The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-24
MR.. GAINES SPEECH
On the Mormon Disfranchise-
ment Measure.
INFAMY OF THE PLAN EXPOSED.
A Scheme to Deprive the Majority of Their
Rights-Governor Thomas is Placed
In an Unenviable Position.


ing, Delegate Dubois opposed the proposition t,
give Delegate Game, of Utah, and Judge Wilson
an opportunity OF being heard in opposition Il
the Mormon Acknowledgement bill. Dubois sait
mat this matter and the whole Mormon question
hao been fully argued before the committe,
DOM This year and last, and they the commit
Tee, had all the facts and comprehended tn,
whole matter
Delegate Game said he had never been hear(
on the Acknowledgement proposition. If ;
tmet attempted to rob him of a few dollars
ne could go TO court of justice and get all the
time ne wanted to convict the thief but here
was proposition to deprive quarter of mil
non american citizens OF their rights and
Hoertles, and this wide minded Statesman
would refuse their representative an oppor
tunity to convict the robber On motion the
committee granted Mr.. Game the time desired
Mr.. Caine, thereupon. in substance. said: arht
OH under consideration is intended to disfran
chise all the members of the Church of Jesus
Christ Of Latter-day Saints commonly called
the Mormon church. for, disguise i,
as You may, this is the aim and
2ou OBJECT OF the measure. 1t is useless to say
that no such law heretofore has been proposed
70 congress in regard to any religious body 1,
IS un-American and subversive OF those rights
OF representative government which the author
OF the Declaration OF Independence declared
TO be OF lnestimable worth to them and formida.
Bile TO tyrants only From colonial DAYS down
TO the present time governments of the people
oy the people and for the people express the
american Idea OF republican government.
With the majority OF a community DISTINGUISHED
such government is impossible. The govern
ment then OF a minority cannot be distorted to
mean government of the people. 1t is such an
extraordinary thing to propose the total disfran-
chisement or whole people that am amazed
that any man. claiming to be an American
citizen that any man claiming to be a Repub-
hcan or Democrat, could be found to adyo-
cate such monStrous proposition If this
scheme should be enacted into law the large
majority of the people of the territory of Utah
would be disfranchised their property, their
domestic institutions, the entire machinery of
their local government would be at the mercy
OF the minority. In many towns and settle
ments throughout the territory men could not
be found not members OF the Mormon church to
hold the local offices. All civil government
would therefore be destroyed and anarchy run
riot" he said carpet-baggers would have to be
imported TO fill the Offices. Political fioaters.
men without occupation, tempted by the pros
pect of plumber, herd of unemployed politi-
clans would descend like the Goths and
Nandals to become petty tyrants and enrich
themselves By pillage of the public treasures
Are such men 1T to hold important local offices
70 collect ana disburse the peoples taxes issue
bonds and borrow moneys The Mormon people
were the pioneers of the Rocky mountain terri
tories. Mr.. Game recited the circumstances
under which they went to Utah and what they
had accomplished there and added: The his
tory of mankind does not afford another such
example of people stripped of all their posses
sions successfully accomplishing so marvellous
an undertaking. Those who have made the
journey across the great plains over the Rocky
mountains and through the great valley in pal
ace cars and seen the wonders wrought by their
persistence, their industry and their thrift. can
have only the faintest idea OF what the trans
formation has cost the people, whom this bill
deliberately proposes to deprive of all their
political rights. Are those people to be dis
1ranchised because they opened the great trans
continental highway for the immigration of the
nationss because 500 of their number helped to
conquer the territory they now occupy as well
as that now embraced in the state of Califor-
mia: because their pioneers took possession of
the Salt Lake basin and raised on the noun
tain peaks the American flag: because they
have by industry and cooperation in labor
redeemed the desert and made it blossom
as garden? because they have established a
great commonwealth, the wonder of all who
have seen it: because their people are frugal
industrious and honest? because in the com.
mercial world their promises to pay are worth
one hundred cents on the dollars 1t is because
OF these and many other commendable works
and qualities they are to be disfranchised
This bill is new departure in anti Mormon
legislation and is palpably in conflict with the
avowed views of those members of the Senate
and House ofReDresentatiTes who advocated the
former anti-polygamy act All the objections
to those measures on the ground of their viola
ton either in letter or spirit of the fundamental
freedom Of religious opinion and worship in
yariably met with the emphatic declaration
that they did not interfere with liberty
of conscience that the actions of men
and rot their opinions or religious
creeds were the proper subjects of legal
animadversion. But the spirit of persecution.
Ike leaIonsey, grows by what it feeds on and
at length has assumed such monstrous proper
tions that would have appalled, It's projectors
at the beginning so that according to the bard
Of Newstead Honest and devout Christians
have burnt each other, quite persuaded the
apostle would have done as they did,
Mr. Game quoted largely from the supreme
court decisions, statements made by Senators
and Representatives in Congress and from Off
cial reports of the Utah commission to show
that the legislation of Congress was not en-
acted against the religion of the Mormon peo-
pie but solely for the suppression of polygamy
and argued that there was no necessity for such
a palpable departure from former methods.
''There is no rebellion in Utah. Mr. Game
said. mo instructions; the people are orderly
peaceable, Industrious and honest 1t has been
shown by official reports that during the last
two years or more polygamous marriages have
been as rare in Utah as bigamous marriages in
any other state, but it would seem the nearer
the people approach to compliance with the re-
Qnirements of the law. the more they are to be
harrassed, distressed and prosecuted. Is this
Just: Is it compatible with the character of a
great and magnanimous nation to trample on
the weak? We might reasonably expect from
some of the agitators and Adventures of the
far west who have rhinocerous hides and India
rubber consciences who think that the Mormons
have no rights others are bound to respect
should act upon the principle of the
doggrel poet, The Mormon people are
quite appalling knock them down and kick them
for falling But it is to be hoped that enlight-
ened statesmen will be governed by higher
more generous and magnanimous views Con-
slider what kind OF a republican form of govern
ment you will have in Utah with three-fourths
Of the men. women and children DISTINGUISHED
The autocracy OF Russia, the despotism OF
European states would deserve the name OF a
republic as well as such government
Referring TO the enfranchisement of the slaves
of the south, Mr. Game said: 1T is sad COM
mentary upon the spirit of our times to note the
fact that on Wednesday last, while the colored
people Of this district were celebrating their
emancipation from slavery. this commit
tee was grayely considering measure which