The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-15
THE SALT LAKE HERALD, WEDNESDAY,. OCTOBER Is,

laws have been pronounced constitutional by
the court Of last resort, 1 do hereby declare my
intention to submit to those laws, and to use all
my influence with the members of the church
over which preside to have them do likewise"
What more can be required? With us the
civil power cannot inquire into, or interfere
with, o mans views or convictions. 1t concerns
itself only with tie conformity of his practice
to the requirements of the law, and by that test
President WOODRUFF processes that he and his
followers are willing to he tried.
The suspicion is entertained and expressed
that the statements of the Mormon president
are tainted with duplicity, and that his church,
driven to the wall, has abandoned its position OF
bold hostility for one of submission; has, in
short, thrown aside the skin of the lion and
taken on that of the fox. This is the position
which is taken by Governor THOMAS in his an
ual report, part of which appeared in yester-
days Poet. He asserts in general way that
official Mormonism on this question deals IN
evasions. meaningless words, or words of double
meaning" and in false assertions, so that its
attitude respecting polygamy is delusive in the
last degree" He adds that, even admitting
their statements to be true, it does not prove
that the church is loyal to the law" If by
loyalty to the law is meant
the abandonment oof the belief that
polygamy is right, then it may be answered
that it is not within the prerogative Of the civil
power to inquire into the question OF bel efs,
and that in regard to Mormonism the simple
duty of the authorities in Utah is to suppress
the practice of plural marriages by all legal
means.
So far as the statements so. President WOOD
RUFFs words are explicit enough. When he
declares his intention to submit to the laws,
and to use all his influence with the members
of his church to do likewise. there is nothing
equivocal in the declaration. To make false
declara.i ton to this effect would be confession
of weakness cowardice and deceit which, what
ever temporary end might be- served. could not
fail to react disastrously. Sucl an act. as all
intelligent Mormons must know, would be quite
as much folly as crime
The editor reproduces some of the utter
ances of Mr.. DANIEL HAMER, of Ogden, re-
garding the decline of polygamy, and con-
ceding honesty and sincerity to the Nor
mons, rightly concludes that ''the doom OF
polygamy is sealed, and that even now it is
practically abandoned" He says the laws
should be strictly enforced, "but it is con-
ceivable that indiscriminate measures of an
inquisitolial kind might do more harm than
good" He might have added that they
have done much harm in this territory, de-
laying for years the adjustment of the
trouble which has been SO long pending
1t is deserved blow which the editor OF
the Post strikes at Governor THOMAS and
the Utah commission in the closing para
graph of the logical article from which we
have quoted. He says:
''Some allowance should be made for eX
aggeration in the charges and statements
of minority in the enjoyment of political
supremacy and in the exercise of the power