Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-09
THREE PREACHERS PROTEST
Three Salt Lake Ministers Iasgue, Con-
gess.
They cite Obsolete Laws aud Quote
t"iicd Paragraphs to Ala
Their Cause.

nom Utah IN the United states Cum
grcss from taking HIS seat In that
body. II was said TO have been sent
on Saturday. january Z. 1859.
House Of Representatives. Fifty
sixth CongrctH. IN the Matter OF Brig
ham u. Roberts. Membor.elcct from
the state OF Utah.
To the Honorable Speaker and
Members Of the House OF Representa-
ives % the Fifty sixth Congress OF the
United StutCss
"1nc Undersigned. Thomas g. nm,
W. NJ. fadUn aud Clarence 4. iirnWu.
resident citizens and qualified electors
oi the state Of Utah, do hereby most
respectfully protest that brigham II.
Roberts, rUpttfDututiyv-clcct from the
state Of tih. 60 whom. ON or about the
10Th day ui December. 1855. certificate
~ election was Issued. IN due form. by
the Governor uf said state. ought NOT
TO De permitted to qualify, by taking
the oath ot Office, 0r. hnNiuE 30 quai-
uri| To- tlt uH "a member uf the House
ui Representative 0f the United states,
Tor reasons Affecting IA. honor and
dignity 81 the people Of the United
states aud their representative In
Congress
And your protoatnntr show and at
lcEu ~ the grounds " their protest.
crnr ever since aud prior to the adj
mission 81 the State 81 Utah. Jan. 4,
1896 has been living In open, iagrant
and notorious violation OF the laws %
the state Of Utah.
20. That he. publicly and pcrslstently
JuFtiiica his course ~ unlawful cnn-
duct BY the claim that he acts under
the sanction ~ laws higher than these
% the state or the United States. and.
-. That the laws. thus violated and
oct ~ nauRht by him. ARE none other
thnn those against polygamy ANA
polyrnmouS cohabltnti0n. which laws,
sanctioned by solemn cogsEti 80 aud
pledges ~ good faith. are peculiarly
binding upon ait citizens Of the state
of Utah.
Aud your protcstnnta. In support 81
tho grounds ~ protest above set forth,
do further show as follows;
'Fiut-Thnt hy the terms ~ an net
amending section $3.50 Of the revised
statutes 81 the United states common
81 called the EdmundH law. approved
March g. 1879, the ufcnar 81 polygu-
mutiH or unlawful cohubitntipn WAS de-
lined, ana II was. among other things.
provided.
fiicrc ~ Inserted the disrrnnchlslng
proylslon of the Edmuuds actl
"Sccond-rhnt by the terms Or an act
~ Congress. approved March 3 iss5.
commonly called the Edmunds Tucker
act. II was, among other thinnH. proc
viied that the corporation, church ~
Jesus christ ~ Latter-dny Saints was
dissolved and ~ property oschcatod.
and II wna further provided.
1.-THE registration oath Of the Ed
munds.Tuckcr act h here quotcd.l
''rhird-ThAt ON Sept. 90 1890. Prcsl.
dent Milford Woodruff. the Official
hond OF the Mormon church. issued "a
manifesto. In the words following;
lThc "mnnifcsto" ~ given In fun
''Fourth-That. In 1891. tho President
and Apostles " tho Church prepared
ana presented Ia the President ~ the
United states the following petition,
accompanied by statements signed by
chief Justice Zane. Governor Arthur l..
Thomas aud other non -MormonH, 10 the
effect that In their fpll belief the pc
titlon was sincere. and that " am.
ncsty were granted. good faith would
be kcpti
fNcxt comes the text Of the appeal
for umnesty.l
'Fifth-That. upon the representa-.
lions w. made. the following amnesty
proclamation was iAHuvdi
tThe amnesty proclamation N prcsi-
dent benjamin Harrison II appended
sixth That on sept "a. 1884, Prcsi-
dent Cleveland issued proclamation.
wherein, after rccitlnE the facts con-
tanned Ia the proclamation 20 President
Harrison. he concluded aa follows
president Grover Clcvcland's ann
ncrty IL addcd.l
"seyenth-That the Enabling act %
Utah. which was approved July 10. 1854
contains the following provision;
And said convention shall provide
by ordinances irrcyocAble, without the
consent ~ the United states and tho
people OF nnid state;
80. That perfect liberation or rrllF.
lour sentiment shall be secured, nnd
that no inhnbitnnt Of said state shall
ever be- molcntcd In person or property
ON account ~ his or her mode of re-
llTioua Worship; provided. that polyF-
nmour or plural marriages az" forever
prohibited.
"Eighth-rhat. pursuant 20 the said
net. d constitutional convention was
held az Salt Lake city; that the satd
nriphnm ~. Roberts was member
thereof. ana that the following prnNih-
ions were. and are. q part ~ the Con.
rtituii0n framed by the convention ana
adopted hy the people;
Article iii.'-Ordlnupcc The FOL
lowing ordinance shall be- irrcyocable
without the consent OF the United
states and the people of this state.
81. Perfect federation Of religious
continent n guaranteed. No inhnhl-
tant of this state shall ever be molest-
ed In person or property on account ~
his or her mode ~ religious Worship.
hut polygnmous or plural marriages are
forever prohibited
Article NNiN.-schedulo. Soc, 2,
Al laws ~ tho territory ~ Utah now
In force. not rcpuFnnut 90 this Com
stltutluu. shall remain IN force uuul
they expire By their own limitations or
are altered or repealed by the leglHla-
turc. The act 81 the governor ana lcF-
islntiye assembly ~ the territory ~
Utah. entitled AN act 10 punish polyg-
amy and other kindred onenses," APP
proved Feb. 4. \. u. 1899, in 20 Gar Az
the same defines and Imposes penal
TICS for p0iygnmy. II hereby declared TO
BE- IN force In the state Of Utah
''Thnt ne the time said Constitution
was framed. there had been, since 1899,
a law of the Territory of Utah, provid-
ing penalties for the offenses NJ big
amy unlawful cohabltatlon, adultery
aud fornlcntion.
THAT said act was, rs your protest.
ants arc Informed and believe ana 80
aver. perpetuated as one OF the laws OF
the state ~ Utah.
"Thnt In 1897 revision Of the laws OF
Utah was made and the law ~ 1899
above referred to. was rc-enacted with
out change.
''Ninth-Thnt said brigham n, Rob
erts has been and II living In tho habit
,pa ratttta ~ marriage with ut least