Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-09-05

: and adultery. ssto the end that al
E such offenses may be prohibited.' -
L From these facts. a wei as offic
: ial information and personal Obser'
2 walton, there can be no reasonable
. doubt that the MormOns have wise
: = resolved on the discOniinuance Of
polygamy, and that during the last
} three years new polygamOus mari
, ages in Utah have been very rare,
Z probably not more numerous in pro-
portion 10 population than bigamous
marriages in AIRY Of the states.
IL i true that some nOu-MOrmons
say they have no confidence in the
good faith Of the Saints, and claim
20 believe that their movements for
reform are ell a sham, that "noth-
ing good can COME out ~ Nazareth, >
aud that they are 50 obstinate, still
neczed and fanatical that they are
iucorrigihle and their reformation
utterly hopeless. But il should be
borne in mind that churches and
creetis are subject 70 the laws Of
evolution, Of which many illustra-
tons eau b. given from ecclesiasti-
cal history, and Of which notable
Instances were furnished by very
respectable religious organization in
New York ami Chicago early in
/ February Of this year, favOring
radical changes in their confession
Of faith.
Utah l. not now and never can be
again what il was in the days Of
Brigham Young, who, with all his
faults, wn. as brave. wise and able
a leader OF mrn ~ ever led his hosts
into the Startled soliiudes Of an
unpeopief land"
As n born leader Of men, and
esteemed by his followers prophet,
seer and revelatO:, he dominated
with almost absolute authority over
his people, isolated for many years,
from all the world in the secluded
valleys Of the Rocky Mountains.
But all this Is changed. The rail-
road, the telegraph, free speech. n
free pIess, schools, colleges, churches
0i many denominations. and last.
Tut not least the real estate boomers
are there now. POlygamy cannot
stand up before modern civilization.
I he NormSus are wise enough 10
see this aud 10 net Upon IL.
The Practice u p1lygafnr, which /.
has 50 long been the reproach Of
the Mormon people, and has been I
the cause Of 80 much suffering and ]
distress, should b. abandoned in /
good faith and forever. This being |
accomplished, no just ground will |
remain for pursuing them with 1
further hostile legislation. ANY /
further discrimination against them |
should then Il Indignantly resented
10y all American citizens who are
imbued with the true principles
q civil and religious liberty. In
Utah there are persons Of multi
faTiJus religious crteis. and some
with no religious belief AZ all. There
We find perfect religious freedom
for the Catholic, the Jew. the
Episcopalian, inc Presbyterian,
the Methodist. the Baptist. sh-
CampbeiliJe and the Congregation I
ali~., al! 0f whom have churches or
houses % worship there. Besides,
there ate many infideis, skeTtic-
and spiritlslists. Shall We allow 10
al .'hese ireelom Of religious opinion
aud wOrship and deny il To the
M0rmOns, those who, for the rights
n conscience, sought a nome in the
wilderness, which they have made
to blossom - the r1se.''
Shall we, now, Ira the most en-
.ighteueI age Of all the centuries,
invoke legal coercion ovei the con-
sciences 81 men in the matters Of
and reSOr: 10 the thumb
screw AMI the rack, political pro
and Acknowledgement, as
nn..ts 81 religious instruction and
IcrsIasion!