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

constitution, WINE the nnft or the lew
defining and punlihing continuous i've
Ing In polygnmous relations was dis
Cnrdod. WY Because there was
nothing In tho enabling act that de-
mnndod the disruption % those EXIST
lng marriage relations which had boon
entered into under the sanction ~ the
Mormon" church. II only required that
'polyRamous or plural marrlngcH'
should be prohibited for the future.
when II was suggested 10 the gentle
man who introduced the resolution
making the above settlement that the
part " the law defining and punishing
unlawful rehabilitation should also b.
Included In the Constitution. h. replied
In enovt that those Were conditions h.
was not aiming 20 meet that the en-
nblinr act onlv required that po-
lygnmnus marriages FOR the future
should b. prohibited. and that u all
that was done. Al this appears In the
officially reported ana published de-
bates ~ the Convention. That was the
settlement Of this question. That l.
the compact between the United States
and the people Of Utah. ThoFo we're
the terms. ~ FAR az polygamy was con.
coru'd, ON which Utah Waa admitted
into the Union. Ana I affirm positive
~ that that compact has been Kept un
the part Of the pcoplclof Utah. Tho
people OF my state are not covenant
breakers. ~ her enemies churEc. There
il nd attempt made a. repeal or annul
The parts " the Constitution prohibit
inE polygamour or plural MARRIAGE.
Z here IN no desiro to disrupt that COM
pact with the United States. The Nor
mon" church has not violated the com.
pact and has no desire 60 hnnul u. but.
On the contrary, the venerable head Of
tho church has oiiicially avuwcd his
determination TO adhere TO this settle
msnt " thu question.
-.
Utah has not violated this compact
the assertion % his enemies 90 the cou-
trary Notwithstanding. when the little
votvrir of sectarlan ministers ard dis
appointed wouli-be political bosses In
Utah who began this agitation say
that the Mormon Church or ~ meme
beers violate the compact between our
state and the people u the United
states because "a few men IA Utah feel
morally bound TO fulnil their obilen-
tions 20 the women they married under
sanction OF the Mormon Church. pre-
yious to the issuance Of the church
manifesto Of 1890 disseminating pulyn-
amous marriages--Whon they say this
n "a violation OF the compact with the
United states. they say that which they
know to be- untrue disruptinF and dis
continuing those polygamous relations
was no part Of the compact. 10 was
not demanded by the enabling act. n
was not any part OF the action Of the
Constitutional Convention, hut. on tho
contrary, steps were atudlouHly taken
not tn disrlut those relations by com
stitutionnl provision. hy dlscardlnr the
parts 81 the anti-polygamy law which
would have brought about that result
Ana. indeed was not that . Just and
atatesmnnllke settlement of the veXrd
question: what good would come 90
the people OF the United states by
disruption OF those plural families?
what good would come 20 either NOR
atty or religion 10 turn those plural
wives ana their children adrlft? What
christian womun's home would be the
srcurer Tor knowlng that q Mormon
plural wlfo'i home was now destroyed
Ana let IL be remembered that thu home
ana family OF that plural wife was 60
tuhllahcd under the sanction OTTO her
"a holy church ceremony and with the
approval Of all her people, \ broad
mind and a Christian spirit VIII APP
prove of the settlement that was made
~ that question. Tho fountain of the
evil was dried up. the people ~ the
United States can be generous enough
10 allow the streams that flowed from
II 30 take their course untll lost IN the
oblivion Of death, Since her admission
into the Union. Utah has been under
the Atricteat surveillance. The whole
nation has watched her. Even scctnri-
an priests IN Utah according 10 their
wv " NNNAA - ~ AAANNhN NNllANA NNiNNH NAAANl
articles 10 the press. loft somewhat
their high calling as ministers N the
gospel aud turned spoilers and spies
upon their Mormon neighhors. 20 see II
they could catch thCm Violating the
agreement with the government. and
yet ul they can truthfully charge Il
that some mcn-the number o. few and
rapidly growing lesa-whp entered into
plural marriage relations previous 10
1880. whom The Church formally and Of
nclnly discontinued such marriage. and
hence, Of course, proNloua to tho sottlc-
mont Of the question BY the compact
OF our state Constitution, have felt IL
morally binding upon their conscicnceH
TO filnll the OBLIGATIONS u their mar
rlngc vows TO those polygamous fam-
illcs. This II the only ''polygamy' that
has existed In Utah since the admission
~ the state or since 1880 In fact. And
yet these cnaoa have been no ingenious
~ reported by tho present agitat0ra me-
to mako Il appear that they were new
cases Of pnyEnmy thnt the Mormon
church was "tcsuming" the practice NJ
"polygamy,' that the state Of Utah was
breaking Its covenant with the nation.