Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-10-21
AN addItioual and sufficIsnlly Sc

| cure S1leCuAru Wou4u bc q pIONAsloh
in the constitution prohibiting polyg-
amy and another forbidding the re-
peal OF this clause except by a very
large majority-say tour-fifths-of the
voters OF the State"
The Brooklyn Citizen closes a long
article on the subject with these
words:
1.-THE action taken forms an epoch in
the Mormon Church. The cause Of
contention it settled, and II only re-
mains for the schools and missionaries
to transform into useful citizens an
element that has hitherto cefied our
laws and threatened the peace Of the
Union"
The New York World under the
head "The Problem Solved' dis
courses ON the abandonment Of po-
lygamy, ami finishes rs follows:
Now that it is abandoned and with
/: the criminal practice o; Polysamy
the Mormon problem is solved With
what remains OF il, the Church as
Church, We have no National con-
Germ. 1t may teach and believe what
doctrines It pleases and worship the
Great Panjandrum himself IL 1t sees
fit, without let or hindrance."
The New York Tribune has n long
editorial, from which we clip these
two paragraphs:
1.-THE new edict applies only TO fu-
ture marriages in Utah, and leaves
the state o, thousands OF women
already polygamously married unde-
iermined. But the natural effect Of
the action Of the Mormon leaders will
be to discredit existing plural mar
riages and TO involve gradual sepAra-
tions and the discon;inusnce Of for
mer relations. Polygamy. abandoned
as religious canon, will speedily
cease TO exis; in the Mormon para
I disc.
"Polyzmy is the first sacrifice that
is made to the progress Of Western
settlement in the Territory. 1t viii be
followed speedily by encroachments
upon the temporal power OF the Nor
mon Church, and ultimately by the
efIaceinent OF tho religious denomin-
alton"
Ina later editorial the New York
Tribune says:
SIT Is the opinion OF the best in
formed Gentle observers that this &C
espiancs Of the decree will be general
and permanent throughout all Nor
mondom, and that it, therefore, marks
the end OF polygamy.r
The Chicago .HIa contrasts "AIor-
mon" polygamy with some things
that are tolerated in the United
States, and We take these few sem
fences from its article:
"But while the subject Of polygamy
As praciiced by a comparative handful
Of Mormons has for years been rid
died by hot shot from the press and
the pulpit and had been torn to taiters
by legislative action, nothing very i'm
portant has been accomplished IN
purifying the subject Of marriage and
divorce elsewhere. While the govern
ment has been busy in thro.tling
polygamy in Utah land rightly so,
what must be said OF a state Of society
which produces such Z case as that Of
the wnkesbsrre PAL wife who has
eight living husbands. and 50 far as
can be learned is now looking for
more worlds to conquer?n
The Troy, New YORK, Budget thus
treats the matter:
"This action must be accepted as 4
settlement Of the vexed question. II
the Mormons violate the law in the
future, the law stands to punish them.
Until it is violated full faith should be
accorded the declaration. Utah has a
population OF over 100 now, and
great current OF Gentle population is
beginning TO pour into the territory
under the belief that it will soon be-
come a state, which it will ifpolygamy
is no longer Pracdcsd there.
This is from the Scranton, PENN
sylvauia, Republican.
"The proclamation Of President
Woodruff Of the Mormon Church,
abOlishing polygamy, has a ring Of
truthiulness abou; it that ought TO
commend it to fair public eonsidera-
ton. The Mormon president says
that as laws have been enacted by
Congress and pronounced valid by
the Supreme Court forbidding polyg-
amy, he Will himself submit to those
laws, and use his influence with Nor
mons TO induce them TO do likewise.
he closes the proclamation by exhort-
ing Latter-day Saints to contrsc: no
marriage by law forbidden. A motion
to regard the proclamation binding
ami as authoritative was carried with
out dissenting vote among the ten
thousand people present. The public
is bound to aecep: the act as OF good
faith"
The STATE journal, Lincoln, Ne
braska, argues:
''If this change Of front IS made in
good faith. and time will try its genu-
ineness, the church OF the La;ter-day
Saints has placed itself on the plane
Of law-abiding ecclesiastical organize
iions, and viii be respected according
ly."
1.-The faith ofthe Mormons is,Polyg-
amy aside, entitled to the same pro-
lection that is accorded every other
mode or form OF religion in the United
States"
Taking up the statement OF the
Salt Lake Tribune that the action
was a trick, the STATE Journal in
another article says:
"onthe whole the situation bears
evidence that the leaders OF the SAINTS
are honest and sincere in their declara-
ton. nthey arr, the long fight against
Mormonism IN the United States is
virtually over"
The Womaa's Tribune takes up
the Presidents declaration and
says:
'sThe Tr.Juae gladly gives space for
this official declaration, which should
settle the matter.
Everybody who knows anything
about the Mormons knows that the
very keystone Of their system is the
confidence they place in the heads Of
the Church as religious guides.
II this statement were untrue
every Mormon would know /;
and il would be a severer blow 70 their
I