Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-05-02
THE TEST OATH.
Views of a Graham County Democrat.
SoLoMoNNILLE, ARIz.,

SoLOMoNNILLE, ARR, I
April p, 1891.
Ed. CITIzEN:-I trust lou Will give
me space in YOUR paper to reply to the
Graham County Bulletins demurrer 10
your opinion that the test oath ought
to be Incorporated into the constitution
of Arizona, when she becomes state.
/ am democrat aud have been one all
my life, never voting any other ticket.
Now let me ask the editor of the
Bulletin question. Why object 10
the test oath unless you are afraid OF
loosing votes for the democratic party!
AS democrat | can safely say that
the morinons are only democrats be-
cause they believe they can receive
more favors from that party THAI from
the repub lican party. / know OF what
l speak Last election the party here IN
this county could not Teiy upon them,
and have been complaining of the mar
ner in which they cast their votes at
last election.
That the mormons have abandoned
their polygamous habits here on the
ella valley is thing that every intel
/ igent man knows is not SO, but are fol
lowing their infamous habits IS much
today as they did in the days OF Brigham
Young or Joseph Smith. ard Tor that
alone is their reason for dreading the test
oath. They know that it is universally
known, and all OF the old settlers here
do know, that the mormons are follow
Jog polygamy, and Il they are forced
to take the oath it will give the people
TOO much power over them. If this was
not so why dread the oath? The demo-
cratic party know that politically the
mormons are dishonest and treacherous,
and to hold them in the democratic
ranks know We have had to resort to
strategy and all kind Of IA schools. For
my self l will do this TO more.
Now comes the ridiculous proposition
of the demurrer, which says: why not
incorporate a test oath that no man
could vote until he take test oath that
he will remember the Sabbath day and
keep IT, holy" There are many reasons.
LIST: 1t is no crime against the law OF
! the land to disregard the Sabbath day,
and if it was TO violate the Sabbath law
you would have to do it openly and
VIGOROUSLY and could be punished for
it. ID: You could rot cover your
deeds up by perjury and false TESTIMONY
| and we who live by the side of the
| mormons know this has been done. Sd:
| A religious test is prohibited by the
| constitutions cf the United States fol-
any purpose whatsoever. The test oath
! is not a religious restriction but it is
against polygamy which is crime
against the government of the United
| States.
! There is a certain class OF would-be
| politicians here who hope to be benefit
ted by the mormons and when they car
not get them elected 70 Office the real
officers will appoint them to position
which satisfies them until the next cleo
ton. Then they tell them to stand
in with the democratic party aud they
| will come out all right. But last elec
| ton they fooled the boys. They lef:
cold, and they would like to incur their
favors by helping them to fight the test
oath.
AS a democrat hope they will leave
the ranks for there can be little
but corruption and bad gov
eminent in this county while their ia
fiuence is brought to bear. They we're
paid something over $1,000 last year Il
support certain candi dates under firm
promise, but they not only failed Il
deliver the goods but for a nominal sun
went to the other side. There is an
other thing, as jurymen they seldom
agree with the genti!es but generally
hang the jury.
II l had time l would write more
Pick out of this what you wish to pub
lish, it anything at all, and will repl.
at some future time.
SoLoMoNvILLE,