Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-02
WOODBURN'S BILL.

The DEMOCRAT cheerfully affords spac
for the following communication. 1t
from the pen of gentleman who fc
many years has been resident of thi
Territory, and who has been close str
dent of the means resorted to by tn
Mormon Church to firmly establish i
this free country an institution so vile i
its aims and objects that in any othe
civilized land in the world its preciou
head would have been Topped off ere tn
foul thing had attained three months
growth.
As to the motives which induced Mr.
Woodburn to introduce his anti-polygam,
bill in the House yesterday, we know
nothing except what is to be inferred
from the measure itself. 1t may be, anc
we are inclined to think that our cor
respondent is right in asserting, that the
new Edmunds bill, with the amendment
proposed since the measure has been in
the hands of the House Committee, would
60 much further toward Flooring" the
Mormon monster than the measure pro.
posed by Mr.. Woodburn, since a close
reading OF the latter bill shows the omis-
sion OF many points fully covered by the
EdmuDds bill, and without which it
would be difficult to successfully grapple
with the great evils existing here:
EDITOR DEMOCRAT: 1t is pretty well set
tied IN the minds of the Saints that some
thing must be speedily done for their relief
from the pressure now brought to bear on
them under the Federal laws. and for those
who may not know the fact, it may be well
to state that the Priesthood is not idle in
the present trouble. They have determined
not to give up polygamy; have determined
not to emigrate in body from Utah; have de-
termlned not to let 90 their grasp as a
church-the Kingdom of God-on the State.
and yet they recognize the fact fully as well
as the Gentiles do, that the people and Gov
ernment of the United States have decreed
that polygamy shall no longer be openly
taught and practiced in this Republic. The
policy of the Church leaders in this emer-
gency seems to be taking form, and ways
that are dark and tricks that are peculiar to
the Latter-day frauds may be looked for.
There is one thing, and one thing only,
which these people have constantly in view
above all Others, and that is the establish |
ment of theocratic empire. They are full !
of resources, as they have always been, and |
never relinquish point if they can help it. |
Equal to any and all emergencies, they now. |
under the pressure of the laws against po-
lygamy, have a scheme perfected for the
colonization of their polygamists in Mexico.
The land there has been purchased, they
have been exempted from taxes for ten wears.
and hold the promise of the Mexican govern
ment for protection against assaults by the
Indians for like period. They claim to have
the Yaqui Indians half converted to their
faith, and by means of telegraphic lines,
will, from the Mexican stake of Zion, where
lhe polygamous head of the priesthood will
be established, conduct the affairs of the
Kingdom of God in two Republics.
The United States end of the Kingdom of {
God will refrain from teaching and practic-
ng polygamv, so that the Idaho test oath ,
Will be OF no avail, to the end of striking ,
political power from the Church. and the
Kingdom of God will still flourish. The ob-
ection to the Idaho test oath is that de-
'ree of the Mormon priesthood at any time
orbiddlng the practice and teaching of l
'olygamy in the United States, re-enfran- /
hises the Saints to the last one of them.
md still leaves the theocracy of Mormon
lom in political control of Utah and other
Territories.
Woodburn's bill introduced in the House
# Representatives on Monday, smacks
much of Mormon g'uSe to defeat the more v
'otent and efficacious measure proposed by II
senator Edmunds as an amendment to his A
wn bill, now in the hands of the House
by which it is proposed to dis =
ranchise every officer and subject of the
ingdom of God on earth who is now exer-
ising the rights and privileges of American Il
itizenship to the ulterior and wicked end of II
the sovereignty of the Mormon C,
hurch in the United States. t,
The Idaho test oath recognizes polygamy r,
S the basis of Mormon disfranchisement, q,
nd therefore leaves in the hands of the Nor
ION priesthood means by which the church
lay escape the consequences of this oath at " "
ny time, by simply yielding, or seeming to =
ield, up polygamy in the United States. On III
he other hand, the Edmunds test oath di
'cognizes as the basis of Mormon disfran- bt
the fact that every Mormon is B
lie subject Of or an officer in, the Kingdom RI
God on earth, and must therefore of ne h.
'ssity be an alien if not traitor to the :.
nited States, because one and all of these
'ople are engaged in a conspiracy to estab- ''l
III by apparent republican forms and US
ethods a theocratic empire. de
MIR. Woodburn, who represents Nevada in an
'ngress, was elected over Cassidy, Demo. phi
At, by Mormon votes, as Republican, tn