The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-10
CRITICISiNG MURPHY.

The editor of the Denver Ne,rs takes
Acting Governor MURPHY to task for hav-
ing recommended the adoption of the Idaho
test-oath for Arizona. TIE Nems suggests
that the EDMUNDs law, which provides
stringent measures against the practice of
polygamy, is applicable to all the terri
tories including Arizona If one is guilty
Of violation of the law he is as liable to in
dictment and punishment in Arizona as in
Utah. Says the Ye,CS: ''Mr. MURPHY has
fallen into the error of good many peo-
pie in CHASING all Mormons as polygamists.
This is in the face of strenuous denials to
the contrary on the part of the highest dig
nitaries of that church. If there are
polygamists among the Mormons, and
no doubt there are, the law is
ample for their punishment. But it
is great wrong to stigmatize a whole PEG
pie because some of them are guilty of
practices which the law declares to be a
crime. 1t is the duty of the officers of the
law to ferret out and bring to trial the VIC
lators of this as well as other laws Those
who do not uphold and practice polygamy,
have as good right to their religious be-
lief as any other denomination in the land.
There are some Mormons in southern Colo
RADIO. The evidence of those who are ac-
quainted with them is that they do not
practice polygamy; that they are intelli-
gent and industrious and model citizens in
every respect. What would be thought of
the people of Colorado if they were to Ell
act laws DISTINGUISHING these people, sim
ply because they are Mormons! With the
same show of justice Catholics, Methodists
Presbyterians, or any other denomination
of Christians might be prescribed
The editor of the Neps does not under
stand the situation. Acting Governor MUIR
PLY is Republican in politics, and holds
his Office not by virtue of the votes of the
people, but by virtue of a commission
signed by the President of the United
States. While MURPHY is Republican the
majority of the voters in Arizona are Dem.
ocrats, and it so happens that most of the
Mormons are Democrats, voting with thai
party, and helping it to maintain its su
premacy. 1t is possible, as MURPHY says
that 20 per cent, of the population are Nor.
mons; it is certain that there are enough
Mormons of the Democratic persuasion tt
keep the Democratic party on top, and tina
is the trouble with the acting-governor
That was the trouble with the Republican
bosses in Idaho, where the maiorit,
of the Mormons insisted that the,
were Democrats; the Republican
getting the upper hand, through
fraud and by means of the assistance o.
certain cowardly and weakened Dem
ocrats, promptly deprived the Mormons O
the right to vote, thus reducing the oppc
sition and making it possible for them t.
have things their own way at the polls. l
the Idaho Mormons had been Republican
when it came to voting, no Republica
would have raised his voice against them
and the Saints would to day be in the en-
joyment of the rights and privileges of cit
izenship in the new state and would be re
garded as among the best and most pre-
gressive people in Idaho. In Wyoming TO
the past six years the majority of the Nor
mons have been Republicans and kept tina
party in power. The result is that the mai
who would propose to disfranchis
Mormons in Wyoming, would fin
astride his neck the entire Repub
lican party. If the Arizona Mormon
were Republicans and would stand in wit
MIR. MURPHY's party, the gentlemen woul