Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-14
LEGISLATION AGAINST BELIEF,

LEHlSLAiiON AuAA''A
-a-Trr following refreshing article
appeared n short time since in the
Sacramento Reoord-Unio
ut is said that = bill Is before
aaopgressionsl-committee for the dis
fran,.lisoment Of Mormons, and that
if is likely 10 be reported favorably.
This is an error. No committee will
ever report such a bill, since no COM
mi,fee wishes 10 wear the cap and
bells. Any such measure would be
held 10 be unconstitutional, and should
be. Clearly it would oe as competent
70 pass a law DISTINGUISHING all Meth
odistS. all Catholics. all Presbyterians.
The guarantee Of the right TO worship
God according TO the dictates OF con-
science, within the necessary regula-
lions Of law for the peace and safety Of
tbspeople,;s inviolable. The revivalist
may shout, the Mormon preach and
the Salvationist recruit with fife and
drum, bueno law will be tolerated
that by title will disfranehise any man
because OF his entertainment o. any
parsieuiar religious belief. 1t is a
totally different thing. however,
when Z specific crime is named
IN the law. and its commits
sion forbidden. Thus, the practice
Of polyEamy is prohibited, and those
who offend under the law may be ex-
cluded from the exercise Of the cleo
tive franchise as 4 punishment, and as
a warning 10 others, and such people
may be designated for descriptions
sake by the religions title in part. But
II is absurd to think that Congress will
-rtteuiPt topass law furnishing any
ono for entertaining religious belief
When hat is done the liberties Of the
PEOPLE viii be effecluany under
mined"
1t is probable that our esteemed
California cOtemporary is now awake
10 the unconstitutional drift of the
anti Mormon, current. Since its
article appearedthe committee has
reported, bya strict party vote, in
favor Of the passage Of the un-
American measure. 1t will have
Observed also that the bill finds
no small humber Of journalistic al.
'vocates, whose patriotism and con-
sistency- are invisible. quantities.
In connection with the discussion
on this unconstitutional bill before
the Committee on Territories, an
incident occurred which is treated
As joke 1t the alleged expense Of
the honorable Delegate from Utah.
Dubois Of Idaho, who was champion
ing the Dill, was Rked whether he
would favor the Acknowledgement
OF the "AIOrmons'' OF Utah-the
overwhelming majority of that peo-
ple-who had never broken any
law. For instance, would he dis
franchise Mr.. Game. who had
never been 4 polygamist and had no
intention Of becoming one.
The answer was, in substance.
'Hes, would disfranchise every
;laaNEho believes in polygamy, aud
] challenge Mr.. Game TO state that
he dots not believe in it
This is, as stated, treated by the
auti-''Alormons'' and some OF the
aarrow-guage Journals as getting
2ir. Game in = corner and perpe-
trating a joke on him. The belief
~ 4ir. Game, or that of4lny other
man is ais own individual business.
and lie who seeks to interfere with
st is tyrant or fool, or both. The
person who is found advocating the
passage Of laws 20 govern belief per-
qetrates 4 grim political and philo-
s9P6:cal Joke on himself, Is that
mental condition IS outside the do
main OF legislation. Yet that is
what is attempted 10y the measure
referred to and which the Record
Cai5a imagined could not possibly
be favorably reported by a commit
Tee.
If there was any joke in
shc incident said to have &C.
CURED in the discussion be-
fore the Committee on Territories
its weight did not fall upon Mr..
Game, hut upon Mr.. Dubois, who
when he was u. ;. Marshal for
idaho and pursuing the ''NIormons''
with all the bitterness Of which he
IS capable-was credited with say
ing, after completing a packing
process: ''NOw I have got a jury
that would convict Jesus Christ if
he were placed on trial.