Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-06-03

and discussion"
The Altoona, Pa, Times says,
sententiouslyand pointediy:
The United States Supreme couri
rendered decision the other day sus-
tanning the constitutionaliiy Of the Ed
munds law, which dissolved tho
: Mormon Church aud forfeited all
, property in excess OF $4,000 TO the
! Government. This means that the
: United States Government can coufis-
cate all the valuable church and other
, property now belonging to the Nor
mons, except $4,000, which amount
they must leave them. This may be
all right, but it does not seem so when
one looks at il in 4 social sense. The
Government can make the Mormons
live up to The Federal laws without
stealing their property from them"
The Lansing, Michigan, journal
gives particulars Of the case and,
after showing the falsehood Of the
attacks made upon the dissenting
judges, Remarks: -aU
Elm the view Of the dissenting
Democratic judges there is no ques-
ton as to the power Of Congress to
suppress polygamy and punish it as
crime; but they deny that this can be
done in the manner provided for By
the Edmunds act. which substantially
adJudged the Mormon Church guilty,
without giving it a Judicial hearing.
and then proceeded TO appropriate its
property to Government uses. a.l.
az this view is not good law, good
sense, and good morals, then the av-
erage American mind is woefully de
fcient in its conception Of what
constitutes legal justice and sound
legal praciice.n a ~ 5.-- 4
The Terre Haute, Ind, Gazette
has the annexed pointed editorial:
1.-THE decision of the Supreme Court
OF the United States affirming the con-
stitutionality OF the act of Congress
confscating the property Of the Nor
mon Church is the most dangerous
menace, or rather the deadliest stab to
religious freedom that has ever been
witnessed in this country. earned TO
its legitimate conclusion it clothes
Congress with power which an ire
sponsible tyrant would hardly dare to
use for fear Of dynamite. To confis-
cate the church property Of a people
who believe the Book Of Mormon was
divinely inspired, carries with it the
right. when Congress pleases, TO con-
fiscate the church property, or other
property for that matter, of people
who believe the Old and New Tesla
ment are inspired, or the property Of |
those who do not believe they are in
spired.
This Interpretation Of the constitu-
tion is itself unconstitutional.
at is contrary to the fundamental |
idea Of freedom and the rights OF man.
1t is a scandalous outeiying. TO our |
thinking. The court must be reor-
gained or the Constitution must be |
changed.
"Aformonism. in our opinion. isa
snare and a delusion. a nightmare o, a |
religion. n rand and n cheat in its in
ception and foolishneSs in lis prac.ice.
but the right Of those who bold Thai
faith Is as sacrad as the rich. 81 an,
man % bold IN his ssi.b ana ,h;so,-,h
is going to rival hell II we bepin op,r-
reiir, Y,i,b one .,o,ba- - IN
wav abop, our resnact;vs taitbs o.
ouIy safety. and the rich, and the
decent and the inst thing 70 40 10 10
lie. every human being hold whatever
religious belief he pleases. Whe,her
n person thinks thorv is a God or isn't
a God; whether he thinks He ought to
be worshiped in this that or the other
way or IN no way at ALL whether he
= ~ "eA' Gu Ut a
"e4i' neehei ie 'lliiihs ne mas or hasn't
soul Is his own look out and nobody
80 - a :. " ~ gu. i-l' We .xould ra'ner
honestly thought that wba. shall
prove 10 be the wiIdes, g,sss ,bo
;rna hoI;o, r-,,-;,o,I p - -
fO,, 80 "o .e's o'ner
PeOPis "iOe ~ 'ieil OeHeis' thah IN
Tue snoes OF the oest guesser at tho
mysteries OF Life and death, but who
was innoculated with this DEVILS doc
trine that I, was his bps;,.s. an, q,
the Lords sal,a N steal ,ho ,-,D.-.
~ 'ne property