The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-08
CAN UTAH BE TRUSTED?

full time to purge IL OF It's Sih "
nolioamy. The new State has in its
Constitution an express inhlpltloh
of plural marriages, but if the Mormon
church controls the politics OF the
state. as seems probable, where is the
guarantee that this inhibition VIII be
enforced? No law not sanctioned By
public opinion was ever enforced IN any
state. The prohibition OF poiigamy
in the new Constitution is in these
words:
..The following ordinance shall be
irrevocable without the consent OF the
United States and the people OF TINS
state:
'First-perfect liberation OF re-
ligious sentiment is guaranteed. NO
inbabitant of this State shall ever be
molested in person or property on ac-
count of his or her mode of religious
worship; but polygamous or plural
marriages are forever prohibited.
The fear that the practice OF
polveamy is only dormant is
.one of the suspicious circum-
stances that surrounds the adj
mission of Utah as State. The pow
err of the Mormon church in politics
was displayed shortly before the late
election. Inc democrats nominated
member of that church for a seat in
the United States Senate. He accept
ed without asking permission OF the
church authorities, and they mace
unon him a formal demand to decline
the nomination on the ground that he
had acted without seeking the guild
ance of the church. His reply, which
his marty endorsed was that the au-
thority OF the church in political mat
ters was not recognized. The real Sc
cret of the demand was that George
Cannon. the virtual head of the Nor
mon church, heretofore Democrat,
wanted to go TO the Senate himself,
and the Republicans had promised, II
they were successful to send him or
let him name the man. The New
York Times charges, after full inyesti-
CATION, that about the time Cannon
changed his politics he became sud
denly wealthy, and that all this oc-
Cured after Clarl1son and a few other
Republican politicians had spent few
weeks in Utah.
A Kansas correspondent of The New
York Sun sends to that paper an inter
view with Bishop Hart, of the Nor
mon church He was a member of the
last Territorial Legislature, and
knows something of the plans of his
church in the future" lie said the
church had gone out of politics, and
then went on TO show that, like the
AIlianccmen, the more they said they
were s.out of politics" the deeper they
were ia1. whether Democrat or Re
publican said he TO The Suns cor
respondent, there viii not be
State officer Of other than our faith,
either elective or appointive, unless the
GiittIt vi Fso " Ills II. ilIlG io IlJb a d3o~
trict judge who can escape his respon-
siblity 90 the Latter Day Saints, arnl
with two exceptions there will not be
a sheriff in Utah who is not of our Sc
lection
In regard to polygamy the Bishop
talked very freely. lie said that the
plural marriage ordinance had been
suspended by President Woodruff, but
not repealed, continuing as follows:
This subject OF plural marriage is
very much misunderstood. Not more
than Is per cent Of our people have
more than one wife. AS a man pros
pers the church admonishes him. to
take additional wives according to his
prosperity, and he obeys as a re
ligions duty, always with the advice
and full consent of his first wife.
In Statehood, when we are free
from Federal interference, the Tenn
pie will witness the soIemnization of
the marriage rites that have been sus-
pended, as the penitentiary will no
longer be filled with men for obeying
Gods law.
Eyes, this ceremonial will be resum-
ed; in fact, it has never been entirely
suspended. / have three wives, all |
of whom love me. And they have per-
suaded me to seal another on my re-
turn next August, which / shall do"
In view of the political action of the
church, the scandalous act Of Cannon.
the utterances of Bishop Hart and the
history of Mormonism it may well be
questioned whether grave mistake
has not been made in admitting Utah |
into the Union.
The silver-tongued Col. Harry Skin