New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-05
THE SENATE
-RY TELEGRAPH TO THE tribune

moi
tcrday when it made stand in the iast oi'on ..
silence in defence OF the surviving twin relic Oh
barbarism" poly gamy. For that Is what II oiu anu
did knowingly and deliberately. The pre'ehce 'ia'
the vain attempt to break the quorum p' Nl'u"S lue
had for its sole object the bringing OF the couc VI
rules TO the test Of judicial decision Is As ldisc anu
hollow a pretencc As was set up even by Demo
Gratis The attempt made for the bencht OF
Mormon polygamists through and by whom 'Ho
Democratic marty has hoped and still hopes TO control
Idaho and Arizona as we'll Utah after their aamis'
sion into the Union. For the sake OF inc poS
camists in Idaho the Democratic minority Ill ule
House Is willing to go any length. Inc Democrats
want 10 test the constitutionality" OF rule WHO"
authorizes the use OF eyes we'll as ears If neces'
sary TO find ont whether not quorum OF Tie HOUSE,
is present. that is. whether it is constitutional Tor
the House 10 do what the Constitution in express
terms authorizes it to do, or whether a mhoriW'
without even the trouble of peaccable bodily se'e'
sion, may stop and prevent the business oil eesh"
ton at its own pleasure. There Is not Dci'io'I"s
lawyer Of the mcanest ability in the House WHO
does not know that all appeal to the supreme Court
IL taken and entertained will result the defeat and
condemnation OF this form Of attempted secession
and revolution. There is no doubt OF the extreme
tenderness of the regard Of the Democratic party LOT
the Consttuton-but. as General Henderson, of Iowa.
aptly said. II is a constitution OF its own maMhe'
not a constitution made by the fathers"
explanation of their motive for yesterdays perform
,nce II they have been lying awake o nights 10
discover and snatch the first opportunity 10 appear
TO the courts, why did they not refuse. Tor example
10 vote on the passage Of the Urgent deficiency OIL
or the Army or Fortifcations bill Either OF those
hills especially the first one. would have anordcn
the best possible opportunity to have that judicial
test, speedily applied. Or. il they were really dying
to have the "testn applied, and that on bill for the
admission Of new state. why did they not refrain
from voting the Wyoming bill? The answer TO
both questions is the same: none OF the DIS haihco
struck blow at polygamists. No other answer wouiu
be true or correct. For some two months the Demo
cratic Constitution savers they actually sincere
In their protested belef-not only consented 10 re
peated violations of that instrument without profess
expressed or implied but actively assisted III such VIC
lations If any further proof OF Democratic devotoi
10 the Mormon polygamists of Idaho was needed II
could easily be found in the debate on the Dill.
The provision of the Idaho Constitution upon when
the Democratic opposition 10 the bill wholly and
solely based, is as follows:
No person is permitted vote, juror or hod
anv civil Office . who is a bieamist poysamist or l.
living in wha known patriarchal, plural or ccs
marriage or in Of any law Of this State OF OF W
United States forbddng any such crimes or who III 'h'
manner teaches advises cOunseis aids or encourages any
person to enter bgsmy polysamy or such paracna
mural or celestial marriage % live in violation OF any
such law or 10 commit any such crime or VINO j men
Der Of or contributes 70 the support aid CT encoIaE'n
Of anv order organization. association corporation q" o
ETY. which teaches advises counses encourages or aus
any person to into bigamy poiveam, or sich Iat
archal or plural marriages. which teaches OF adN
that the laws Of this State prescribing rncs OF CIVIL con-
duct are the supreme law Of the state
OF course the Democrats with one accord declared
and protested that they bitterly opposed a
POSSIBLE to polycamy. and that their opposition to the
bill was fight for the sacred right Of franchise
In other words, every Jack Mormon among them
was opposed to poly gapy but at the same time was
determined that the poygamists and the alder sup
porter and abcttor of poly gamy should not be ARP
hibtcd from voting serving on jures or holding ONCE
Ir his short but cogent and conclusive argument on
the hin Mr. Lodge correctly described the attitude
Of the Democratic Jack Mormons" IN TIE House. a.
well as of the MomOns themselves IN these sentences
The whole debate has turned on the single point a.
To the clause in the proposed constitution which Dis
franchises in the State the people known a. Nornos
and ON this point the Democratic minority Of the conf
mittce have argued that II Is neither right nor legal
nor constitutional disfrachise man for crime o.
which lie has not been convicted That position MI
Speaker is begging the question. This Is not d
question OF dealing with specific crime on the part Of
particular Individual it is question OF dealing with
system which propagates and organizes and gives a
religious sanction that which il declared crime
under the United States laws They make themselves
bv their own creed and BIZ THEN action outlaws
and they deserve treated outlaws by the United
States From beginning Of their history the Nornons
have dencd the laws United States and OF every
State in the Union they have outraged and made war
upon all that direction the people OF the United
states believed make for good morals. FOR decent
government and for pure homes. Guarded by their
renoteness they have maintained that attitude
until the present day. Now the great It'd
Of American civilization and American population
is rising around them every side and elf Church with
Its vicious illegal doctrines Of marriage is threatened
with destruction Their effort Therefore is 70 get
themselves recognized a. citizens the
United States the State Of Idaho confer them the
most precious rights Of citizenship that perhaps they can
find immunity. II protection, by Offering their support
10 one or political That support impIob
able as IL might SEEM Mr. Speaker they have already
found hands OF the Democratic minority OF this
mittce. II believe my accurate friend from
Illinois, the minority of the committee have in this tho
support also $500 900 Democrats throughout tho
One Of the best speeches in the debate that Of
Delegate Dubois. Of Idaho For several years before
his election to Congress Mr.. Dubois was United states
Marshal Of the Territory and in his official capacity
he acquired thorough knowledge Of the objects and
operations Of the Mormon thcocracy socaled and Of
the practical difficulties met in the execution Of any
law designed break up and prevent bgamons and
poly gamous practices As long as the Mormons were
permitted TO serve jurors and vote and hold Office
His speech deserves wider circulation than it will
obtain in The Record" Among other things Mr.
Dubois said
1t plain that the distinguished gentleman from Illinois
fMr Springer and his colleagues who sign the minority
report do not represent party Of Idaho
or any portion Of It. They themselves will claim
that they represent the Republicans Of idaho.
then DO they representa- They represent the Mormon
Church and nothing and nobody else.
As soon as Constitution was submitted 10 Congress
the Mormons appeared here through retained attorney
one Of the the country and fought progress
Of the bill step by step before the Senate and then ;h
House Committee. The attorney untrngy asslstcc
by the delegate Utah, Mormon and by the eadu,
Mormon Of Idaho, William Bulge, president Of
President Bulge well represented his people, for he state,