The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-04
MORMONSASCITIZENS
Judge Anderson Decides that
Alien MOrmOnS
MAY NOT BECOME CITIZENS
or the United States-He Discusses the Mani
festo-Ihe Position of the Church
is Unchanged.

BEAVER, Utah, Dec. ESPECIAL tele-
gram to THE HERALD. This is the sub
stance of Judge Anderson's decision:
Each OF the seven applicants is man of
good moral character except that he Is a
Mormon. Last winter, after full investi-
cation, the Third district court of Utah
decided that a member of the Mormon
church, no matter how good his moral
character was otherwise, was not fit to be-
come citizen. Until the issuance of what
is known as the manifesto the courts of
this territory have followed that decision
Since then the First and Third district
courts have not made the fact of member
ship in that church test in the naturaliza-
ton OF aliens. l am sorry that / cannot
agree with these decisions. The manifesto
is very carefully worded. MILFORD Wood
ruff, the president of the church says:
my advice to the Saints is that you should
hereafter contract no marriage that is
contrary to the law of the land''
At the conference Immediately after
the reading of the manifesto George
g. Cannon, the real leader of
of the church, extoiled the virtues of those
obey the law over those who promised such
obedience. This manifesto does not pre-
tend to discard polygamy as one of the car
dinal doctrines of the church: it only
suspends the practice as long as it is con-
trary to the laws of the land Before the
anti-polygamy act of 1862 there was no law
In this territory against polygamy If the
acts OF Congress against polygamy were
repealed, or if Utah should become state,
there would then be no law against polyg-
amy, and the presumption is that the peo-
pie of this territory would make no law
against It, and the chiefs Of the Mormon
church would then be at liberty to renew
their mandates to their members to enter
into polygamy, and it would then thrive in
full bloom. There would not be a SYLLABLE
IN this manifesto against it.
The Mormon church has courts of its
own that in many instances override the
DEGREES OF the courts of the United States.
Their members on taking their endowments
take an oath to avenge the blood of their
prophets, Joseph and Hyrum Smith.
against this government. MILFORD Wood
ruff, the present head of the church, in his
deolcatory prayer at the st. George temple
prayed the Lord might destroy this nation
with Bosom efdestruction. Pelygamists
when convicted have always been honored
by all the members of the Mormon church.
and on going to and returning from the
penitentiary were given ovations. The
church created a defense fund, employed
attorneys to defend polygamists and who
are still employed for that purpose They
have for many years given great trouble to
this government. The position of the
church in those matters is unchanged. An
alien who comes to this country and joins
such an organization should never ask to
become a citizen.
Mr.. Barlow Ferguson appeared on behalf
of the applicants, and pleaded hard for
them, but the judge was immovable. The
judge expressed desire, however that if
it were possible an appeal should be taken
TO the supreme court Of Utah.