The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-01-20
SENATOR TELLER's REMARKS.


Senator Teller, of Colorado, has bee
Subjected to nota little abuse at the hand
OF portion of the press on account c
his speech in the Senate On the lates
anti-Mormon infamy. the new Edmund
bill. Some of the papeRs of his owl
Stale have been cruelty severe in thei
denunciations of him, and othe
journals have fallen afoul of the gentle
man most shamefully. All these news
papers have gone upon the assumption
that Mr.. Teller declared sympathy
with the doctrines of the Mormons
and friendship with the Saints, whereas
he did nothing of the kind. He simply
pleaded for fair play for the Mormons
and legal, Christian treatment OF the
Utah problem. Senator Teller is more
familiar with Utah and her people
than any other member of the Senate
he has been here, and knows the COM
munity; he is also acquainted with the
course pursued by the men sent here by
the Federal government to administer
the laws, and knows of the wickedness
and malice that have been practiced
against the people. In his remarks he
uttered no word that could be con-
strued into an expression of sympathy
with Mormon institutions; on the con-
Irary he declared emphatically that he
did not believe in polygamy. He did
say, however, what all intelligent
persons know to be true, that the wrong
class of men had been sent to
this Territory; that the govern
ment had sent men here who
had irritated and prosecuted the
people. He declared that it was by
persecution that polygamy had been
kept alive; that religious enthusiasm
had done much for civilization, but we
could not forget that two-thirds of the
people of the world to-day believe in po-
lygamy; that Great Britain had never
put Its hand on polygamists in its dom
inions; that Mormons had their faults,
but he had seen Salt Lake City when
not grogshop, a gambling den. or a
house Of prostitution could be found
within its limit. He said it could not
be expected that men who had married
wives over thirty years ago would put
them away now as prostitutes and de
clare their children bestards. He looked
upon the bill as too severe. as being full
OF bleed and said that men who, like
him, did not believe in polygamy, had
by the severity of government been
driven into a condition of opposition to
the policy of the United States.
Senator Teller's argument was simply
the remarks Of an intelligent man,
familiar with the subject and uninflu-
enoed by bigotry and partisan hate,
but none OF his declarations could be
disputed by the advocates of the bill,
and ne one who is disposed to be fair
and impartial can find fault with him
on the score of his friendship for the
Mormsas. The editors who are able to
rise above prejudice, and treat his
argument from the standpoint of fair
ness cannot fail to applaud him for his
able and fearless course in the face of
the mad fanaticism on the part of the
masses which declares that the
MOTmons must be crushed out
of existence, right or wrong,
Among the newspapers which have
sought to do justice to Senator Teller is
the Pittsburg Leader, which closes an
able editorial on the Edmunds bill and
TelIer's remarks as follows:
Mr.. Teller does not stand alone in the
view he takes on this Mormon problem.
Many people in the United States who
abhOr polygamy fully as much as does
Senator Edmunds believe in fair play
for the Mormons. This determined.
unjust, unrighteous, unchristian perse-
cunon OF the Mormons by the United
States Congress and government. will
leave blot on the fair escutcheon of
the natien that win bring to the cheeks
of our children's children the blush of
shame. What answer can they make to
the charge that the great republic.
whose chief boast was the perfect
freedom promised all citizens in
religious worship and practice within
the domain OF the nation and the
guarantee of protection in the exercise OF
those rights, did persecute uncompromi
ing'y certain class of citizens purely
and solely for religions sake? Could
our descendants answer that it was
done for the safety of the Union? Was
the danger imminent that those Nor
mons were about to coerce the rest of
the people of the nation into accepting
the pernicious doctrines and practices?
We're they habitual breakers of the law.
and did they menace by unlawful means
the rights, religious or otherwise, of
good tizens who differed from them in
their faith? Were they bad citizens in
any sense2 We can easily imagine with
what shame our posteuty must per force
answer each and all the above queries
in the negative. The Indians commit
murder, devastate property. regard not
The rights of Others in any manner. Yet
the government takes fatherly care OF
them, does not interfere in the exercise
OF their superstitiouS religion, but this
same government persecutes vindic-
lively the MormOns, q law abiding
thrifty, peseeable people. Senator Ed