Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-17
TEE MORMON QUESTION.
Belva Lockwood Thinks it Q Romance
in Real Life Conception Of The
Stage Nothing Compared to IT.
Part the Government has Played In Nor
monism-Whst the EdMands Bill
has Bene-Aen who Voted for Fts.
How the Bill Affected Misunderstanding
Fields "Mormon Horrcs''-MoFsls of
Mormons-shouId Utah Become : q
n Slater
(CopYTighted, lSSS.l

Just at this time, when the territory Of
Utah, now comprising more than 200, 00C
souls, is knocking at the doors Of the
United States Congress for admission SIS
q state, the Mormon question becomes 6
very important one, not only to the peo-
pie Of that territory, but TO the govern
ment itself.
The history of the Mormon people is 9
romance in real life, more interesting
than the often far-fetched conceit Of the
novelist, and In some instances has been
more tragic than the distorted coEcep-
tons Of the theatrical stage. Foreign
nations, as lookers-oD, must be amused
and puzzled at our treatment of 6
question that has within the last few
gears become Of SO much legislative con-
sideration, and in which the federal gov
eminent has appeared not only as the con-
servator of the morals of that territory,
but as the expounder of what its religious
creed ought to be, and, fnsllY, as the
trustee or committee Of all of the availa-
BILE property OF the Mormon church. The
government has initiated the typical gusr-
dian IN this instance, and the proceeds OF
the trust have been virtually contlscated,
so that the Mormon people are to-day
paying into the hands OF government trus-
tees two hundred aud seventy-six dollars
per month for the privilege of worshiping
in their own tabernacle, and occupying
their own parsonage and other church
buildings built by their own money and
by their own work. II the government
can do this with the Mormon church, 1t
will not take shy greater stretch of
authority to confscate in the same way
toe property of the Catholic church, the
joss house of the Chinemsp, or the mag
nificent edlfices Of the Methodists.
Utah WAS organized as a territory more
than thirty-seven years ago, and for more
than quarter of 8 century the Federal
government tolerated polygemy in
her midst until 1t became a
fixed fsct-an institution; received
and swore in as delegates to repre-
cent the Territory avowed polygamists;
and then, with a sudden spasm Of virtue,
an attack upon the system
8 war Of determination, which for viru-
lency and bitterness, for misrepresents-
ton and oppression, exceeded the horrors |
OF coercion and eviction IN ireland, about |
which our sympathies have been so |
greatly excited. Il not only forbade |
plural marriages and disfrsnchised all |
polygamists, but punished men for living |
with plural wives to whom they had been
married for scores Of years, and who,
with their infant children, were
dependent upon them for support.
The expounders OF the law went
beyond the letter, and made
The casual recognition Of the former wife
appear as the continuance of the mar
-iage relation and punished the parties
iccordingly; one judge declaring from
The bench during my sojourn In the Ter
:itory that the OBJECT OF "the Edmunds
aw was not for the medication of moral
ty but for the suppression of q religion"
The government, under the Edmunds-
ruckeraact, then DISTINGUISHED not only
III polygsmous Mormons of the male per-
ussion but all women of whatever creed
u condition, whether believing in the
Mormon or Christian religion, or
n-believers, although these wo-
nen had been peaceaoly and
orderly casting their ballots for twelve
ears; had not been charged with or con-
'icted OF crime; and no intimstion had
yer been made that any one of these
women had, or desired to have more
han one husband. No absolute depot
sm could have more fully infringed upon
he rights Of American citizens than did
he government upon these Mormon
women.
But they bore 1t all uncomplainingly;
ook up their own burden of work, {
anded themselves together for protec-
ion, sang and prayed together, believing J
hat out Of trials would come blessings, 7
h,h in fha In |
sys Ct their fluctuations, until their
ion Of the burden Of rent came upon
hem.
By 8 vigorous execution of the
idmunds law, polygamy unsurpassed
mt not more than per cent. OF the
hole number Of the Mormon people
'ere ever practicsl polygamists. Butthis
mall number suficed to throw the terri q
Dry into such d1srepute that the whole /
hristian world threw up its hands in I,
oily horror, until, IS rule, no Christian
lau or woman believed that he or she I
Iere wholly sbsolved from sin until he
sd publicly denounced "those horrid U
Iormons." It was also a noticeable fact II
lat those members of Congress most g
rgent for the enactment of stringent 4
Tvs against the Mormons were those
hose moral character was far from
eing above reproach.
But the Edmunds law was fer-reach-
Ig in It's application, and extendecE o al g
the territories. II included the Dis !
let of Columbis-a territory exclusively
nder the control OF the United States
ongress, where no law bad previously >
cen enacted to punish the Rast fserantt
fenses charged sgainst tAess reesllious
Iormons The district attorney Was not
ow to discover the application q the !,
", and already score of cases under 1t =
I'VE been mp before our Police cooft 81
idge. But perhaps the most amusirg4 !,
ling in connection With the3
Increment Of the hW inHl
10 District Of Columbis q the
marks of J. Randolph Tucker Of Viz
mia, s promihent member Of the Hease
1ring its passage. "Wby," he exclsimeH =
Gently in talking about the Crawford Ii
!se-a test case appealed to the District
1preme court-fI never dreamed Of thst :
" being applicable to the District of
II / had would not have .,
tied for it. That law WAS intended for ~
e Mormonsi" rs
Then came Kate Field with her "Mor- y.
on Horror" to thrill excited audiences;
ID Angie Newam with pamphlet which d,
70 was paid for publishing and distribu- q
az among the members of the United u
stes Congress, with stories IS wild and
reliable as that Of Alsddin's lamp in OF
g uArabisu Eights.u The people