The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-28

bood only by persuasion, by long SUI
fering. BY geutleness and meekness, and
by love unfeigned. The only punish
ment the priesthood could inflict in case
off refusal to accept its counsel would
be to separate from the parties so re-
fusing to accept their instruction. In
all this there is nothing that threatens
the peace of the State or that calls for
cruel legislation from the national Con-
gress.
The manner in which Mr.. Bennett
would solve the Mormon problem Is
best foreshadowed in his recommends
tons In the way of new legislation. he
would have a law requiring a test
oath to be administered to those
applying for registration as voters to
the effect that they were not bigamists
or polygamists, or living in unlawful
cohabitation, nor members Of society
that taught, counseled, or advised the
commission of those crimes:
Increase the punishment for unlaw-
full cohabitation. but not TO make the
Imprisonment exceed FIVE years, and
fine, dollars;
Punish women who knowingly enter
into polygamy and cohabit with rolyg-
amists the same as men;
Make it felony punishable by i'm
prisonment and fine for anyone, either
in private or public, TO advise, or by
spoken, written. or printed matter, in
cite another or the public generally, to
commit the crimes of bigamy or polyg-
amy or unlawful cohabitation;
Establish free school system to be
supported by the sale of school lands
and moderate taxation; attendance at
these schools made compulsory, but
they must be free from sectarian teach
ings;
Provisions for a more vigorous en-
f0Fcement of the laws, and to this end
two more districts judges appointed.
The salaries of the judges increased
from three to five thousand dollars per
annum. The appropriations for judic-
ial expenses, secret service, paying wit
nesses. etc, to be largely increased, and
a commodious penitentiary con-
stiucted.,
These are the main features TO be en-
braced in the new legislation that is to
solve the Mormon problem, and after
looking them over one is surprised at
them since their author started out to
devise means of solving the problem
that should partske more of the spirit
Of charity and true reform than of
vengence; and after considering his
plan one is driven to the conclusion
that the judge would accomplish this
teat on the same principle that the old
Californian proposed favoring his mule
IN performing certain journey. Hav-
ing stated to his friends that he in
tended to favor his beast, they were sur
prised to see him shortly after mounted
upon the sorry, raw-boned, half-starved
luadruped, with a monster raw-hide
whip and huge Spanish spurs, but no
provisions made for feed or rest; but oy
iInt Of plying whip and spur he hoped
10 perform an impossible journey across
4 desert in the shortest possible time,
and thus favor the beast. 1t is needless
70 say that he failed. II Mr.. Benefits
plan enIbodies his idea OF charity, and
the true spirit of reform, then may God
ave US from such charity and spirit Of
reforml The first measure he would
have embodied in his new legislation is
nothing more nor less than the Idaho
plan Of DISTINGUISHING all Mormons, not
for any crime they have committed, but
for believing in the rightfulness of
q plan so entirely un-Amer-
ican in its character that we do not
think it will ever be adopted by Con-
gress, and therefore pass it. What no.
tons OF mercy and charity must that
mind have that would increase the pen
Atty for unlawful cohabitation, that has
already a penalty attached to it which
the contrivsnces Of the courts.
Is made to cover q period of imprison- |
ment altogether out Of proportion to |
the magnitude Of the crime; and that |
would send sensitive. delicate. pure.
women-msny of whom would |
be mothers of lovely children begotten |
in Ito them) the most sacred association |
Judge Bennett would send such |
women to the Penitentiary. q place
provided for vicious criminals. danger
BUS 10 society; and would increase all |
he facilities for more vigorously en-
forcing the laws against the Mormons;
put the plan, with all its charity. win |
not accomplish the object for which 1t
5 designed. The oppressive measures
would only harden and
the religious obstinacy Of
he Mormon people, just as the Ed
nunds law has DONE The Judge ad-
nits the raid under the Edmunds law
has made that people believe the govern
nent despotic, and caused them to re-
new their allegiance to the church. So
. --,.,NI l.. ~,,T~- - n ~ro.sor l.~x