The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-03
Mansur's Speech on the idaho
Admission Bill.
1T Is THE MORMONS RELIGION
That is Being Attacked o-day, but Tomorrow
it will be the Cathol ics'-The COM
mittee of One Hundred.

ing the remarks of the different speakers
with hearty bursts of applause according
as the latter's sentiments found a CORES
ponding echo in their own hearts.
In the discussion this afternoon the
Democrats bore off the honors. The
Republicans put forward none of their first
class talent, and the affirmative side of the
question was argued by such second
rate men as Dorsey, of Nebraska;
Dubois, Of Idaho; and Peters, of
Kansas. The Democrats on the other hand
were such brilliant orators as Mansur, of
Missouri, Chapman, Of Michigan, and
Smith of Arizona. No better evidence of
the relative interest felt in the debate
could be seen than in the rapid thinning
out of the galleries while the Republicans
were speaking, and the speediness with
which they filled up again when these
giants Of debate, Mansur and Chapman,
took the floor.
Mr.. Mansur spoke for an hour. He be-
gan by saying that while he had no sym
patty, nor did he believe that any person
on that side of the House had
any sympathy, with the institution
OF higamy or of polygamy, yet ''we find in
this bill there is mode of striking at these
offenses that is in violation of all the best
OF our doctrines and tenets Of liberty as
we have universally understood and en-
forced them in all times past to the present
time.' Mr.. Mansur then sketched at some
length the injustice done to the Mormons
in Idaho in the pending bill. 1t is
stated that the reason the Nor
mons are to be disfranchised is be-
cause they vote the Democratic ticket.
Continuing, he said: Just pass across the
line, an imaginary one, as that into Wy
cniGg territory, which you admitted as
state the other day. and while there are
not so many Mormons there as in Idaho,
yet they are nearly all Republicans, and
because of the well-understood fact that
every Mormon there votes the Republican
ticket you let them vote, and not merely
that, but you provided the other
day that their wives should have
the right to vote, thus giving to
every Mormon and wife in Wyoming two
votes while in Idaho you deny the right to
vote even to Mormon men. Let those
things be understood as we go along. Let
it be understood that it is not question of
principle anywhere but is in every instance
q question of expediency alone for the Re
publican party. Let it be further under
stood from forty weight hours after the Re-
publicans began 10 think that they had
carried the presidential election of 1888
the whole political world Of the United
States was filed with rumors of the new
programme TO be inaugurated by that
party. One feature of the programme was
the admission of the new states to
strengthen the party in the Senate. 1t
was also reported and published that there
was TO be revolutionizing of the rules of
parliamentary proceedings; that there was
10 be The unseating Of divers members
on the Democratic side, and that
the Republicans were to fortify them
selves in this Congress and pass such bills
as they deemed, from their standpoint,
necessary to be passed, and if new terri
tories were admitted as states, the Repub-
lican party, being thus strengthened in
the Senate, it would be many years before,
under any circumstances, the legislation
Of this Congress could be repealed or done
away with. These are the circumstances
that led w to the admission of the young
est of OR remaining territories, certainly
the smallest in population, and not the best
equipped in financial ability to maintain
statehood" II the Mormons, Mr.. Mansur
said, ''were black, they would be protected
under the fifteenth amendment to the con-
stitution. Butt he added impressively,
s'they are white and Democrats, and so they
are your victims.'
Quoting Judge Wilson, the speaker
showed that out OF 5000 Mormon voters in
Idaho moi more than 25z per cent. were
biganists or polygamists, and that of the
total of $4,000 Mormons in the territory,
bigamists and polygamists were scarcely
one-half Of ] per cent. Mr.. Mansur next
quoted Judge Carlton, of the Utah commls-
sion DR.. Miller the editor of The Omaha
Herald; Representative Struble, of Iowa !;
Bayard Taylor, Chief Justice Waite and
others, to show the thrift, industry and
general morality of the Mormon people.
He then proceeded to ask the questions,
s'Why on account of the few men who are
engaged il the practice of bigamy or
polygamy, whether the number be one
hundred and twenty-five, as MIR. Wilson
estimates in the whole territory of Idaho,
or whether it should be greater, should we
insert the penalty of Acknowledgement
upon every male adult of that church,
merely because he is a Mormon? And
why should we refuse him even the poor
pitiful right of purging himself by an cath
in which he shall swear that he does not
thus believed For, gentlemer, please
observe that in said section s. which
il is sought to engraft into
the constitution of Idaho, there are quite a
number of provisions whereby man is
declared to have the right Of trial by jury
and shall not suffer the penalty of disfran-
chisement until after his conviction,
whereas offenses connected with the Nor
mon church are taken outside of the list of
ordinary offenses and a man cannot purge
himself ~ his own oath that he does not
believe in bigamous or polygamous prac-
tees, does not countenance them. and
does not assist in their preparation.
When that is done, he cannot complain if
he be deprived of his privileges if con-
victed. That is the universal law in all the
states and it is correct ! have been at the
trouble of collecting the law from all the
several states, and there is not to be found
IN one Of the states Of the union any differ
ent law than that they must be first con-
victed OF crime before you can degrade a