The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-05
TIE IDAHO TEST OATH.

A telegram in THE SUNDAY HERALD said
that on motion of United States District
Attorney WooD, at Boise, the indictments
against hundred Mormons for registering
and voting in 1883 had been dismissed.
These men were indicted under the test
oath act which denies suffrage to those who
are members of an organization which
practices or teaches the rightfulness of
plural or polygamous marriage. THE
HERALD congratulates the defendants,
who have been greatly annoyed and
put TO considerable expense, and
we heartily commend the action
of Attorney WooD and the court.
1t should now be considered as in order to
take the obnoxious provision out of the
Idaho constitution and statutes. 1t is a
shameful thing, is un-American and mars
an otherwise beautiful structure. We
know that deep down in their hearts there
is something which tells the broad minded
men of Idaho that it is not right to dis
franchise men who have never broken a
law and who are guilty of no offense
against human or divine enacrments; there
is something which says to them
refer is blot upon the written
law of the state. We doubt that one in
| fifty of the Idaho Mormcns is a polyga-
mist, and The HERALD has it from trust
worthy Gentiies and pronounced anti
Mormous, as well as from reliable
Mormons themselves, that polygamy has
not been taught there for many years,
while it is not claimed by anybody that the
anti polygamy law has been violated since
long before the issuance of President
| WooDRUFF's manifesto in this city in 1890.
If the Idaho people entertain any doubt
as to the sincerity of the Mormons,
let most rigid laws be enacted
for the punishment of polygamists,
and if need be, provide extraordinary
methods for making certain the punish
ment of the guilty, but in the name of re-
publicanism. in the name of fairness, in
the name of the American sense of justice,
do not deprive American born citizens,
patriotic men who would scorn to dc
wrong, of the dearest rights on earth save
that of life, and make them serfs in a land
Of freemen. We tell our Gentle friends in
Idaho that they cannot afford to permit the
test oath law to continue in their statute
books, and we would tell them the same
thing no matter to whom the law
applied. 1t is perhaps true thai
the majority of those disfranchiset
by the law in question are Democrat
in politics, but our appeal in their behal.
would be just as earnest, just as honest, i
they were members of any other party. L
is matter of principle and not question
of party politics.
1t is to be hoped that the next Legislature
of proud and progressive Idaho will ris'
above the narrow prejudice which pu
this blot upon its statute books, and TAX
the necessary steps to thoroughly Ameri
canize the state. If there ever existed thu
danger which made the law necessary, tn
time has passed, and it will be coward.
confession Of weakness to say. by continu
! ing the test-oath, that the state is unabl
to deal in the ordinary way, without in
posing punishment upon the innocent wit
the guilty, with such evils as may arise.
Attorney WooD and the Boise court hav
set an example which may well be followed