Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-07
THE IMPERATIVE CLAUSE.

On the supposition that Senator Ed
munds' new bill will become law, it is
safe to predict that the clause in the said
bill looking to confscation OF the prop
erty of the Mormon church will prove in
operative. The purpose is to confiscate
all property belonging to the church that
is not of the nature of houses of worship.
Where will this property be found? The
church has been forewarned OF the inten-
ton to confiscate its secular property,
and being so warned. the church is no
doubt forearmed. If it disposes OF all its
property and receives money for the
same, it will be an impossibility to trace
the money. The disposal OF its property
cannot be said to be proceeding to de-
fraud creditors, for there are no creditors.
II there be creditors they are probably
those members OF the church who have
paid tithing or made donations. The new
bill provides for the appointment of four
teen trustees who shall hold Office for the
term of two years. These trustees are
required to make report to the Secre-
tary of the Interior annually or oftener.
Their first report is very apt to be to the
effect that "We came, we saw, we found
nothing" and all their other reports, il
they make one every day in the week I'M
til the end of time, will be of about the
same tenor. All the sections of this bill
referring to the confiscation of the prop
erty OF the church seem to contemplate
continuance of the corporate existence OF
the church rather than dissolution OF
the church as a corporation. The four
teen trustees are apparently expected to
be walters and watchers to take charge of
anything that may turn up. Whatever
turns up OF church property will not head
their way. All these things should be
well considered by the author OF the new
remedy for Utah ills, for as lawyer and
statesman he must know that an inop-
erative law is almost rs bad as no law.
What the wealth OF the church is no one
who is not in the confidence OF the church
knows, and it is likely that any who may
possess that confidence would say, ii put
upon the witness stand, that he
did not know. Supposing that the
church is disincorporated and all prop
erty belonging to it as a corporation is
sold, what is there to prevent the Nor
mons from voluntarily associating to-
gether and giving OF their means to those
who may lead such voluntary associa-
ton? Such associations are not illegal
and they have no legal existence, and
hence sections II, 13 and IA of this new
Edmunds bill cannot affect such associa-
ton property. If A or B or C or all of
them choose to give Mr.. Taylor or Mr..
Cannon or anyone else so much money,
who is going to prevent A, B and from
doing it, or Mr.. Taylor or Mr. Cannon
from receiving it? This part OF the new
bill which looks to the administration of
the property of the Mormon church by
fourteen trustees will not only be
imperative but appears to be
bungling piece Of work. The more
one studies this part of Senator Ed
munds' bill, the more one is convinced
that it will fail of its object. To any one
at all conversant with Utah matters it is
inconceivable how Edmunds neglected to
insert in his proposed law a provision re-
quiring the registration OF births and max
ing it crime to fail to register births. A
law requiring the registration Of births is
one OF the most essential needs OF the
Territory and would do more to suppress
polygamy than almost anything else.
The failure OF Senator Edmunds to insert
such provision in his bill reminds us OF
what one OF his Yankee constituents is
reported to have said about him. "Sena-
tor Edmunds very often in his search for
things fails to see barn door when it is
before him, but ii there is fly on the
door he is sure to.see it,"