Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-04
ALWAYS A MORMON.
The tsLatter Day Saint, of To-day and
 Why E5e Is 8 Saint.
From the New York Tribune

ALWAYS MORMON.
 The ssLatter Day Saint, of To-day and
 Why He Is a Saint.
 From the New York Tribune]
 The Mormon president, John Taylor, @ short time before his death, said in answer to question as to what he expected from the incoming democratic administration: ''We do not, as people, expect much from either of the political parties of the United States. We shall get no favors from any of them. but must struggle along against their opposition as best We can until we have pow- CT enough to demand and enforce our rights" By his subsequent conversation he made it clear that he expected the attain ment of statehood to give the saints this power, but this ultimate hope was the one which always inspired Brigham Young, and which is in the grain of Mormonism to-day, namely, that the Mormon will eventually ''possess the whole earth," and the rest of mankind will be scattered ''like chaff from summer threshing door," These are some of the comforting anticipations which have helped to sustain them through all their troubles, and the priesthood as we'll as the rank and file believe in their fulhlment just as firmly now as they did when s'King Brig ham" taught them in the Tabernacle.
 The other iay 1 asked young saint whom I have known for years what was his candid belief about the intention of the Mormons in pretending that they were willing to have clause in the constitution Gin case of ad- mission to the Union), forever abolishing and condeming the practice of polygamy. Though he iz not himself 0 polygamist, and has not been considered close follower of his creed, he was quick to take up the cud- gels for the saints and said:
 ffWe know the government has no right to force upon us such condition, and that having done so there would be nothing to prevent majority of the people from re- pealing the clause and enacting law per- hitting the practice of plural marriage as religious tenet among the members of such church or churches as deem it proper. The saints, as you know, regard that part of their religion, like the rest of it, as having been established by divine decree which is high CT than any earthly law. No matter what laws there may be to conflict with reli- gious duty, we do not hesitate to obey God rather than man. Would it not be an out rage on human nature to force us to abstain from practice which to us is sacred, after ! we had gained the rights of statehood which ought to secure to us every boon of absolute home rule. After all our practice of celes | tial marriage is purely domestic concern which can and does affect nobody except ourselves and our families. It is, so far as ! the WOTlu Is COlCSEuGU, pT1fhIo COulIaCt { which is entered into by all the parties of \ their own free will and accord. While 1 be- f Iieye that those who have signed the memo | rial to Congress asking for admission, and | those who have framed the law with the non polygamy clause a part of the proposed | constitution have acted in perfect good falth | so far, do not believe that such 8 pledge l could or ought to stand any longer than it ! would take for us to acquire statehood and repeal it. Thousands of the Mormons who l are not polygamists, and probably would not practice the doctrine if there were free law allowing it, think just as do on this point 1 should not of course wish to be quoted I, | but this is my candid belief, and I should ! think any fool could see how utterly absurd it would be to expect Us to keep a promise | made under coercion after we had gained our point and had the whip in our own hands," ! Asked what he considered the chief argu- ment ill favor of polygamy, he replied: ssThat it is 6 direct command from heaven" " "That is intangible because demonstration on either side would be rather difficult. But | do you not somehow base the practice on the immoral relations that often exist between the sexes?'
 ''In opposition to them; yes, we substitute marriage or libertinage."
 Would not married libertinage be bet l ter name for it!n
 ''No, think not. We hear great deal of sentimental twaddle about plural marriage breaking up the home, and about it being so | much better for every man to have his own wife and every wife her own husband; but l the trouble about all this is that the men of | no sect or race live up to it-that is au- 1 tnenticated fact, and if you don't give them | polysamy they resort to debauchery that's l the English of it" This is one of the stock l Mormon arguments in favor of polygamy.
 "Of course," he continued, "some women
 ars wronged here as elsewhere; but among
 us as a people the moral irregularities to l which were referring are unknown" lie
 spoke with positive assurance, as if he be
 Iieved he stating a truth. His state l ment, however, is scarcely borne out by evil 1 dence- It is well known that many of th' l soldiers of the fort on the hill have sweet
 hearts among the young saints, many O. l whom are polygamous wives who are dls 1 contented with their lot. It is more thai l hinted too that large class of the youpt ! saints are known te visit places of doubtful 1 repute.
 The sentiments quoted are those of nor
 than four-fifths of Utah to-day. Ever, l Mormon who has been convicted and pun
 ished on charge of polygamy IS regarde' E 1 as martyr, and excavations are called dow , upon the heads of all legislators who make and all judges and other officers who enforce , the law. Franklin s. Richards, who is nov in Washington to argue the case for tn , l Mornons before the congressional commit
 tee, is Mormon bred in the bone, and be
 lieves to-day, as his father did before him
 that polygamy was sacred privilege t
 which the saints were entitled. Born in th
 polygamous relation, he regarded it as goo himself because it produced him, and he
 making fat salary by his constant legs
 service to the church. But when he is plead ing for the admission of the territory on th \ ground of the peoples loyalty, he knows his heart that he is simply ''stooping
 conquer" and that such fragile pledges g Mormon politicians have made against pc B lygsmy are merely for purposes of expedier ! cy, as means to an extremely desirable enc