Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-24
THE MORMONS IN IDAHO,
Delegate Dubois Says That They VIII
Not be Reinstatsd as Citizens.


completely out Of sight some people be-
feved it would whom the formal announce
mens was made tina. the followers Of Brigham
Young had officially renowned the doctrine Of
open polygamy. 1t will be a burning question
in Utah and Idaho for some time to come and
the fight between the Latter day Saints and the
saints Of the present period promises to be
more bitter than anything in tho past history
OF Mormon and GENTLE. On the side Of the
Gentle and the leader Of that party in Con-
grsss will be Mr.. Fred T. Dubois He has been
the most aggressive Of ansi-Mormons in the
House Of Representatives and il is expected
that be will be elected o Senator from Idaho
next month.
Mr.. Dubois IL In the CITY Just now trying tho
effect Of long rest on the remains OF an at
tack OF the grip" and the fatigue consequent
upon the red-hot Idaho campaign just closed
To STAR reporter who called on him last
night Mr.. Dubois outlined the fight which is
almost on. He was asked to give his views as
TO the effect Of the recent declarations of the
Mormon church with regard to polygamy. Tho
constitution of the state of Idaho disfranchised
all members OF the Mormon church on the
ground that they belonged to an organization
which taught polygamy, &c.
THEY WILL NOT BE REISsrATED.
'THE STAR's readers would like to know"
said the reporter to Mr.. Dubois. whether the
Mormons will now be reinvestsd with political
power in Idaho because OF this new departure
OF the church in renouncing polygamy."
"Wili the Mormons be reinvestcd with po-
Ltical power in Idaho?" said Mr.. Dubois. ITO
that answer, most emphaticaIly, no! We have
been fighting there for six years, untedly, to
take away their political power, and just after
having succeeded We would hardly restore it to
them without some reason. We were right IN
contending that they are not American citizens
In any sense Of the word, and nothing has
transpired Of which / have heard or read to
cause US to say we were wrong. All the men,
bers Of the Mormon organization ruled by
tine head Of that organization at Salt Lake. At
the command OF that head every Mormon in
1dako, as well as Utah, votes with one or an
other party, for or against any
didates. The individual members OF
the Mormon organization do not think
or act for themselves politically. You cannot
argue with them-you cannot persuade them.
They are not in sympathy with our form of
goyernmsnt-they know nothing about it and
care nothing about Il. That is our chief OBJ
lection to them from political standpoint
They owe their highest allegiance TO ali affairs
civil a. we'll az ecclesiastical, to the heads of
the church, and will not obey the civil author
tiles IL their leaders counsel otherwise. They
never divide their vote and will cast it solidly
for the republican party one year in one
state, and Tor the democratic party the next
year in the same state. They do not investi-
gaze political questions at aldo not discuss
tueIIl-duu rely Oh L1elI ledOST5 Tor
guidance in political matters.
NOT PARTY QUESTION.
"You can easily SEQ how corrupting their
influence is In politics. They have generally
voted the democratic ticket in Idaho, but are
now willing and ready to transfer their al
legiance to the republicans. Neither party
however. in Idaho desires an alliance with
them, because each party fully understands
that II they once make an alliance with them
,fafal y- tiair a.
The Mormons are in no sense attached TO our
system o: government. but have a complete
government OF their own, to which they render
implicit obedience.
You will see the result OF this in the election
In Utah on November 4. Tho Geutiles have
Nominated for delegate in Congress a man who
would DO an honor and credit in any capacity
to any state. He would be a conspicuou. mem
Der Of Congress from the day he took his seat,
yet he will not receive q single Mormon vote,
notwithstanding the high-sounding resoIu-
tions in their political platform, that each
member OF the church 10 free TO vote as he
pleases They are the slavish instruments to
record the will Of their leaders and should
have no share in our politics SO long this
continues to be so. Their political power is
the source Of their strength; take that away
and they will soon become the same as other
establishments for good SO long as they
teach and practice what is good. They realize
this and have openly abandoned polygamy in
order to save their political power.
THE TEST OATH.
''Tho Idaho test oath disfranchises all Nor
mons in Idaho. Its constitutionality was tried
eight or ten times in various courts and was
finally sustained by the Supreme Court OF the
United States. The Idaho poople made it a
part Of their constitution and were so admitted
O state, and similar Law was introduced in
the last Congress to apply to Utab-known as
the 'Cullom-SJrubie bill Idaho was certain to
send two republican Senators and a republican
member of the House to Congress, and IL was
pretty certain that they would press the Gull
lum-Struble bill. There was nothing lef. for
the church to do but to abandon polygamy, IN
less they surrendered their political power
without further struggle. This they could not
do and maintain their iron grasp on their peo-
pie. SO they announced their abandonment of
polygamy. While / feel that they did this with
great reluctance and as the choice between
polygsmy and the greater misfortune to them
the loss OF political power-stlll they can never
fe-establish polygamy il was in 1882 The
conditions and surroundings have SO changed
that that would DO impossible In this country.
II am quite sure that the coming legislature
IN Idaho will disfranchise them. and that they
will not be allowed to exercise the privilege of
the franchise there until IL is plain from their
conduct in Utah that the leaders no longer
exercise an absolute control over the Mormon
masses in all political matters. lam equally sure
shat Utah will never be admitted to statehood
% long as the state there Is completely absorbed
by the church Generally would say that the
most offensive part of mormonism, the close
union OF church and state, remains as offensive
- ever"
Cut OF From Registration.
The registrars for Prince Georges county,