The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-23
as ,UEALING STATESMAN.

Representative STEWART, of Vermont,
feels aggrieved at THE HERALD. Some days
ago he introduced in the House an infamous
bill which proposed to disfranchise all
members of the Mormon church; they were
to be denied theright to vote, to hold office,
to sit on iuries, to enter public land, and in
fact to do anything which citizens of the
country may do, except to breathe Ameri-
can air, drink American water, work and
pay taxes. The wholesale deprivation was
not to run against them for any crime they
had committed or any offense against law
they were guilty of, but simply be-
cause they were members of the
Mormon church, whether from birth or
subsequent attachment. Of all the propo-
sitions presented to Congress for dealing
with the majority of the people of Utah,
nothing has been more Infamous than this
bill 1t was Infamous in and Of itself, and
was doubly so because it proposed to
openly and outrageously disregard one of
the plainest and most emphatic provisions
of the American constitution. THE HERALD
was surprised that any member of Con-
gress could have so little regard for the
oath he took, when entering upon his
duties, to sustain the constitution of the re-
public and we could account for STEWARDS
action only on the theory that he
proposed to share with the senior Senator
from his state, the notoriety which Ed
NUNS had gained by bitter and unreason-
able persecution Of the Mormons. This
paper said what it thought and believed in
the premises, and the Representatives
copy of THE HERALD having reached him,
he complains to our Washington CORES
pondent, and explains to him that in the
introduction of the bill he (Mr. STEWARD
was not actuated by personal motives,
sand he hoped the Mormons of Utah
would so understand it, The bill was
sent to him by a Gentle lawyer of this
city, and the Representative simply intro
duced it shy request" STEWART being
asked to name the lawyer, replied: at
was Judge BAsKIN, d Salt Lake gentleman,
who has been for years one of the bitterest
opponents Of Mormonism that has ever
appeared before a Congressional com
mittee."
We submit that our opinion OF Repre-
sentative STEWART has not been exalted in
PLANTATION. He confesses that the person
who sent him the bill is lone of the bitter
est opponents of Mormonism that has ever
appeared before a Congressional commit
tee,' and yet he is willing to be the blind
tool of that man in giving vicious and un
lawful force to his bitterness. Out this
way BAsK1N is looked upon by all classe:
of the community as an anti-Mormor
crank. whose hatred of the Saints is so in
tense as to cause him to disregard all sense
of Justice and all regard for law in his op
position to the majority class. He is thu
man who in the recent sensational inquiry
before Judge ANDERSON persisted in refer
ring to the ''Green river butch
ery., after it had been proven be
yond the possibility Of doubt tina
no murder had been committed
The man said to have been murdered by
the Mormons having come to the front
and in a solemn affidavit sworn that n
was not killed, was not even assaulted
and is alive and well, we shall still expec
BAsKIN to 60 on denouncing the "Greel
river butchery'' and trying to make tn
people outside of Utah believe that tn
Mormon church deliberately planned ant
executed the assassination of a mai named
GREEN. 1t is easy enough to understand
how IAsKIS should draft such bill as n
sent to STEWART, but it is difficult II