Arizona republican., 1890-11-26
AND IT HAS COME TO THIS,

One of the leading members of the St. Davids Mormon settlement in Co., chise County, was heard to say just a few days before the election "We would like to get that fellow Cheyney alone for fifteen minutes"
 And this is the condition in Arizona today. Physical violence threatened the man who dared oppose the man that introduced the Book of Mormon and Covenants into the Congress of the United States"
 Are the Danites again to become a factor, and is the weakened power of the Mormon priesthood to be reinforced by terrorism?
 For years the head of the Mormon Church has dictated the election of off, cers in four counties in this Territory, and in one instance has selected and elected controlling part of the Legisla- ture. The evil from which our fore fathers fled accepting voluntary ex- patriation the evil which they most jealously guarded against in framing the Constitution the evil which we all believe to be the greatest menace to our free institutions, the juncture of Church and State, now confronts us Tn Arizona.
 There is no question of the perfect control by the priesthood over the Mormon people. Their sway is absolute and they recognize that only by such concentration of power can they main- tain perfect control. Mormons recog- nize no power of state superior to their church.
 An evidence of this is shown in the action of that body in evading the test oath adopted by Congress in March, 1887. In the campaign of 1888 the Mormon authorities issued an address to their voters respecting the test oath, it's effect, meaning, etc., using tho fol lowing language:
 The questions that intending voters need, therefore, ask themselves, are these: Are we guilty of the crimes in said act; or, have we the present intention of committing these crimes, or, of aiding, abetting, causing or advising any other person to commit them? Male citizens
  can qualify under the existing laws as voters and office holders.
 Probably no language could have been used more misleading than the above. The very purpose of Congress in passing the law, and the plain letter of the law, contemplates that thereafter the voters and the office-holders of Utah Territory should give the laws for the suppression of polygamy firm and loyal support :; yet the Mormon voters were instructed | by their leaders that unless at the time | of registration they then-and there had | c present intention to violate said law they were eligible for registration under it and qualified to take the prescribed | oath. It can not be successfully denied | that it was the purpose and intention of the law that those who should register, hold offices or act as jurors under it should have formed purpose to there- after obey it's requirements. But the | results of the registration under the ad- vice given by the Mormon leaders ren- dered the law absolutely nugatory in ac- complaining the purpose for which it was enacted. The fact is, that with re- spect to the purpose and intention of the Mormon voters concerning po- lygamy, the law has had no effect, and is today dead letter.
 It is to meet this evasion of the law that the Cullom-Struble bill is being urged before Congress, and it is the duty of every citizen, having the best inter ests of Arizona at heart, to use all his influence in securing the early passage of smilar measure to the Cullom- Struble bill that shall be applicable to this Territory. |