Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-01
SAINTS BARRED OUT.
Alien MOrm0ns Denied the
Rights Of Citizenship.
JUDGE ANDERSON'S DECISION.
The Church Declared to be
Reasonable Organization and
a Foe to the Nation.

cALT LAKE OIT1J NOVtIuDtE oo--O uuRe
Anderson today delivered q decision in
the matter of the application of Nor.
mons who have taken the Endowment
House oath for admission to citizenship.
The decision revisws the testimony OF
length and denies the application.
In his decision Judge Anderson states
the ground of mis- opposition to the ad-
mission of the applicants to citizenship
to be that the Mormon church ia and
always has been reasonable organiza.
ton; it's teachings and practices being
hostile to the Government of the United
States, disobedient to its law and seek
ing it's overthrow; that the oath admin
istered to its members in the Endowment
House binds them, under penalty of
death, to implicit obedience in all things
temporal, as well as spiritual, to the
priesthood and to avenge the death of
the prophets, Joseph and Hiram Smith,
upon the Government and people of the
United States.
The Judge reviewed at length the evil
dence submitted by the Government re-
garding the Endowment House cere-
monies, the teachings of the church, etc.
Referring to the testimony of the wit
nesses for the Mormons he said all Of them
testified concerning the Endowment GER
emonies, but declined to state what oaths
were taken or obligations or covenants
entered into or penalties attached to their
violation; while some stated that they
had forgotten what was said about aveng-
ing the blood of the prophets. These
evasions the Judge says rendered tie
testimony of little value, and tended to
confirm the evidence offered by the
cbjectors to the applicants. The evi.
dence establishes beyond any reasonable
doubt that the Endowment ceremonies
are inconsistent with the oath of citizen.
ship.
The application OF John Moore and
Walter Edgar, both OF whom were
through the Endowment House, is
denied.
AS to the admission of the other apuli-
cants upon the ground of their being
solely members of the Mormon church, o
large mass of evidence was introduced,
consisting mostly of sermons and writ
. ings OF Mormon rulers and leaders, pub
lished under the direction of the church.
The Judge continues: 81 think there
can be no question that the church clsims
and exercises the right to control its
members in temporal az we'll as spiritual
affairs. The evidence also shows that
blood atonement is one of the doctrines
of the church."
The Judge quo'es Brigham Young at
considerable length, and refers especially
to his denunciation of the Government
when in 1867 United States troops we're
sent to Salt Lake City. In summing up
he Gays: whether the language OF
Brigham Young, Heber Kimball, Orson
Hyde and others inetigated the Mountain
Meadow massacre, or whether that hor-
rible butchery was done by the direct
command Of Brigham Young, will proba-
bly, never be known"
"The evidence" Judge Anderson says,
"does not sustain the claim of the coun-
sci that the feelings OF the people toward
the Government have undergone q
change, and that in the later years the
feeling of hostility has disappeared or
become greatly modified. The evidence
shows that the church has, in a most de-
termined manner, and with all means at
its command, opposed the enforcement
of the laws of the United States against
polygamy and unlawful cohabitation.
Not word of evidence was introduced
showing that any preacher of that church
ever, in single instance, advised obsdi-
ence to the laws against polygamy. On
the contrary, the evidence shows that it
has persistently refused obedience to at
least portion of the laws of this Govern
ment; has insulted and driven the United
States officers from the Territory; has
denied the authority of the United
States to pass laws prohibiting polyg
amy, as unwarranted interference with
the Mormon religion. Undoubtedly
there are many members of this church
who feel friendly to the Government,
and would gladly break the shackles that
bind them if they dared to, but with an
organization the most thorough that can
be imagined, which can be welded
against them, they remain in the church
rather than take the risk OF financial ruin
and social ostracism."
After reciting the teachings of the
church at length, the Judge goes on to
say: 'It has always been, and still is,
the policy of this Government to encour-
age aliens who in good faith come to re-
side in this countr~ to become citizens !;
but when a man of foreign birth comes
here and joins an organization, profess
edly religious, which requires of him an
allegiance paramount to his allegiance to
the Government, an organization that
impiouely claims to be the king
dom of God. who controls its mem.
bers under his immediate direction,
and yet teaches and practices system
of morals shocking to Christian people
everywhere, it is time for the courts to
pause and inquire whether such men
should be admitted to citizenship. The
evidence in this case establishes unques-
tionably that the teachings, practices and
purposes of the Mormon church are an
tagonistic to the Government of the
United States, utterly subpersive Of good
morals and the well-being of society, and
that it's members are animated by feel
ing of hostility toward the Government
and its laws. Therefore an alien who is
q member of said church is not fit per-
son to be made a citizen of the United
States. s
THE ChONIN TRIAL.
LOngenecker Concludes HIS Sum.
ming Up of the Case,