Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-15

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But Il the laws Of the state are in oter
Capitalization with the divine Law. II they
command anything preiudclAl 10 the
church, or are hostile TO the duties imposed
by religion, or violate, in the person OF the
supreme ponfid the authority OF Jesus
Christ. then, indeed. IL Is n duty TO resist
them. and a crime To obey them-a crime
! fraught with ipiuEy 10 the state itself.
THE same pontiH. in n parsl de-
cree issued in 1856, declares that
The Judicial funotiouGrles mus; refuse
obedience 20 the state and 10 The laws o.
the country which are IN contradiction with
Roman Catholic precepts-
1t will be interesting to watch
events In Idaho, aud see II Roman
Catholics holding TO these teachings
Of the Pope, which must be accepted
as the rule Of faith Of all good Catho-
lies, will be permitted 10 exercise the
elective franchise in the new State.
IL they are, 1t will be In direct viola
ton of the constitution.
The gentleman from IGsho, how
ever, has been candid enough 10 adj
NIT that the Acknowledgement clause
under consideration was intended
only for the members Of the Mormon
Church. Why, then, was it not so
stated in this constitution? Why
was the word "church" carefully
omitted: Why was there no men
ton Of any religious society or
organization? The answer is plain:
The object was 20 deceive; to cover
up and accomplish 10y circumlOcu-
ton and indlrection what they
deemed it lmpolitic to dsclafe bilnt-
~ and directly. nanelyi That "all
members OF the Church Of Jesus
Christ Of Latter-day Saints are here
by excluded from voting and hold
ing Office in the State Of Idaho"
This was avoided, however, evil
denly for the reason that II was
thought that all euphemistic pre-
sentation of an OdiOus principle
would avoid sounding the alarm to
the friends Of religious liberty and
toleration. Bot this scheme, like
most contrivanees for fraud and de-
ceit, turns out, TO the dismay Of its
projectors, to be a bungling inven-
ton, and may be used to harrass,
Cypress, and disfranchise other
religious denominations besides the
MormOns, as has been plainly
demonstrated in this discussion.
As 10 the gentlemen who COM
posed the Idaho constitutional con-
ventiOn, II Is probable that most OF
them will suffer no personal incon-
venience by this or any other reli-
gious test, as il is likely that they
have no use for the name OF God ex-
cept to supply the explosives Of pro-
family. But IL may b. that some
Of them in that far-off mountain
region still have sweet memories OF
the aDgelus bells heard in childhood;
and some others may remember the
/ words Of the Westminster and cate
chism, and the time may come When
they and their friends will be ''hoist
by their own petard, and compelled
TO drink Of the poisoned chalioe
which they have prepared for the
MOrmons.
Mr.. Speaker, rs the Church OF
Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints,
commonly called the Mormon
Church, has been spoken of during
| this discussion rs 4 criminal organic
alton, and its members having been
frequently accused here and else
where Of entertaining and practic-
ing the doctrine Of blood atonement,
/ Of having taken disloyal oaths
against the Government while pass
ing through the ceremonies Of the
endowment, and that the Church
favored a union Of church and state,
10 refute this and similar charges /
present and place on record n state
ment recently issued by the leading
authorities OF that Church.
The speaker here read the ,"Of-
fetal Defamation signed by the
| First Presidency and Twelve Apes
ties Of the Church. which YES called
forth in consequence Of the results Of
the investigation before Judge An
dersOn.
Mr.. Speaker, II has been more
than intimated by gentlemen ON the
other side that those members Of
this House who have sought 70
eliminate the un-American aud
monstrOus Acknowledgement clause
| from the constitution Of Idaho will
feel little mean when they come to
| face their constituents at home.
This insinuatiOn Is not only gratui-
tOus and unjust, but also insulting
and offensive; insulting TO their
peers on this floor, and offensive to
the good taste and good sense Of all
those who despise the pharisaical
cant, the assumption Of II am pIrer
and hOlier than thou" This is m
old trick, exposed and laid hare long
ago, Of assuming all the virtue and
all the intelligence, and on proposing
extreme, unreasonable, and uncon-
stitutional measures for alleged evils,
to denounce all those who oppose
them as sympathisers with crime
and immortality.
Religious bigotry, Ike a cold
/ snake coiied on the human heart,
poisoning every noble and generous
emotion, is hardly more odious than
that narrow partisanship which,
with brazen cheek and unctious
smile, with indecorous hilarity and
heartless gusto strikes fallen foe, in
violation Of the law Of chlvalry rs
well as the precepts Of the Sermon
on the Mount, and all this for n
mean and Temporary partisan adj
! vantage. On the other hand, the
gentlemen ON this sideof the House,
can proudly SOY to their coBstitu-
ents: ave made n manly effort to
save a proposed State Of this Union
from the reproach Of religious per-
secution and intolerance; we were
unwilling 10 punish by disfranchise-
ment q, 200 free Americans on ae-
count OF their religious belief. anu
their membership in n Christian
church. We agree that polygamy
and bigamy shall he punished with
severe penalties, to the end that they
may I've prohibited and extirpated;
but we are unwilling that 5000
people shall be punished for offenses
committed by only les men"
The judge who gives the prisoner
the benefit Of the law and the safe
guards Of the Constitution is some
times, in cases Of popular excite
ment, traduced by the mean and
vulgar, as II he was pdrrcsps Grim
infs, shielding his partner in guilt
from merited punishment. But
what shall be said Of enlightened
gentlemen on this floor, kind, gen,
erous, and humane in their private
relations, who at the behest OF
party exigency are not only will
ling TO strike down the monuments
Of religious freedom as guaranteed
by the Constitution, but would IL
they could cover with obloquy all
thosewho oppose their schemes?
To show how cruel, unjust, and
unnecessary the proposed disfran'
chisement is, will call to the atten.
ton Of the House the progress al
ready made in the jiscontinuance OF
the practice Of polygamy among the
Mormons. From official reports on