The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-07
Is monmoy ponreAmr EyDEpp
TIE 9rcuua OF the A,snesty Granted 10 the
Latter DAY Ratuts.

all Morfuons VINO have hbstnined from polyR-
amy since Nov. ]. 1890. IL OF interest in va
rious ways. It seems to show that no more
anti Mormon laws are needed at this session.
and II indicates that the time 10 at hand for
settling the future political condition Of Utah
Territory.
What Is specially significant lie the procla-
nation is Its official acknowledgment. on the
part OF the United States Government, that the
famous manifesto OF tho Church OF the Latter
Day Saints. on the 9th OF October. 1890. was a
sincere and binding abandonment OF plnra!
marriage. The proclamation declares that
the observance OF that manifesto has been
general on the part Of the Mormons. and 1t is
ON this express ground that a sweeping
amnesty is now declared. provided that those
who have thus abstainod from living in rolyg-
AMY since tho date mentioned shall continue
10 DO 20.
TIL manifesto OF MILFORD Woodruff. Presi-
dent OF the Mormon Church. declaring thatthe
Mormon authorities were rot teaching plural!
marriage. nor permitting any person TO enter
into its practice. made in September. 1890. was
expressly based on the fact that the laws of
Congress had been recently pronounced con.
stitutional by the court OF last resort lie de-
clared his " intention to submit TO those
laws. and TO use all his influence with the
members OF the Mormon Church to have them
w hha 'o catu wa VI aAVs WIEN
any elder OF the Church had used language
which appeared to teach plural marriage. he
had been promptly reproved. Shortly after
ward the SiSty-frst Mormon Scni-annual
Conference was held at Salt Lake. anu by u
unanimous vote adopted President Wootrutf's
manifesto as binding on the Church.
Nevertheless. tho Utah Commission. in its
report for the following year. 1881. questioned
the sincerity Of tho Mo.mons OH this point
and the honesty OF the r~olitica! connections
they were forming. 1t reasserted its belle!
that forty-one persons had entered into po!yg-
annie relations between June. 1859. the time
fixed by President Woodruff as that oi the
abandonment OF plural marriage. and its own
report for 1870. II also had REPORTS OF eigh-
teen male persons who, with an equal nn,nber
pOiygamous marriages during the year lS3l."
The OctOter conference succeeding that re-
port accordingly passed these resolutions:
That We 10 not believe there lav. been any ,"iysa.
i:..Gs marriages sc.emnt2.I among the LATER Day
n, s...n as aaa re e'S Ss p'ai%t .n1 stat III .nf s L a.sh Con- Sa".
vsy he ,t sn ,a.' such ms;r;Aiss l..s teen eGni.ae,sa
the p.rve.,iol. OF fact ami pr Nope end !n,enI c"u.
ma: me n].aa.tt.,9 u r]rs..a,nt %oaaiua f]orb,dt.rR
ts;T teh Rf!sIan eG IN "a. sn w@s Sa %Ea soS al t Sni Ian and G ,is,
We have every reason to lie love ihtt It mas been car.
liz. contrary are snt,r.iy dH"%.tiinf,s o,iru;h'
co ah"i W to . "sser, Z, Su me sr' H,si' a .1s r s1s s Shi r "s ,.i.
to s,vel, ngnnsitSc aud to al. n Il, s.minatims ths
vetsal!y misunderstood.
1t is fair to sag that Gov. Thomas had at
once accepted tile declaration OF Oct. u. 1880.
as honest and decisive. declaring that 1t had
the force Of a new revelation" and that rolyg-
amy had been buried. never TO be resur-
rected." Judge Zane famous for his sharp
enforcement OF tn: ia%s against roiygamyi.
was authoritative. and that plural marriage
would henceiorth he t. vocation OF The Church
mitted to citizenship o Mormon applicant. In
1891 the Governor, reiterated his conviction
that the action o! the Mvrnons was sipccre.
Utah Commission was uriounled.
Now. at lest. after more than two years OF
taking this great step Is Officially conceded By
the Government; and it APPEARS that the gem
Governor and many leading Gentle citizens
q the Territory. but " the members Of the
Ctnh Commission.
Perhaps. however. 4 douh. may remain in
some minds as to the validity OF the grounds
on which this decision IA, been reached, 1t
may be- thought that people vino would endure
as much as tho Mormons haye done for mo
vagaries of their faith could not honestly
several considerations. however. which will
tend to remove this doubt.
mon Church are those OF a lew leaders: and
hence 1t is only necessary to ascertain whether
the existing Church authorities are sincere. in
order to know what the whole Church will be-
!ieve and will dc. 1t has long been known thGt
the actual practie, Of poiygaay was confined
" u "lupEll "a tl1c .Ioiu ioH-. At lue 'TtUsTil
Conference OF 1887 it WAS stated that there
were only 1000 practical polycnmists in
Of o'I the Morm nom At troke ga aW =; G from 1.' the mann pare
Church and formed the seer called Josephltcs.
refusing to regard the doctrine Of polysamy AS
binding. Perhaps it might not be much to say
that Mormondoln thrives to-day. not because
OF po!yGamy. bit in spite Of it. Hence tho
md practice has been much less than people
outside OF Utah may have expected.
In the peXt place. the very rrasor assigned
by the Mormon leaders for tnpir ella nEe of
front is one OF the best grounds COR believing
in tneiss sincerity, inc, hay; II they hey, had sadden!y Er%:
have been so foolish, and wicked as to have
this as Just the right sort ot rhansc. But
shrewder observers would at once hav. been
announced their submission 10 Tho supremacy
OF the law. When they declared that they had
never. until 2 then recent decision II the SUI
the tribunal Of. the highest resort on every
point inyolyeI IL their cas-. and thai. having
laid q solid foundation for a new stage oiMor-
1t may be said. however. that II sincere they
would obey the E99k q Mormon rather than
1--WE ' we're IL IN co, conf h%.'sf nu t'a It haF w"Tnef ,Sat .H is
the revelation made TO Joseph smith. in Jan
uary. 1871. one paragraph declared that wien:
and hinder them from performing That WORK.
NO more at the hands OF those sons OF men.
but to acceIt, 81 their offerings" In tho $50
Conference this paragraph was cited asa com
plete justification for a change of front
on polygamy, Mr.. Cannon referred to
II. and President Woodruff continued the
argument by showing how. in specific in
n. benefit Of tlis paraGrauI!. " great many
and we have not been ableto do them. because
Of. those that surrounded IL in the world.
When our nation passes laws, as they have
dnn4. IN rARArd 10 thls Iflnp1IlA wnlpn WI
have presented to tho Conference. il il not
wisdom for. us to make war upon ii3,ot.il.ruo
people, An Argument like TINT implies a
sincere purpose TO change ones course in
seeking authority to DO so. .sincerny Of \,
tion does not require that the Mormons should
denounce their old tenets.. II is enough, that
they have found q satisfa ctory basis for a
change. OF, practice in the supremacy of tho
law OF the laud.
The proclamation. therefor. cannot he
called premature. and its practical! effect will
be 70 take the nlare of numeronS Individual
ready. from time to time. been presented and
granted