The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-16
"oUITE ANOTHER THING"

To demonstrate that President HARRISON
is misinformed on the subject of punish
ment for belief and of what really consti-
tutes punishment, we need no further evil
dence than is furnished in his last mes
sage to the national Congress. The para
graph in which he pays his respects to the
Mormon people and President WooDRUFF's
late manifesto will be sufficient for that
purpose. In that paragraph he expresses
his pleasure at the increase of non Nor
mon population in Utah, expresses
hope-though so faint that hope it can
scarcely be called that President WooD-
RUFF's Official declaration against the
practice of polyganly may restrain infrac-
tons of the laws; and then warns the
country that the balief of the church as to
the rightfulness of plural marriage is I'M
changed, that President WOODRUFF has
not renowned the doctrine, only the
practice of it, because the law is against
it. He then adds:
Now, it is quite true that the laws should not
attempt TO deal with the faith and belief of any
one Bat this is Qntte another thing. and the only
safe thing TO do is to deal with the territory OF
Utah so that those who believe polygamy to be
rghtful. shall not have the power to make it
lawful.
The italics are ours, but just what Presi-
dent HARRISON means by that clause, the
good LORD and the President only knows
The Mormons believe polygamy right, says
President HARRISON, and while the law
should not attempt to deal with the belief
of anyone, and no attempt should be made
by Congress to interfere with the Mormon
people for believing in the rightfulness of
polygamy, he says 'this is quite another
thing" What is quite another thing? After
asserting that the Flaws should not attempt
&c deal with the faith of anyone" does he
mean that the Mormons should be an ex-
ception to that rule: Has the President
made the wonderful discovery that it is one
thing for Presbyterian to believe in the
rightfulness of a practice forbidden by law,
and another thing for Mormon to do
so. Truly this would tie discovery for a
head Of political acumen; it is not un-
worthy Of the science of divinity itself
But however ambiguous the Presidents
language may be IN other respects. he
makes it quite clear that he would punish
fitness of plural marriage Not directly,
of course, but effectually, nevertheless. He
would never think of recommending the
passage of laws infiicting pains and penal
ties upon people, fines and Imprisonment
for faith or belief; for has he not said. with
seriousness worthy of sage, 'Now, tits
quite true that the laws should not attempt
to deal with the faith or belief of anyone gu
but in consequence of the belief of Nor
mon being another thing" he says:
''The only safe thing to do is to deal
with the territory of Utah so that those
who believe polygamy to be rightful, shall
not have the power to make it lawful
which in plain, honest language means
because they believe in the rightfulness of
polygamy, punish them by keeping them in
territorial vassalage; let au INSCRIPTIONS
minority hold every Office worth hav-
ing 10 their midst: let carpet
baggers multiply Offices and fill
them to prey upon their substance
let petty tyrants in the shape of governors
with mission, and judges with policy
vex them. Keep the executive and judicial
departments of government entirely out of
their hands, notwithstanding the basic
principle of Americanism, governments
derive their just powers from the consent
OF the governed render even the legisla-
tive department in their hands of no value
by keeping one of our minions there-the
governor absolute veto power; keep
them off grand and petit iuries, so that If
any Of them are accused Of crime they may
be sure to be dragged before their avowed
enemies for trial. keep them bound hand
and foot that they may be fleeced without
mercy by adventurers in their midst until
their cities and towns and counties are
plunged into debt; allow them to take no
part in national affairs, give them no voice
in the Senate, the House or on the selection
OF presidential all this, but for heCuers
sake don't, don't punish them for their belief!
President HARRISON in this pronounce
ment, and the caution which follows 1t, re-
minds US of the father who said to his son /:
John, believe in religious liberty in the
fullest sense. / do not think men should
be coerced in religion. / believe in re-
lgious liberation. Far be it from me to
prosecute any body for his religious faith.
But John, if you join that ranting Metho-
dist church, won't persecute you'll but
Ill cut you off with a shilling, rll disin-
herit you, you shall never enter my house
you shall have no credit if l can destroy it i:
you shall have no employment if can pre-
vent it; no relative shall receive you if ]
can shut the door in your face; I'll give
you name that will make respectable men
shun you, and Pll make you vagabond
and an outcast If I can. Don't think this is
persecution for your religious convictions.
It's because you would disgrace your family
by joining that church,