Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-16
Sail THE "MORMoN QUESTION: Be REVIVED?

not require that men should dishonor
their wives and children by casting
them adrift. No such inhuman crime
ought 20 be committed. Such as would
do u could only be regarded as I'M
worthy the name OF man. II the great
hearted American public were correctly
Informed on this subject. and II were
asked whether an act SO monstrous
should be required. there would be
sounded n negative that would only be
comparable to a peal OF national thun-
der.
our answer to the reiigio- political as
sertlon that polygamous marriages are
numerous or occur at all exists In the
fact that, In searching for cases to
prosecute, the pursucrs OF the Mormons
were compelled 10 have REQUIRES TO
such cases ms annotated the manifesto.
Much fuss and fury has been raised
over the election OF u. II. Roberts to
Congress, because Of his being a polyga-
mist. IL has been unblushlngly assert
ed that he was candidate of the
Church for that position. The fact II
that the Church II not In politics. but
the pious clerical gentlemen who are
raising this disturbance are stepped In
II. They are seeking 10 have n class
OF the Mormon people placed under
political disability. The Church had no
candidate. Mr. Roberts was nominated
by Democratic convention composed
figures from the election returns are
before me. They exhibit the fact that
Mr.. Roberts owed his election to the
non Mormon portion Of the community.
They show that he received by far his
largest maJorltlcs in those towns and
counties which were the most heavily
populated by nom Mormona. Park city
being the only exception. In some To-
calitics where the population II almost
exclusively Mormon. Eldredgc carried
the day. This was notably the case In
the county OF Sanpcte.
The question raised In this connection
by the agitators In simply this. and
nothing more. Since the Issuance OF
the manifesto an estoppel has been
placed upon plural marriages. MIR.
Roberts has been duly elected to repre-
sent Utah In the House Of Representa-
tivcs. In order for him to take his seat,
shall Congress. by an adverse decision,
require him TO cast adrift the wives he
married before the manifesto. and thus
degrade his family? No matter how
the subject may be twisted. this II the
essence OF the situation. IL such an al
Tentative Were offered the gentleman.
there could be no doubt about his choice
being such Ms TO uphold his own honor
and that OF his family.
The present porsccutive crusade Is no
exception TO the automatic rule from u
moral standpoint. THE prosecuted
may possibly be In the wrong. but the
prosecutors are never right" Since the
establishment OF the law OF the Church
TO abolish plural MARRIAGES there has
been a period OF peace on the Mormon
question. Assaults OF murderoua mobs
upon tho Elders and members OF the
Church In the Southern States had be-
come Incidents OF the past. Since the
opening OF the existing religlo-political
campaign, conducted by the use OF
mia Utsnf IA IA II mi those
onslaughts upon Innocent people have
been renewed. IL II only "A short time
since that an armed mob with masked
faces Invaded the home of a worthy
family In search OF two Elders whom
they evidently intended TO murder
The mistress OF the house recognized
one OF the mobbers. called him by name.
and upbralded him. He Immediately
said, shoot that woman" The COM
mand was obcyed. and the shot tore
away n part OF one side Of the face OF
the innocent Victim.
Stiil morc recently, In Tennessee. a
similar mob Of about one hundred vio-
lently broke up n religious meeting. As
two OF the Elders were retiring from
the scene OF the disturbance they were
fired upon from I'M ambush. The bull
let missed It's Intended mark. ard
struck and severely wounded little
girl The man who did the deed was
Informed by one OF hls neighbors that
he had killed the child. whercupon he
committed suicide.
Such barbarous work II n result OF
the agitation which has It's headquar-
ters In Utah. The initial disturbers
make a misuse OF brain. tongue. nnI
pen In melting the population to an
tipathy against the Mormons. The
more brutal class OF their imitntorA
resort to masked faces and murderous
weapons. The meters have masks OF
another charactcr-sham sanctity made
from ilimsy material. That the moral
responsibility for the murderous on
slnughts adhere 10 them is so clear that
the facts need not be stated.
IL IN urged by the promoters OF this
unchrlstianlikc pursuit OF worthy
community. through their agents. that
their object ~ simply 20 cxtirpntc
polygamy. This subterfugc can DO
safely denied. on the clerical side the
object Is religious asccndcncy. sought
TO be attained by enlisting the govern
ment 10 aid them In the scheme. on
the political side II In local political
supremacy. With both wings the pro-
curcment OF an amendment to the ma
tlonnl Constitution. for purposes OF dis
franc hiscment. In the weapon they de-
sire the American people to forge for
their use In the attainment OF their oh
jects. They seek to throw dust In the
eyes OF the populace abroad by assert
Ing that the existence OF polygamous
families OF long standing. the over
whelming bulk OF them antedating the
passage OF either OF the laws under
which they were prosecuted, tends to
perpetuate the institution OF plural
marriage.
This IN self-cvidentiy untrue. No
other process than the multiplication OF
plural marriages can possibly pcrpet-
uate the system. The permanent stop
page OF such marriages IL Just M sure
to wipe out the institution as II is true
that N man were to cease multiplying
his species he would inevitably become
extinct II IN lust as certain. also, that
the two per cent OF adults OF the "Mor-
mon" community who are In the polyg-
amous relation viii gradually disappear
from the mortal stage. Then what
would the anti-"Mormon" Christian
philanthroplsts do for another great
moral question, and FOR unfortunate
victims? What, then, would those poor
patriots do, who ARE so fond OF free
dom that the word IN ever on their lips,
II they could not expcnd their ener-
giles In hunting for an opportunity to
squat upon the rights OF their neigh
bors.
In an hour OF national peril Utah re-
aponded with alacrity To the call for
her sons to defend the interests OF the
republic Some OF those who stepped
forward were not called to confront the
and willing at any moment. Those who
any soldiers who took the field. The
49,, Il.