Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-29
LIBERTY Of M0RMONS.
President Eliot Says
They are Entitled 10 It
VIEWS PLAINLY EXPRESSED
Speaks Of the Unjust Treatment OF
Mormons by the United States.

SAN FRANCISCO, March :s-President
Eliot ,vas interviewed at the Palace Hotel
here on his defense Of tho Mormons at
Salt Lake, which has caused such great
interest lie said what he meant by com.
pairing the Mormons to the Pilgrims was
that they hnd Travelled thousands OF miles
Of trackless plains instead of ocean, and
had braved death by starvation and In
dians--all for conscience sake President
Eliot boldly proclaimed himself TO an Ex-
aminer representative, who called upon
him He said that he had said that there
was Mormon colony at Harvard. and It's
members were q very desirable class OF
students. He arose from his chair. and
thus standing. he enunciated the position
he had taken.
"Why are not the Mormons entitled to
as much liberty" he said. las people any
whereS The Mormons have themselves re-
nounoed polygamy. They have none Of 1t,
nor want IL, now, and they should be
treated just like any other religious de-
nomination.
Religious liberty Il for people We DO
not agree with" said he, "and not for the
people we do. The evidences Of enduring
hardships for conscience's sake, and the
Success Of The Mormons
in planting this colony 10 simply extra
ordinary. The Puritans wanted liberty
for themselves" said President Eliot, "but
wouldn't grant Il to others."
But do you consider tAem perfectly
sincere in their faithr'
Certainly they are;and being sincere they
are entitled to just as many rights In this
country as any other religious people As
have said they have renounced polyRamy
nd 40 n n SrinSA Naf than
in eleven ever were polygamists anyway"
''TfeFe are people In Utah who cannot b
brougatt to understand that polygamy =
over; thing Of the past; but they keep up
the fight when it long since should have
been ended. II is the waving Of the bloody
shirt"
do you think that the Mormons arc the
equal ia advancement, intellectually, re-
ligously and la other ways, With almost
any other peopleY"
"Whers have you ever seen their equalH
He called attention 10 Mormon mani
festo Ia which Mormons denied ever hav-
ing killed anybody. Mr.. Eliot then talked
Of
The Ednunds.Tuclier Law.
"Cnder this law" said he, "the United
States government has seized In fee sim
pie all the property Of the Mormon church
In Utah. II has also seized some OF les
school property. as, for instance. the
university there 1t has been placed in
an embarrassing condition because of this.
'Now, this government has NO right to
do this whatever IL has no more right TO
seize the property of the Mormon church
in Utah than il has to seize the properly
of the Catholic church Ia New Mexico
The government could not seize church
property in state, but under the terri
torial law it has done so Now In New
Mexico the Catholics have acquired
large amount OF church property
"The government has just as good ground
for sczihg this ss il has for taking the
property Of the Mormons. Then, It has
coniiscated the school property in Utah
aud proposes 10 turn II over to the state,
but the state doesn't need Mormon schools.
II he's plenty Of schools OF its own.
II may be excused for my religious he
lief. in a measure" said President Eliot
with smile, by way Of conclusion. ad.
verting to the Pilgrim Fathers, because
il had lived Ia Massachusetts, at that
time should have been burnt"