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

Mr.. Speaker-I am in favor OF the
admission to stStehOOd OF all the
Territories as soon rs they have the
requisste qualifications and adopt
constitutions as the fundamental
law Of the future States, which are
at least republican in form. Al
though the Territory which 1 have
the honor to represent has for many
years possessed all the requisite
qualifications for statehood, she has
been denied that precious boon be
cause the majority OF her people
were memhers VI a numerically
weaS and unpopular church; not
because Of pelygamy, for the great
majority Of them never practiced il,
but because theywere Mormons.
The same spirit which has denied
statehood 10 Utah proposes low TO
disiranchise the members Of the
Mormon Church In the future State
OF Idaho. Because they are polygR-
mists? Not at all; for il was shown
in evidence before the committees
on the Territories, both of the Sem
ate and the House, that not more
han one hundred and twenty-five
men out of the twenty or twenty
five thousand MormJns living in
Idaho bad ever been in any POlyga-
moas relation. At the present time
those men, while supporting their
families, are not living with them
in violation of law. What, then, are
the reasons for this wholesale disfran-
chiseinent? There are two: one re-
ligious-they are members OF the
Mormon Church; the other political
lit is supposed that they will vote
the Democratic ticket
The Mormon citizens Of Idaho
are counted to obtain the necessary
population for statehood, and they
will he heavily taxed to support the
State government. Taxation with
out representation Is just rs odious
now as it was in the days before the
Revolution. It's enforcement by an
alleged free and sovereign State
will be no less detestable than it was
by King George the Thru. | fear
we are gradually departing from
those great principles Of free gov
eminent founded by the fathers,
which gave birth TO the Declaration
Of Independence. .-....-
The speaker here quoted from the
report OF Governor Stevenson OF
Idaho, in which the 'Mormons" are
spoken Of in high terms for their
thrift, industry and temperance.
This testimony 10 the character OF
the Mormon people Of Idaho and
the work they have performed in
redeeming that once bleak and
sterile region speaks loudly in their
praise.
Is it for these labors that they are
to be disfranchised?
Is il because they have rendered
their country "abundantly fruitful
in grain, hay, aud vegetables OF
almost every kind" that they are to
bee DISTINGUISHED?
Is it because they have erected
substantial public buildings and the
finest church eiifice in Idaho that
they areto be disfranchised?
Is il because in Paris, with "a
population Of about 1900, all Nor
mons, there is not a saloon, OF
gambling-house, or any other place
where Intoxicating liquor is sold,
and this is the case in all towns IN
Idaho where these people have eX-
elusive control, !" that they are to bs
DISTINGUISHED?
Is il because "their towns and vii
lagos are thrifty and their farm:
well cultivated, their buildings gen.
orally substantial and many Of them
stylish, with all the modern i'm.
movements that make a country
look progressive and prosperous, y
that they are to be disfranchised?
''Is II because "these people are,
as a rule, frugal, industrious, and
honest" that they are to be dis
fnEchised?
II "all the best citizers Of Idaho
have no wish or desire TO persecute,
wrong or Cypress the Mormon peo-
pie, nor do they wish to deprive them
Of any Of their rights as American
citizens" then / ask why are they
to be DISTINGUISHED? L PAUSE for q
reply.
Ii will be said il isbecause they
practice polygamy. But Governor
Stevenson says that he was Informed
by men high in authority in the
Mormon Church, and in whose word
he had the highest confidence,
''that they are willing to live up "a
the laws which they claim are now
being fairly and more humanely ad.
ministeredl, and that the doctrine OF
plural marriages is not practiced as
| formerly or taught either publicly OF
privately, and that they do not teach,
advise, counsel, or encourage the
practice OF polygamy or bigany.' .
Thus Governor Stevenson's state
ment, which agrees with the testi-
mOny given before the committees
of Congress during the past two
years, fully disposes Of the charge Of
polygamy.
Tie gentleman from Idaho taIr.
Dubois) has with much seeming
pathos told you OF ''the wretched,
appalling misery and degradation OF
pOlygamist women and children
he had witnessed in Idaho. Why,
gentlemen, there are thousands oil
cases Of misery and degradation ex.
isting among women and children
who are not pOlygamists in every
State in this Union, but that is nc
reason why whole communities
should be DISTINGUISHED. He has
cited an incident which he sought tC
make very dramatic. He had seer
can alleged second wife on the wit.
ness stand and heard her swear that
she was not married to the defend
ant Well, now, if she was 'tan al.
legged second wife, 4" could she in Law
be married TO the defendant? May
not her lawyer have advised her to
make such an answer, holding that
in law she was not wife?
But technicalities aside. IL any
such case existed, and can not say
IL did not, the woman was doubtless
a plural wife, and 10 save her hus-
band, the father of her children,
from merciless prosecution, to save
him upon whom she and her un-
born babe Were dependent for sup
port, she denied that she was mar
ried to him. While | do not Justify
any person in tesufying falsely, l
will say that il is not the first time in
the worlds history that women have
sworn falsely 10 save their husbands
from punishment. On the mimic
stage such women are heroines, and
their acts are applauded 10 the echo.
The gentleman had no word OF
condemnation for the cruel law, the
brutal prosecutor, and the inexora-
Die judge who compelled the woman
totestify under such circumstances.
II he had told yoC how helpless,
delicate women and innocent chill
dren were hunted down like wild
beasts, dragged into court, badgered
by lawyers, aud who, failing TO test
-ify 10 suit the prosecution, were
thrust into filthy prisons, among
thieves and murderers, ant kept
there till forced to answer questions
xn-l,fft, r.-aat1A Sl,afr u.