Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-08-09
CESSATION OF HOsTILITiKs.

ccHotof DuDois expresses MS views
on the Mormon question, and they
are in accord with the general senti-
ment of the Repu blican party in Ida
no. All the Republican party ever
asked was that Mormons renounce
polygamy, live up to the laws and
become American citizens in the true
sense of the term and cease to advo-
cate the doctrine that their church is
an institution guided by the Divine
hand and therefore has q right to set
itself up in opposition to laws of the
country-in short to assume that the
Mormon church is superior to the
government and its laws and on this
assumption to claim exemption from
observance of all statutes not in con-
formity with its peculiar tenets. The
Mormons have publicly renounced po-
Iygamy aud have apparently accept
ed the inevitable and ceased to preach
the old reasonable doctrines SO an
tsgonistic to the principles of free
government. If they continue on in
their present course their rights and
privileges as American citizens will
without doubt be restored to them,
and unless they go back to their old
unlawful practices and an advocacy
of opposition 10 all governmental au-
thority, those rights and privileges
will be secure. Dubois was for many
years an uncompromising foe of
Mormonism in its reasonable attitude
toward the government, but now that
members of that church have done
all that was asked of them, he believes
IN cessation of hostilities. Here is
what he says;
There is local question still with
US and and with which our party has
contended unitedly and aggressively
for many years. l refer to the Nor
mons. | would like to be with you
all to exchange views fairly and free
ly in regard to it. There is law on
our statute books which disfranchises
them. So long as it remains there i,
is the duty of every good citizen to
see that it is obeyed. The Mormons
themselves will be quick to recognize
the absolute necessity for this if, as
they claim, they are now abiding
citizens in every sense of the word
Bad laws should be repealed. Laws
which have been enacted to cure GER.
tain evils and which are harsh in their
provisions, and in their workings
make hardships for individuals, should
likewise be promptly repealed When
they have served their purpose and
have cured the evils which they were
cuaCtcu " cOEiecl, uc isepuoiiCau
party has always been the party Of
liberty and progress and it is its boast
that it guarantees a free ballot and q
fair count to every citizen, howevel
humble. The course of our party or
the Mormon question in Idaho, in the
| 3 Oh oil "a
justly proud. We made it a question
of party fealty; that its members
should demand that the Mormon!
should give up polygamy, and tha
the leaders of the Mormon churcl
should not exercise political contro
over their followers. Our party de
manded that there should he no unior
of church and State and that the in
dividual members of the Mormon
church should be allowed to exercise
untrammelled, perfect freedom of &C
ton in all political affairs. The peo
ple Oh lut Gldbc SuSNaiilcl OuE pdItl
in this position. The Mormons hav,
acknowledged that we were right b,
openly and repeatedly proclaimin,
that they have abandoned polygam,
and that their leaders no longer at
tempt, nor will they attempt, to US
their positions to influence the judg
ment of their followers in politics
matters. If this Is so, if polygam,
has been given up for all time, if tn
members of the Mormon church ar
taking sides with the different par,ie
according as their individual judg
ment and conscience dictates, the Re
publican party should be the first t.
extend to them the right hand of fel