Arizona republican., 1891-09-27
Eiu;i
IA rssrio

However short-sighted our constitu-
 lion makers may have shown tbem- selves in many of the provisions of that document, as they have adopted them, it
 becomes manifest as that body draws
 Hear to completion of its ilabors, that they. as a majority, and in tine interests nf a few democratic politicians therein,
 propose to wholly ignore the Mormon
 question and in no wise provide a check gpon the members of that church, resi- tent within the territory, from remain- ing a dominating power in the politics and future elections of the new state and ssill continungthep practice ofpolygamy. That thel Mormonaq question is no. an
 issue to be met in this territory, or dealt with by the future state of Arizona, is
 untrue in fact, though asserted by these same individuals. .lHpI pti 10 ,taG1u-
 Our Mormon population now aggre- gates 60I0 souls and casts, l200 votes in onr elections. All intelligent. persons
 know and history teaches usthe craiti- Hsss,oft the Mormon church and it's lead- org. Its avowal that poiygamy is to be no longer tolerated or countenanced among its followers is by all recognized as an at tqmpt by that church. tor check prosecu- tions of it's members, by the United states government and is received with many grains. of allowance. That it's members do yet practice pclygamy, and
 within the borders of Arizona, is patent
 from our court records That tits the desire of1alll law-abidiAg citizens that i,olygamy should be stamped o,it will itot be denied. That it can be while the liallot remains in the hands of those who practice it has been by the history uicUtah and Idaho proven Impossible.
 -iiThe Edmuhds-Tucker act was the out. come of heroic attemp,s on the part of the United States government to sup pregs this evil aaiter the repeated at- lempts and failures of the territories to overcolne it. These facts, fully realized hy the people of Idaho, caused that ter rftory to place in her consultation the proYisp .ior a test oath asa condition 10 tAe exercise of the election franchise, thereby putting up the bars asains, those who practiced polygamy when her statehood removed federal authority and pow .r-fr9H exercising any hand in her state go, ernmcilt. ',, '. ''
 " ,'pr iks iyisSIIgwhPn wqy g,hH hal nptthe8. palpia.ng ilahD bfisiu iIa sightel enough to SO iprovIcie, they would never have been admitted into 1he Union, Let Arizona present to congress a'co stitution silent upon this subject and it's fate is forseafpd. The United State senate, ,underihe state of affairs that exist in this territory auwiIl dneyer cansupt (, q divestment iof the federal autaority that now exists for the sup f'ressiSn of this sevil wien no provision i''made Tor it's future checking, regard less of the fact that any, individual, SC, of individuals or party expects by such sllsnce to array such power upon his or is side by winking at it's crimes or de- . lRsing its practices not to make an ia- qls. It Is pre-eminentIy. the peoples rtght to pass upon this question of a lest oath for polygamists, and it should i.e submitted to them either as. part of iAe coiistitution or as, a separate article. ! Willthls conyentiop, with the best in- arrests of the people at heart, rise non- partisan to this issue. or forever brand 1 i'self by its silence as an aggregation of l p2licy office seekers and partisans, is an | 'il-absorbing question now in, the minds ] oi the good people of the territory who 1 are not within the charmed circle. r gni