Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-02-02
Letter from a Non" Mormon" to
the New York Journal,
on THE PRESENT CRUSADE.
ne who Would Take IN. Mote Out OF
His Brother's Rye should Pirst
Henscse beam from his own.

The subJolncd communication on the
anti Mormon" agitation. written by a
non." Mormon a resident OF Colorado.
was sent TO the New York Journal and
also to the World. but 80 far Il has
not been published In those papers. al.
though both have manifested much In
tercst In the subject a copy was also
cent to the News" for publications..
Ed1
10 the Editor Of the New York Sunday
Journal.
Dear sir-I see In the journal that
you have commenced an agitation
AGAINST brigham ~, Roberts. Of Utah,
taking his seat In the Congress OF tho
rhilcd states. and that you are taking
the stand. you are. on the ground Of
morality. This II a. very high and
strong position TO take. II il sound
Efound. aud hope the Journal viii al
ways stand for sound morality. and In
sist on public men possessing that yir-
Tue ~ a sine qua non OF holding their
hiHh Offices. l hope. too, that the Jour
nal win always be found frowning
down on hypocrisy, InJustice. bribery
and pcculation. wherever found, In
nigh or low degree. and that II will al
ways set Its face HtcadfaAtly In favor
. ~ right. ns against wrong. and con-
sistently uphold the principles upon
which the United states was founded,
and uron the principles cnunciated In
the Declaration Of Independence.
" have read the Constitution
Alright; " understand Alright the prin-
clplcr OF democracy. and the basis OF
THIS country. Il IL that the United
states stands before the world. TO rep
resent and maintain. 80 FAR NJ IN II
Hes! ID Sclf-govcrnmcnt by the pco-
PIE. 90 Protection and security of
property and prosecutions. legitlmatcly
obtained and created by the holder. or
his ancestors labor. tg The right OF
free speech: and 80 The right OF free
dom OF religious opinion.
Now. sir. taking these NJ the prlncl-
pies. they being correctly stated. how
does your crusade pan out. tried by
THESE tcHtaG And be II remembered,
that every American stands pledged to
thehc principles. by the very fact that
he, or she, IL an American. This coun-
tfy was founded By our Puritan fore.
fathers, to vindicate their right Co
freedom Of religious opinion. and they.
or their memofieH. have the love and
devotion OF their successors for hnv-
Ing achieved that gioriup charter OF hu-
man liberty. Then. II this freedom ~
religious opinion N the SACRED bithright
~ every American. II II patent that the
'Mormons. or l.atter-day Saints. an
they call themselves. have that same
fiEht, and II cannot be taken from
them Justly. or under the Constitution.
let their religious opinions be aA cranky
~ they may. either In fact or In the
opinion Of ur, who are not Of them.
Aud. perhaps. II would be we'll. right
here, ana prevent any miHoonccptlon.
" state distinctly that I am not "a
Mormon" nor do I belong TO any
Mormon" organization. society. firm.
~ any institution Of any kind whatao.
ever connected with "MormonH." or
'Normorirm." | was never In Salt
Lake Or Utah except once and that was
for the length OF time Il took the
southern Pacific. or Central Pacific, or
connecting railroads to run through
the place or state.
presume Il VIII be granted that the
Mofmonh" do possess this right. n
ihey do We have. then, no right 10 OBJ
i,ct 10 them ON these grounds. that IN
clear. Do We do SOP II yes. then We.
not they. nrv In the wrong. We, too.
are unialthful to our professions. and
20 our principles, ana the principles of
THIS government aud nation. DO we OBJ
let 20 their rcllgionf | think We do.
DO We object TO their freedom of re-
lglouH opinlonf .Again Ne are COM
pelled, II honest. 20 plead guilty" We
OBJECT 10 that part OF their religion that
Permits. or cnJolnH. or recommends.
one man having more than one wife. A.
matter OF fact. | really do not know
whether plurality Of wives II tenet
~ lhelr creed, or u matter OF diHci-
pine, l know. however. that We Gen
ul's, ~ they style US, 50 regard II.
Aud II IN L. this We object. or profess
4" 90 80, Now, our religious Ideas, or
religion. la founded upon and declares
mat the Bible II the Word ~ God.
Does or does not the Bible declare that
.l.tff
tamyt IL II not fact that II does7
Ahu' IN not the clear Inference that
lhe peculiar institution" was sane
unnedf Now the thing. polygamy,
'lthor right or wrong. In itself. II
wrong, then we are met with the
,lrmma that Il was sanctioned IN the
W'ueA OF the Iicbrcwr, ana N sane.
u,nfi, then presumably Il was regard
N right II II was right then, how
u wrong now m. on the other hand
wac, or N, right then we arr wrong.
nat u clear. Now which IN 10? The
.Neinnln " therr, and II IL for the be-
mler ~ the plenary Inspiration OF the
hVl responsible Tor II. they did not
Ieaie A. II the Mormons Elm believe
hlhllcnl c2stom, or teaching, or
nhhlerer u ~, while others have re-
ullaicd, discarded, or thrown over
'lld That custom, are they to be con
80. a.'h W hANAA ~ NfNi ~ " INNt n llts
W. lnhny 10 put II MILDLY Hut. TO get
a,Nh 20 real bed rock. are we 20 dead
~ mat we have left on the practice
pollgnmy, because We profess 20
nlNn done soi or ~ II that while We
nAg nave but one wife we may have
,NtfAl mlsiresaca7 And II not. do WEI
not fnct, Sir. that our morality
Az lhla respect, In somewhat like the
nrei alleged TO have been furnished
Nv, boys In cuba. Ia that II needs em-
llullhhf n this be 10. and who, con
lannt with Hociety. doubts II, what
,khi nave We to throw any stones at
w NnrmonHY which w most moral.
preach and practice the same thing,
10 preach one thing and practice an
'ylof dlnmetrically opposlteY
~ ihls regard I would submit. res
'uul!y Of course, that Il might not
irrelevant to the matter as nj
,iN J might seem, 10 make II condi-
wbn mat every member OF Congress.
NJ votes To unseat Mr. Roberts. or
~. uesiros 10 vote 10 prevent him taxi
We seat 10 which he, has been elect
ahhll as u necessary preliminary
80 statement on his oath, that he
~ never been unfaithful 10 his wife.
H. 'hhi amy member who IN not ready
no., ' ~ shhll neither vote nor retain his
~, eat Sauce for the goose IL sauce
.r,,ne snnder" Jesus Christ, think.
omt ln'u the wisdom of taking the mote
~ VI our own eye, before we undertook
o., s .k OF nlucking II out OF the eye
,snother And that reminds me. Il is
hoo