The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-22
THE IDAHO OUTRAGE.

The legislature of the great state of
Idaho has passed the most outrageous
measure of which the none too pure record
OF American politics can boast
A section of the election law that passed
the august body referred to, reads as fol
lows:
mo person shall be permitted to vote who is
not registered as provided or who, since the
first day of January, 1888 has been or is a
polygamist, or is living or has lived in what is
known as patriarchal, plural, or celestial mar
riage, or in violation Of any law of Idaho or the
United States forbidding any suca crime, or
who in any manner teaches, or has taught, ad-
vises or has, counsels or has, aids or has en-
courages or has, any person to enter into big
amy, polygamy or such patriarchal, plural or
celestial marriage, or live in violation of any
such law, or commit any such crime, or aCho has
been member Of or contributes, or has. to the
support, aid or encouragement of any order.
organization, association, corporation, or So
ciety which teaches, Orhas taught advises or has,
cousSeLs or has, encouraged or ordered any rer-
son to enter into bigamy, polygamy patriarchaI
or plural marriage, or which teaches or has. ad-
v1ses or has, that the laws OF Idaho or Of before
admission, Of the United States, prescribing
rnles of civil conduct, are not the supreme law"
The part of the law to which we direct
particular attention is comprised in the
phrases we have italicised.
1t will be observed that every person acho
has been member of the Mormon church
will be DISTINGUISHED should the governor
approve the measure
There can be no mistake now as to the
intention of the men who are thus en-
deavoring to nullify the constitution of
this country by the passage of the most ex-
traordlnary CT post fGctO law known to
modern history
A man that processes the Mormon faith.
or that once did profess that faith. NAV
live as pure life as did CHRIST himself
yet so long as that law shall stand, he will
never be able to vote in the small-souled
state OF Idaho, and will, of course, be SUBJ
iected to various other humiliating disabili
ties. 1t is likely, too, that in material and
legal sense his disabilities will be vastly
greater than those of aliens, and with the
actual enforcement which they will be al
most sure to have, will place him at so
great disadvantage with his fellow-men
as practically to rob him Of the most cher
ished conditions of human liberty.
That the purpose of these weak lepisla-
tors is to crush out and not to reform. as
has heretofore been their pretense, is all too
evident from the provision that no man who
has been member of the Mormon
church shall be permitted to exercise the
privileges and rights of American citizens
Children born of Mormon parents are
usually enrolled as church members at the
age OF eight years, and are considered mem
bers thereafter unless they voluntarily
sever their connection with that church
The provision in the proposed statute that
punlshes men for what was the custom of
their parents in enrolling their names upon
the church records at the age of about eight
years, is really too absurd, apart from it's
fearful consequences, for serious d1scus-
sion.
Nor was there anything in the religious
prosecutions of the Inquisiti on as gro
tesquely absurd as this Idaho statute. for
the accused in the former case were ALWAYS
given chance to recant, or to profess the
orthodox faith, in order to escape punish
ment, while the Idaho infamy denies even
tnat pare privilege.
The law is unconstitutional, in more than
one sense. 1t is an attempt at the estab-
lishment OF religion by cutting down the
present or past members of religion con-
sidered unorthodox by scheming politicians.
Next year the members of another church
might be dealt with in the same way and
so on until one church would be left in
absolute con- troll. The law also prescribes
a religious test for Office.
1t is unconstitutional because it is an ca
post facto law, for it "makes an action done
before the passing of the law, and which
was innocent when done, criminal, an d
Furnishes such action"
Membership in the Mormon church is not
crime nor can it be madesu by legisla-
tive enactments. What the offence Of once
having been member Of that church COZ