Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-03
DISCUSS AND ACETATE !!

The introduction of Mr.. Woodburn'
anti-polygamy bill in the House of Repre-
sentatives on Monday has resulted in
evoking considerable discussion over the
merits of that measure as compared with
the Edmunds bill now in the hands of the
House Judiciary Committee, and in
which it is sought to incorporate the pro-
visions formulated by Senator Edmunds
since the bills passage in the Senate.
Under the circumstances, it may not
be amiss to reproduce that portion of the
proposed amendment to the Edmunds
bill which strikes directly at the great
evil here As given by the Chicago
Times, it is substantially as follows:
1t is proposed to excuse every person from
participating in the Territorial government
unless he is registered hereafter; and to en-
title him to be registered he must take an
oath in writing that he is sincerely attached
to the principles of the Constitution of the
United States; that he regards the Constitu-
tlon, the acts of Congress, and of the Ter
ritorial Legislature as interpreted by the
courts as the supreme law of the land; that
he declares allegiance to the government Of
the United States, and renounces all allegi-
ance to any other power, civil or ecclesias
tical; that he has no sympathy with the po-
itical aims or intentions of the Mormon
Chr"N, and is opposed to any interference
+ that church with the exercise of the cleo
lIanchise by debating to or counseling
!; .Jter how he shall not vote or how he
shall perform official duties that he de-
III unces as pernicious and holds not binding
upon him any such counsel or dictation; that
b. .&A1 e. Il. 4
fhe church, and solemnly promises and
wears that he will not act or be in concert
nth any political party acting or which may
hereafter act to carry out the political will |
of the church or of any Mormon political |
party.
This is sweeping measure, and if |
enacted into law, would doubtless fully |
meet the expectations of its author. As
pointed out in the DEMOCRAT last evening,
tAis ar1en1ment recognizes as the basis
OF distranclsement, the fact that "every
Mormon @ sleject of, or an officer in,
the Kingdom Of God on earth, and must
therefore of necessity be an alien, if not
traitor, to the United States, because
one and all OF these people are engaged
in a conspiracy to establish by apparent
forms and methods a theo-
cratic empire -
On the other hand the Woodburn bill
recognizes polygaGny as the basis of dis
thus leaving in the hands
OF the priesthood means by which they
may escape the consequences OF the pre-
scribed oath by simply yielding, or pro-
fessing to yield, up polygamy. Without
iii this respect, then, this
bill looks as though it might fail where
the Edmunds bill would prove efficacious.
tits highly desirable that Utah should ,
at once be given some such legislation as !
S proposed in one or both of these bills. i
10 that end the Gentiles of Utah should g
lot fail, through an accredited source, to I
make such suggestions in the proper r
quarters at Washington as will result in
,lving us just what is needed. And this
work, too, as we have heretofore sug- o
,ested, that should be engaged in by L
Ill nom -Mormons, irrespective of political !.
Professions. If the Edmunds bill is ;,
leemed the proper measure, let it be SO v
ii it be deemed wisdom to il
Implement that by the Woodburn bill, 81
ct that be understood, SO that con- o.
erted and vigorous effort may be made p
get the legislation we need. u
Any halfway measures at this late "
ay would work irreparable disaster to ot =.
MS Territory. The Gentiles should see
lat none such are permitted to pass, if
ley can prevent it by making the proper III
to Congress. an