The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-09-01
A SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS.

the race W Ou' SAOh IL come SancblneG
ones regard it as a hardship to live on
he same planet and breathe the same
ar with those whom their piety dubs
sinners. Periodically some crank ex-
hibits that kind of spirit towards the
Mormons, and various means have been
suggested to exclude them from immi-
grating to this country. Several years
ago Granny EYarts," then Sec
rotary of State In Hayes ad-
ministrstion, Issued a circular to
some of the European powers, asking
them to devise some means of prohibit
ing Mormons from leaving their shores,
and thus cooperate with the United
States in suppressing this supposed
great evil. We need not add that the
circular became the butt of ridicule in
each of the powers receiving one.
Of late another effort has been made
to prevent the Mormon immigrants
from landing under the pauper act. The
laws of the United States pro-
vide that any person who is
pauper, or INDECENT person
likely to become g public burden, may
be refused a. landing, and returned to
the country from whence he came by
the vessel that brought him to our
shores. Under. this law. several COM
panies of Mormon immigrants have
been examined, and to the disappoint-
ment of the immigration commission
stationed at Castle Gardens, New York,
they have found the Mormons in such
financial condition that they could not
prevent their landing, as they had paid
taeir own passage from tie Old World,
were prepared to pay their railway
fare into the interior of the country,
and have at least q small margin OF
means left on their arrival at their des-
tination. Those that were not in such
a prosperous condition as this, had
friends who were willing to give bond
that they should not become apubic
burden-a modification of the, pauper
act-and so the immigration commits
sion could not prevent their landing,
however good their disposition to do so.
Finding there was no law existing that
would bar the Mormons, one Of the inn
migration commissioners, Mr.. Stephen
son. wrote to Mr. Fairchild, at present
the acting Secretary of the Treasury,
objecting to these bonds being given by
the friends of assisted 41mmigIants, 81
and urging that the immigration laws
should be invoked to exclude Mormon
immigrants from the shores of the
United States. To this latter PROPOSE
ton the acting secretary said:
with reference to the point urged by
Mr.. Stephenson that our immigration
laws should be invoked for the purpose
OF excluding Mormon immigrants from
our shores, tits sufficient to say that
there is no warrant of law for any such
course Of procedure. If it be found
that any Mormon immigrants are of
the classes prescribed by the immi-
grant law, they will be dealt with &C
cordinglY, as being of such classes
without regard to the fact that they are
Mormons."
That manly answer to a bigot's folly
may not be paIatable to the bigot and
others who have become insane
in their zeal to suppress Mormon
ism. It never entered into their !
narrow, contracted souls that
Mormon was entitled to the same rishts
as other men who seek our shores for
the purpose of making homes, and be- |
coming citizens of this country. The
statement of Mr.. Fairchild, that Nor
mons are TO be treated as other immi-
grants without regard to the fact OF
their being Mormons, may make Steph-
enson andthose OF ike~character gnaw
their tongues from very madness OF dis
appointment. but the Acting Secretary
answer was curt statement of law and
the rights of the Mormon immigrants
under the law. OF. course he did no
more than was his duty to do. but it is
quite refreshing IN these intolerant |
lines for the Mormons to hear of man
who can fearlessly discharge his duty
when any of their ri hts are in question.
This is why We speak of it,
PAUL DE CAssAGNAC, the dueliing
French editor, charges that Genera
3oulanger, the minister of war. be