Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01

applicants. The Judge rendered an opinion
stating that the evidence showed that the
Mormon Church was tire asonable organi-
zation and hostile to the Government of the
United States. The oaths taken in the en-
dowment house constituted the chief OBJ
lection. =I,t
SALT LAKE, UTAH, November 3d.
Judge Anderson to-day, in an elaborate
and carefully prepared opinion, denied the
applications for citizenship made by Nor
mons who bad taken the endowment house
oaths in the Mormon Church. The appli-
cation has created Widespread attention,
and for the past two weeks Judge Anderson
has been taking testimony. In his decision
to-day he states the ground Of his opposi-
ton to. the admission Of such applicants as
follows:
The Mormon Church is, and always has been,
a reasonable organization in its teachings, and
in its practices hostile to the Government Of
the United States, disobedient to its laws and
seeking its overthrow. and that the oath ad-
ministered to the members Of the endowment
implicit obedience in all things temporal, as
well as spiritual, to the priesthood, and to
avenge the death Of the prophets. Joseph and
Hyram Smith, upon the Governments and
people OF the United States.
WITNESSES WHO KNEW.
The objectors to the right of these applicants
to be admitted to citizenship introduced II
witnesses who had been members Of the Nor
mon Church. Several Of these witnesses had
held the position Of Bishop in the church, and
all had gone through the endowment house
a1d fafn afodf In - ao<f-
mony of these witnesses was to the effect that
every member of the church expected to go
through the endowment house, ana that nearly
all do so; that marriages are usually solemnized
there, and that those who are married else
where 90 through the endowm ent house at as
early date thereafter as practicable in order
that marital relation shall continue throughout
eternity.
It was further shown that these cere monies
occupy the greater part Of q day and include
the taking Of an oath, obligation or covenant
by each, that he or She as the case may be. will
Hyram Smith, upon the Governments of the
United States and will enioin this obligation
upon his or her children unto the third and
fourth generations; that he or she will obey the
priesthood In all things and will never reveal
the secrets of the endowment house under pen
atty Of having their throats cur from ear to
ear. their bowels torn out and their hearts cut
out of their bodies The right arm Is anointsd
that 1t may be strong to aVenge the blood Of
tbs prophets.
NO FREQUENT CHANGES.
An undergarment called the endowment
robe, is then put on, and is to be worn ever
after. On this robe, over the heart are certain
marks or designs, intended to remind the
wearer of the penalties that viii be inflicted in
case Of violation of their oath. On behalf Of
the applicants IA witnesses testified concerning
the endowment ceremonies, but all or them de-
clined to state what the oaths are there taken,
or what obligations or covenants are there en-
tered into, or what penalties are attached to
their violation, and these witnesses, when
asked for their reasons for declining to answer,
stated that they did SO on a point Of honor,
while some stated they had forgotten what was
said about avenging the blood Of the prophets. 4
One of the u apostles Of the Church testified
that all that is said in the endowment cere-
monies about aVenging the blood Of the
prophets is said in lecture in which the ninth
and tenth verses Of the sixth chapter Of Revel-
ations is recited. Other witnesses for appli-
cants testified that this is the only place in the
ceremonies where avenging the blood Of
prophets is mentioned One Of the objects Of
this investigations Is 20 ascertain whether the
oaths Of the Endowment House are incompati.
Bile with good citizenship, and it Is not for ap-
pl1cants witnesses to determine this question.
A STRONG POINT.
The refusal of applicants witnesses to state
specifically what oaths are entered into renders
the testimony of little value and tends to con-
firm the evidence on this point offered by the
objectors. The evidence established beyond
any reasonable doubt that the endowment
ceremonies are inconsistent with the oath Of
citizenship. The application of John Moore
and Walter ]. Edgar, both of whom were shown
on the former examination to be members Of
the Mormon Church and to have gone through
the Endowment House, are therefore denied
As to the admission of the other applicants
upon the ground solely of their being members
of the Mormon Church, a large mass of evil
dence, mostly documentary, has been intro
duced. The evidence consists mostly Of the
sermons and writings Of the Mormon rulers
and leaders published under direction Of the
Church. l think there can be no question but
that the Church claims and exercises the right
to control its members in temporal as well as
that the blood atonement is one Of the doc
trines Of the Church, under which, for certain |
offeuses, the offender shall suffer death.
On this point Judge Anderson quotes
Brigham Young at considerable length and |
refers especially to his denunciation of the |
Government when, in 1857, it sent United |
States troops to Salt Lake City. The Judge,
summing up, says whether the language Of |
Brigham Young, Heber Kimball, Orson. |
Hyde and others instigated the Mountain |
Meadow massacre, or whether that
HORRIBLE BUTcHERY
was done by direct command of Brigham |
Young, will probably never be known. |
Judge Anderson then quotes the borders |
entered in 1859, by Judge Coolbaugh, re-
citing the difficulties thrown in the way Of |
his court by the Mormon people and con-
tinues:
The counsel for applicants, however, contend |
that the feelings of the people Of the Mormon |
Church toward the Government have UNDER |
gone change and that in later years the |
former feeling of hostility has disappeared or
become greatly modified. The evidence, how
ever does not sustain this claim. The evidence |
shows that the Church has in the most deter |
mined manner, and with all the means at its /
command opposed the enforcement Of the laws
of the United States against polygamy. During /
the ten days this investigation lasted. not a
word of evidence was introduced showing that /
any preacher of that Church ever in single |
instance advised obedience of the laws against |
polygamy On the contrary, the evidence was /
that it was persistently refused obedience to at /
least a portion of the laws of the Government; /
has insnlted and driven rne y! United states
authority of the United States to pass laws pro- |
hibiting polygamy as an unwarranted inter- |
ference with their religion.
SOME EXCEPTIONS.
UudoubtedIy there are many members Of
this Church who feel friendly toward the Gov
ernment and would gladly break the shackIes
that bind them to the Mormon priesthood il /
they felt that they dared to do so. But with an
the most thorough that can be i'm
agined which can be welded against them,
they remain in the Church rather than take the
risk of financial ruin and social ostracism. 1t
has always been, and still is the policy Of this
to encourage aliens who in good
faith come to reside IN this country to become
citizens. But when q man Of foreign birth |
comes here and joins an organization, although
religious. which requires Of him an
paramount to his allegiance to the