The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-05-28
"GOING TOO FAR


Times editorially speaks Of the mad assaults
that have lately been made upon the Nor
mons by Congress and the supreme court
The Times is one of the bestrinformed Jour-
mails in the country regarding the Mormons,
and unpopular as il is to do so, usually
speaks in a spirit of fairness and honesty
concerning the Saints and the unreasonable
and unlawful raids upon them. Below Is
reprinted in full the editorial in Saturdays
issue of the Times:
The Mormon is under the ban, legislative and
judicial The supreme court approves the con-
fiscation of the property of his church. For an
swer to this an orgau of the faith declares that
while Morrnons hoped 10 retain their property
they have all the time been prepared TO lose II;
hence they will not be affected by the dec1slo N.
A few persons will revel IN the plumber that THIS
big steal invites and permits, the government
will not be the gamer, and the Mormons viii
continue to be hopeful, industrious. hard-work-
ing Mcrmons."
The decision of the supreme court is only
part of the general and, it may be said, indls-
criminate assault upon Mormonism. Polygamy
has become the pretext only for attacking tins
sect that, polygamy aside, has much in common
with other religious denominations and pos
S6SSOS u membership VI AANS
trious and frugal people. The House has ap-
proved the constitution proposed for the state
of Idaho, containing a sweeping clause, an un-
Just and dangerous clause as the Times believes,
DISTINGUISHING all Mormons merely because
they afe Mormons and wholly without lefer
ence to polygamous practice On their part. New
York might with equal proprety forbid Shakers
TO vote, Minnesota might just as reasonably
place Mennonites under the ban, or Indiana
deny all political rights to the Complexities.
But the Idaho proceeding is not singular
in its attack upon religious freedom.
EDMuNDS has presented to Repub-
lcan Congress further drastic measure.
Under the present law the governor, secretary.
judges, commissioners, marshals, auditor,
treasurer, probate judges and superintendent
OF district schools of Utah are appointed di,
rectly or indirectly by the President of the
United States, the people of the territory hav'
ing no choice in the matter. 1t is proposed in
EDMUNDs' new bill that the right to elect a
great variety of local officers shall be taken
from the people and lodged with the executive
These include county clerks, selectmen, asses
sors recorders and county superintendent o.
schools. Since the Gentiles have obtained the
upperhand in Salt Lake city this method of de
stroying all nearly all chance of popular choice
of local officers does not seem as inviting rs
formerly. Indeed, the local Gentle who is re
sponsible for raising the spirit of persecution is
alarmed at the evil he has wrought
CULLoM, of Illinois, STEWART, of Vermont
and STRUBLE, OF Iowa, have each presented
bills calling for the total disfranchisement o
ali Mormons in Utah. This narrow, vicious
and bigoted proposition excites alarm among
the best Gentiles of Salt Lake city, They hav'
united in a protest against these bills, giving "a
.-sf,,
effort to bury the difference of creed and unit,
the business men OF Utah in various enter
pr1ses for mutual material benefits. Mormon
and non -Mormons have acted in unity, and u
disfranchisc one class will revive old antag
onisms and work disaster to the interests o
the territory. ii a Mormon is not a polygamis
they see no reason why he should be politcall
ostracised. And they ask that instead OF ig
norantly passing any such measure as tbes
bills contemplate Congress send committee I
Utah to inquire into the present state of tn
territory and learn how unjust would be Tn
action thoughtlessly proposed.
The blood of martyrs is the seed of tn
church. The Mormon organ, inviting attentio
TO the so-called prophecy of JOSEPH SMIT
that the church would suffer persecution, d.
clares with some spirit that 'ft is the duty {
the people unjustly Disseminated against Law
fully 10 contend against Jne ueprIFduOH Ol inc
rights ard demand redress of wrongs frol
those who have the power to adjust them. tn;
the Lord may be justified when he shall tab
part in the controversy on the side of the Of
pressed
The god OF battles is invoked on all sides
controversy Wholly without reference
the aid which the pious Mormon expects IL
United States ought to be true under all CT
cumstances to its cardinal principle of religion
freedom Let the polygamist, Mormon
other, be punished, but let one sectary hay
equal chance with another, whatever his cree
The anti-Mormon zeal, craftily promoted
greed of power, by partisan interest by Il
spirit of intolerance, is overstepping all boun,
and in its headlong progress is breaking dow
useful barriers. Sixty million Americans a
sert ing that the crime of polygamy shall not
cloaked by religion have nothing to fear from
handful of Latter-day Saints relatively few
whom are polygamists