Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-23

Constitution. while tho part Of the law
defining ana Furnishing continuous llN-
INK In polygnmous relations was dlH-
cnrdcd. Why Because thcre was
nothing In the enabling act that de-
mandoi the disruption ot those EXIST
lng marriage relations which had boCn
entered into under the sanction ~ the
Mormon" church, II only required that
"polygamouH or plural marriage
should be prohibited for the futuro.
when It was sugEcHied 10 the gcntlc-
man who introduced the resolution
making the above settlement that the
part " the law defining and Furnishing
unlawful rehabilitation should also b.
Included In the Constitution. h. replied
In offcvt That those Mere conditions h.
was not aiming 10 meet. that the en-
abllnr act only required that po-
should b. prohibited and that q. all
that was done. All this appears In the
officially reported and published de-
bates Of the Convention. That WAS the
settlement Of this question. That u
the compact between the United States
and the people Of Utah. Those we're
tho terms, ~ FAR az polyEnmy was con.
corn.d on which Utah was admitted
into the Union. Ana I affirm positive.
" that that compact has been Kept on
the plrt OF the pcuplolof Utah. The
people uf my State are not covenant
breakers ~ her enemies charge. There
il MS attempt made to repeal or unnul
the parts u the Constitution prohibit
ing ppiygamous or plural marriages.,
There IL no desire 20 disrupt that COM
pact with the United Stntof. The Nor
mon" church has not violated the com.
pact and has no desire 90 annul II. but.
on the contrary, the venerable head Of
tho church has officially avowcd his
determination TO adhere to this settle
msnt OF the question.
fhe representative 60 Congress from
Utah has not violated this compact
the assertion ot his enemies 10 the COM
trary Notwithstanding. when the little
vuterie Of reetarlan ministers ard dis
appointed would-be political bosses In
Utah who began this agitation say
that the Mormon Church or it, mem
beers violate the compact between our
State and the people OF the United
States because few men IN Utah feel
morally bound TO fuinll their ohllga-
tons 10 the women they married under
sanction of the Mormon Church pre-
ylous To the issuance Of the church
manifesto Of 1880 disseminating pulyg-
amOus marriages. whom they say this
Is violation Of the compact with the
United states, they say that which they
know to be untrur' disruptinF and dis
continuing those polygamOus relations
was no part OF the compact. II was
not demanded by the enabling act. n
was not any part nf the action Of the
Constitutional Convention hut. ON the
contrary, steps were studlnuHly taken
not to DISRUPT those relations by cnn-
stitutional provision, by discardluH the
parts OF the anti-pplygamy law which
would have brought about that result.
And. indeed. was not that a Just and
atatesmnnllke settlement Of the yoNrd
question: What good would come Co
the people OF the United states by a
disruption OF those plural famllioH2
what good would come 70 either NOR
atty or religion 10 turn those plural
wives and their children ndrlft7 What
Christian womnn's home would be the
srcurer FOR knowing that a Mormon
plural wlfc'a home was now destroyed
Ana let Il be remembered that the home
and family OF that plural wife was cH-
lnhllshed under the sanction OTTO her
"a holy church ceremony. and with the
approval of all her people. \ broad
mind and Christian spirit VIII APP
prove OF the settlement that was made
" that question. The fountain of tho
evil was dried up, the people ~ the
United States can he generous enough
To allow the streams that flowed from
II IN take their course until lost IN the
oblivion OF death Since her admission
into the Union, Utah has been under
the Htricteat surveillance, Tho whole
nation has watched her. Even scctari-
an lElNNNh w wan httNfulnf 10 lhHf
own reports 90 church conferences aud
articles TO the press. loft somewhat
their high calling as ministers ~ the
gospel aud turned spoilers and spies
upon their Mormon neighbors, 90 see II
they could catch them Violating tho
agreement with the government and
yet all they can truthfully charge IL
that some mcn-the number o. few and
rapidly growing lrsa-who entered into
plural marriage relations previous 10
1850. when the church formally and Of
nclally discontinued such marriage and
hence, OF course. previous to tho settle
mont Of the question BY tho compact
N our State Constitution, have felt 10
morally binding upon their condolences
10 fdlnu the obligations Of thrlr mar
flngc vows 10 those polygamous fans
lllcs. This II the only "polygamy' that
has existed In Utah since the admission
NJ the state or since 1880. In fact. And
yet these cnaoa have been 40 Ingenious
~ reported by tho present agitatnri us
IN mako Il appOlr that thcy were new
cases Of pnlyrnmy that the Mormon
church was "rcHuming' the practice NJ
"polygamy;' that the State Of Utah was
breaking Its covenant with the nation.