The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-20
Un-American, Uncivilized and
Inhuman Actions.
1T is DIsLoYAL TO THE CORE
A Sheet that Should Have Flourished In the
Dark Days Of the In
QUESTION.
To the Editor of THE HERALD:

interest of their church, to commit any kind
of perjury. There were some Mormons be-
fore the district court on Monday who
would not commit perjury to save their
church from going to the dogs. A careful
scanning of their testimony as delivered
there ought to be good reading for this
community. We think it is an Indirect
viudication of what we have repeatedly
said, that Mormons in good standing are
not entitled to sit upon jury, not en-
titled to cast a ballot, not entitled to
hold a political office under any king
dom or government except their own.
They are citizens of distinct government,
they are more than members OF the creed,
they have given something more than
spiritual allegiance to a creed, they have
given their temporal allegiance to govern
ment; and whenever a test is made with
honest members OF that flock the fact
comes out as plainly as a photograph
brings out the features OF a human being"
The first two sentences OF the ABOVE are
revelation of the real character OF the
''base born knave" and dunghill product
that edits the Tribune. The some Nor
mons" referred to are wealthy men. The
innate tendency of the Tribune editor to
fawn, to cringe, to crawl and ''toady' to
wealth makes him offer an insult to the
men. Did he not do it expecting they
would send HIM ten dollarsl | do not know
john and James, but if they are like
their Scotch sire they will most heartily
despise the fellow who would thus attempt
to buy them.
A careful scanning Of the proceedings
in 1.-The district court room on Monday
shows scheme on the part of men working
for the disfranchisement of American citi-
zens to put Mormons on the jury list foI
the purpose of questioning them in relation
TO "polygamy;n for the purpose Of wiring
ing from them some statement that can be
heralded to the country as evidence that
the Mormons are still ''polygamists." 1t
is a scheme in which do not believe Judge
Zane had any part and it is scheme wor
thy only of the days Of the Inquisitlon,
when human fends hesitated at nothing to
force from men statements that would con-
vict them and their friends of heresy and
doom them to death.
In the examination referred to above,
John Sharp, ir. said he thought it would
certainly, be violation Of 1.-THE creed"
of the Mormon church 'for man to enter
into polygamy now"
James Sharp was then examined sub
stantially as follows
Judge Zane-With regard tc the mani
festo or declaration Of last October, do you
not understand that to be merely declara-
ton of the principle of the church!
Al understand it to be a cessation of
the practice of polygamy by the voice of
the church.
"Q.-That manifesto does not go to the
actual belief, but as to the practice of
polygamy!
AMY understanding of it is that it
goes to the practice of polygamy and un-
lawful cohabitation.
"Q.-Have you ever practiced polygamy,
or ever cohabited with more than one
woman2
"A.-No, l have not.
"Mr. Critchlow-I challenge Mr.. Sharp
on this ground, that he does not state his
unqualified belief that it is wrong to prac-
tice polygamy and unlawful cohabitation
up TO the time and prior to the issuance of
the manifesto.
Judge Zane-Did you believe it to be
wrong before October in last year to prac-
tice polygamy and unlawful cohabitation
"A.-Yes.
Judge Zane Suppose a man was
brought before the grand jury who had
been living in polygamy or practicing I'M
lawful cohabitatlon before the issuance OF
that manifesto, would you say as to thai
man that he was right or wrong!
''A.-That he was wrong, as understand
the question. The manifesto would have
no bearing on the question at all.
Judge Zane-You believe polygamy and
unlawful cohabitation to be contrary to the
creed of the church.
''A.-Yes.
Judge Zane-Mr. Sharp seems to an
swer fairly. Do you believe it wa:
morally wrong before the manifesto wa
issueds
"A.-Well, legally.
Judge Zane-In your opinion it is onl,
wrong then by virtue of the law of th'
land.
''A-Yes, and in some countries it il
lawful.
Judge Zane-Well, it is not lawful her
in Utah. Independent OF all law, do yol
believe it to pe morally wrong?
"Mr. Sharp-Well, if you ask me as t.
my belief, irrespective of all law, moral.
do not believe it to be wrong.
Judge Zane-Then the point is, as
juror, you would act upon the question o
polygamy and unlawful cohabitation as yol
would upon any other.
Al would endeavor to do so.
"Q.-Would you be Influenced by you
own moral belief on the subject?
al confess if l had any sympathy a
all it would be with the accused In any case
but not to the warping of my judgment Of
the evidence adduced.
''Q.-What l want to know is whethe
YOU believed before the adoption of tn
manifesto, that polygamy was wrong?
An and of itself did not.
'Q.-Do you believe it wrong now, in tn
the church!
Al certainly do, but in my own cor
science do not believe it to be essential
wrong"
Both of these men were Excused" an
the Tribune now asserts detiantly that n
Mormon is entitled to sit on jury, cast
ballot or hold political office.
Let US suppose that the evangelics
churches, that have been for sixty year
trying to destroy the Mormon church
should make a combined move against tn
Catholic church, a thing they are gettin
ready to do. They would, we will say, 81
cure the enactment Of law making eel,
bacy crime" Then men who did nc
practice celebacy, but were members Of th
Catholic church and believed it moral
right for Catholic priests to live as eel,
bates, would not be allowed to sit as Jurors
and by the Tribune's logic they would
deprived of the right of franchise. Sui
pose that were carried out, what would
the results 1t would utterly destro
human liberty under the American go
eminent. Precisely in the same ws
would 1t be the destruction
every principle Of right and fire.
dom guaranteed by the constitution
enforce the despotic legislation the Trtbui
encourages against the Mormons tt
Tribune is an un American paper. 1t shou
have fourished in Europe 400 years az
It is strange that such an organ and sue
men can be found in a republic that is MOI
than hundred years old. Looked at fro
scientific point of view the Trib,u
represents the eccentricity Of "reversion
where, by ''freak of nature" men sho
the traits that marked the character
ancestry generations before.
The Tribune would punish the Mormon
for telling the truth; and, because tn
i'truth', shows them to be obedient to Il
laws the Tribune would rob them of citize
ship because they would not support i