Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-24
THE GOVERNOR As A DISFRAN,
CHISENEyT MISSIONARY.

rl The city Of Ogden, with 4 view,
II Is alleged, Of converting the Og-
len Uou-.'l10rmons'' 10 his position
IN opposition 10 religious liberty.
The expedition tot, place on Thurs.
day, and the meeting, which oc-
d CARED at the residence q Mayor
Keisgl, convened, in the form
Z 81 reception. The receivers
consisted u rot les than twenty
persons. Doubtless the multitude
would have been greater had it not
been n special affair, comprised Of
leading citizens, who were expected,
alter having yielded TO the persua-
sive and insinuating eloquence Of
/ Mr.. Thomas, TO extend, by their
influence, the uumJor Of those who
aare presumed TO De ''lil,e clay in the
lhauds u the potter"
= report OF thcTamarss made by
the Governor on the occasion ap-
| gaaagd in yesterday's Commercial,
lhd tie statement OF them "a given
| by that PAPER IS endorsed by him as
being substantially correct.
A. Utah is making history and
NIr. Thomas is manufacturing a
record, by way Of i;eeplug track Of
the trend Of affairs, Individual and
| general, We make this extract:
1T : my opinion that the bill will
certainly be passed, for every friend
Of Utah Is in favor Of it. It has been
iavonbly reported from the commit
tee Of each House and without any
doub. VIII become q law The Repub
lean party almost unanimously will
vote Tor 70, and It Will also receive The
support II many Democrats. The
opinion 81 Washington now that the
| Idaho test oath has Leen declared con
s.itu.i0nal by Tie supreme Court Of
the United States, Is that this bill will
forever settle the Mormon question in
Uiah, and by taking away the polti-
cal power ~ ihc Mormon Church VIII
wipe on: OF existence; ha: organization
or the powers q The organization in
im.cai Ia heir tendency 10 the Drin-
riples of a free, civilized govern
ncnt. There seems TO he some mis-
understanding regarding this bill.
Il is not blow al any one orrauiz1-
ION or church, unless such orzaniza-
ton or church in its practices or be
Iieis comes especially within its pur-
view. T. Is 4 bill aimed at treason
10 the government, and any
organization that has treason
able Ieue,s OF practices. The bill pro
vides simply tina; any man before he
an deposit a hailo. and exercise the
right OF franchise shall take an oath
that he belongs 10 no organization that
caches, uphplIS. abe;s, encourages,
recognizes, allows or sus.ains .golvC-
amy. and lsa; ne does no: himself |
prlasice the same crime. The Iav ap- I
plies % all alise, AMI never once I
mentions the Mormon church. n
ans man wish s. % vote. an he has TO /
10 is 20 reuogn,s ~ sever his connec- !
Ion with aE organization that teaches .
~ recognizes the crime. II the Nor 4
mon Church is not such an organiza-
non, the law then would not apply to
Mormons and SHOULD not be opposed
ly the church OF Us members"
The gentleman made n mistake.
which Is remarkable in view Of how
familiar lac claims 20 be with the
status Of the pending disfranchise-
ncnt legislation, when he states
that the measure IN question had
been reported EsvoratIy '-frUm the
committee Of each HOuzc.s' There
has been no such committee raport
% the Senate. He also essayed the
role Of semi-sg0kesman for the Re
publican members Of Congress and
assured LIS ogIea heaters that they
would ulm5st unanimously vote for
it. Bat he is not above he
ing guilty OF pcEpetatiug CON ,
,picuous xactituies when oc-
aston appears, in his estimation. !
o require. He assertcd-by proxy !
o the House committee on Terri !
ories That nearly every Gentle ?
esiieut Of Utah was in favor Of the 1
'truhle hill. Now we fini him in 9
ogden, the second city in import c
.uce ant population in the Terri 4
ory, using his influence to hreas @
he uuauimity existing against the 4
measure among that class Of citi- ;
ems.
At the very opening, inadyertent- Z
= ofc5uEse, the usually oily speak :
7 delivered az uukind blow al the 2
on-"Mormon'' residents Of Ogden. Z
y placing them in the category Of n
lemies Of Utah, every friend;' OF
lie Territory being, according to his Il
sserti0u, IN favor Of robJing the 1
lajority Of the people OF their rights u
nd privileges under the Constitu- :
on. But the people Of the junction b
iiy are comfCrted 10y n knowledge Of
the fact that the correct way to %
ate the proposition Is toreverse the - -
der in which it was put by Mr.. IL
h1mas. He and his fellow-advo- 81
ties Of Acknowledgement are the a.
lemies Of Utah, and ia view Of the :, =,
easure being iuimical to free civil n
lYernmcnt they stand in thes same Re
lation to the nation at large. n
The ideas expressed in relation TO ~ -
e pending legislation settling the Ii
Mormon" question, by wiRing out
e Church organization, are only q
for their absurdity. The IA IA
Iurch Is not n political organiza- an
N in any sense, but purely reli- tn
DIS The political disfranchise- II
-nt Of its members leaves it un. a.
lched and intact. al
The mere mention Of Stree civil of
d government in connection &C.
IN the aivo-~cy of OF disfranchise- NJ ~,
mt on account OF religious belief II
membership in a church, is so in pu
ngruous As 10 be amusing were ov
subject not one OF serious H.
nsequences TO its proposed vic. re,
Is and to the nation at large. pc.
the Governor will read up vi
free civil government he viii -
cover, what any school-boy bui
sht to know, that it is that form US,