Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-02
AN HONEST STATEMENT.
And Manly YindicatiOn Of the
Mormon" People.

The following, from the pen Of
\. II. Cannon, Esq, Appealed re-
Gently in An'eTdca, a journal pub
lished in Chicago:
Your announcement that ADleyicq
is devoted TO honest politics and
good literature encourages me 10
correct some glaring errors CONCERN
ing the Mormons" which appear I'M
der the head Of"Americanisms ,in
your issue Of October 81, 1859. If
these misSiatements were pur-
posely made the, following win
I be OF no use TO you, but IL uninten-
tional may hope that you will not
fail 10 let the public hear what Is
briefly advanced I'm our own de-
/ Tense.
The statement that Joseph Smith
was open TO brides when he and his
people dwell In Illirois is entirely
without foundation in fact. That
he sought from both political par-
Ties redress for the wrongs and
injuries done mis- CO-religionists is
true, and Tie even appealed 10 the
highest power in the land for relief
from oppression, and for the rights
which the constitution guarantees
to every citizen. That his petition
was an able and fair one is evil
denccd by the reply Of Martin Van
Buren,, then President Ofth United |
states: "Gour cause is lust. but | |
can DO nothing for yOu.v The
'M0rmOnS,s in those early DAYS.
only asked for their right-, and BE.
ing refused them they could affiliate
with and sustain neither marty.
This they certainly had the right as |
free-born men to do.
You say "Gov. Wolfrey (yyoJfIev,
OF Arizona, in his annual repoft, |
urges Congress to re-enact the law
DISTINGUISHING all polygamists in
that territory" II you will read the
Edmunds-Tucker law, passed by
Congress in March, 1857, You will
readily see that all polyganiists are
disfranchised in Arizona, as wei as
IN every other territory. What Gov.
WOl1ey desires is lawdisfranchis-
ing every "MOrmon'; whether
he practices polygamy or not. His
ieslre Is 70 make mere belief n
crime Of sufficient enormIty to rob a
citizen Of his franchise and the
light to hold office. The Idaho test
lath, which Will be submitted to the
United States Supreme Court dur
ng the coming month, is of this I
nature, and has disfranchised
thousands Of legal voters because OF !
heir membership in an unpopular I
'hurch. 1t Is this that Gov. WoIfiey
would like TO see in force in his
erritory.
The statement that the ssAfor- a
mons" have planted colonies in I
arizona and other territories for the o
xpress purpose Of controlling cleo r
ions is one which we defy any I
erson to prove. The people have $
My done what it is the right Of $
very citizen 10 do-settled on the 9
uhlic domaln-and they have gen.
rally only occupied that portion u
'hlch 1t was thoughta white man J
Ould not redeem. Such lands have u
cen reclaimed with the most a
we're and unremitting toll. II ),
us Is crime, We plead guilty to u
&c charge. t~r
Our votes and our consciences are III
Of open to purchase; but, having III
D very strong political bias. we .
ould naturally feel kindly dis Ia
'sed to the party that would give :
the rights which we claim under SI
rs God-given government, and x
hich would protect us from the an
olence of mobs and the rule Of p
rpet-baggers who look for popu- H.
rity In the oppression and falsify- nc
g OF our people and doctrines. =
We have no desire to "overaw on