Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-11
THE TEST OATH CASE.

The appealed case in which the
validity Of the Idaho religious test
oath j. embraced is now in the
hands Of the Supreme Court Of the
United States. The decision Of that
august tribunal viii he awaited
with deep anxiety. The question
involved is one in which the whole
nation is Interested. It is not only
the well-being Of the community Of
the Latter-day Saints that is at
stake, but that Of the country at
large.
This is necessarily 50 in every
case involving question Of consti-
tutional right OF the sovereign citi-
zen. The one in point includes one
Of the most important guarantees Of I
that sacred instrument, which pro-
vides that "No religious test shall
be required rs 4 qualification for any
Office or public trust in the United
States.'
y test which excludes the citizen
from the privilege Of the elective
franchise and from holding office or
public trust on account Of member !
ship in particular church is, to all
iutents and purposes, a bar on TIE !
ground Of religion, and therefore an
unconstitutional obstacle.
Those who have formulated and d
enacted the infamous test statute .
have put forth numberless excuses II
for their nefarious political work.
but all Of them are susceptible of n
being punctured and dissipated. s.
While they have falsely charged Il
dislcyalty upon the religious asso- W
citation against which the statute OF
was aimed, they themselves. in the II
very enactment in question, have So
manifested that they are disloyal to az az
the core. ia
1t is folly former to suppose that on
rights can he denied tn
to one class OF citizens, and the lib al AZ
critics Of the whole remain secure. n,
The historian FrOude states n strik- oil
ng truth in his work on the C;esars at
when he says, in substance, that ~.
I history has taught any one thing bn
learly it is this: When the rights of an
constitution are denied, upon any sht
.retext, TO any class Of citizens, the u stil
constitution itself falls to pieces. inc
rom mere Incompetence for its du- i
les. haC
Any denial Of such rights is ccG
and as justice is the es- ana ana
,nce Of all government, when that rev
withheld, disaster to the whole foul
'dy polite is n foregone conclusion. pas:
ven the smallest inroad upon the enai
sht Of the citizen ought not TO be esca
If it should be it will Der,
t like an apparently Insignificant are: are
evasse in the bank Of a river with la
elevated channel. The water sion
ckles through the tiny aperture hold
first gradually widening it and
it becomes a gap through S u.ne
nch the entire stream rushes then
petuously, deluging the whole graft
rounding country. Should the THIS
Tho test oath be sustained. we do ieuo
doubt that this figure will have a
practical illustration by the ap- aI1Iol
rance ultimately Of its legitimate did j
ults. gave
Zen who formulate, favor and lots I
let such religious test statutes a. lark lark
one under consideration are in Te oi
ertain sense anarchists. because by :,
~ blow aimed at the liberties If Place
people Of the Republic, or any lam
s Of them, leads, when success Ham
10 chaotic results. We hope and in tn,
eve that they will receive no en- Der il
from the Sunren,e Tri The
al Of the land, whose duty it is pLacg
{ governed by law and priuci- the 8,
being seated, in their high meml
ng, far above the influence Of Debat
lie prejudice and popular cIamor. AMIN an IN