "epistle" of Apostle Woodruff
is to be almost Immediately destroyed
by the just judgments OF an angry God
proceeds to elaborate a plan by which
the infamous polygamists can ignor,
their true and lawful wives, select thu
youngest OF their harems and give secu-
rity ( p that they will confine their sex
ual relation to the one selected, and sht
shall be registered as the admitted wife
OF the pardoned saint. AS lawyer, ia
mliar with the common law of Englan(
and OF this country, Curtis speaks OF
those polygamists "who married plura
wives before there was any law prohibit
ing such unions!"
He insists that provision shall be mad
by Congress to have the third section o
the Edmunds law, in cases where con
viction has been had under it, receive
construction by the Supreme Court o
the United States. And in orde
further to protect the rights OF polyga
nous criminals, he proposes that a lore
high commissioner be appointed tc
take charge of all prosecutions unde
the Edmunds act now pending or tina
may be instituted for one year, authority
to direct the District Attorney in sucl
cases and TO supervise the administration
of the law under the control of the Attor
ney General"
Verify, this is centralism with ven
gence! No self-respeCting Judge or Dis
trict-Attorney would submit to sucf
supervision for moment, and any ad
ministration that dared to inaugurate
such an infamous policy would be crushed
by an indignant people.
Finally, the mercenary Curtis says
"We have only to exercise little
patience and refrain from persecution
and we may look to see polygamy die &
natural death at no very distant day"
Why don't this astute lawyer and ex
judge say the same of theft and murder
This preliminary shot OF Attorney Curtis
will be followed up by an attack in force
of charging column OF amazons anC
priests during the coming session of Con
gress. The two three-penny organs OF
the Church will attend to mortar-frinl
from the rear.