The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-15

cally at this particular time. Of course
they were called out by the Chicago papers
illogical article in advocacy of the PROPOSE
ton to take away the rights Of citizenship
from members of the Mormon church,
without stopping to ask as to the conduct of
the men. The Altd suggests to the Tribune
the wisdom of seriously considering the
danger of DISTINGUISHING men for being
Mormons, and continuing, it says: "Polyg-
amy can be legislated against as crime,
and upon conviction thereof the usual con-
sequence of civil death, or disfranchise-
ment, follows. But we defy the resources
of political philosophy to demonstrate the
reason IN DISTINGUISHING a Mormon because
he belongs to religious sect, portion of
whose communicates practice plural mar
riage. 1t is no offense against the laws of
this country to be Mormon or Metho-
dist. 1t is an offense for Mormon to have
plural wives, and for Methodist to COM
nit adultery, but shall all people Of either
communion therefore be denied political
RICH ts"
The Tribune having urged in justification
of the wholesale Acknowledgement that the
Mormon church teaches polygamy, the
Alta reminds it that the Bible does the
same thing, the highest religious authority
supporting the practice. But neither
civilization nor the civil polity," continues
the California paper, "has a right to dis
franchise Mormon unaccused and uncon-
victed of polygamy, any more than they
have , right to disfranchise a
Christian for reading the Old Testament
and believing in it The modern world has
grown out of polygamy and great many
other practices which in past age were
consistent with deeply religious life.
But we must beware Of propagating an
cient errors by modern persecution. The
laws Of Congress to suppress polygamy in
Utah were strictly enforced by the last
administration, but we hope that this was
not done in spirit of persecution, as we
hope their enforcement will not now be
tinged by religious intolerance. A man in
this country has right to be Mormon,
or Mahometan or a Buddhist, If he
choose"
The ''true inwardnessn of these move
ments against the Mormons does not ap-
pear on the surface. Neither Governor
WoLFLEY's opposition to the Mormons, nor
that Of the Chicago Tribune is based on
dislike of the religion of the Saints. The
plea for Acknowledgement is explained by
the election figures in Arizona. Up to five
years ago the Republicans had everyth 'ng
their own way in that territory, and the
government was perhaps the most corrupt
that ever disgraced even frontier COM
monwealth. Then the Mormons took
a hand in politics, and as citizens,
voted for good men and Democrats.
The result was the turning of the rascal
out, and the bringing of the territory
within the Democratic fold. If the Nor
mons had been false to their principles and
corrupt in their politics, voting with the
party to which WoLFLBY and the Chicago
Tribune belong, there would have been no
thought of DISTINGUISHING them In Mon |
tana the Republican plan for carrying cleo |
tons is the refusal to count votes cast in |
Democratic precincts; in Arizona the /
scheme is to disfranchise men, not because /
they are Mormons, but because they vote |
the Democratic ticket. In Utah the Re !
publicans Liberals) want to poll majority
of the votes by excluding the Mormons
from the ballot box.