Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-13

ia 10 refrain from contracting any mar
rage forbidden by the law OF the land.
WILFORD WOODRUFF.
President " the Church Of Jesus
Christ OF Latter.day Saints
President Lorenzo Snow Offered the
following.
y move that recognizing Wilf0rd
Woodruff as the President Of the
Church Of Jesus Christ OF Latter-day
saints and the only man on the earth
ut The present time who holds The keys
~ The sealing ordinances we consider
him fully authorized by virtue Of his
position 10 issue The manifesto. which
has been read In our hearing and
which IS dated September o. 1880. and
that as Church IN General Conference
assembled, We accept his declaration
concerning plural marriages as author
iiatlye and binding"
The vote 10 sustain the foregoing mo-
ton was unanimous.
IS to the execution OF the laws In this
state, the address OF the ministers is
equally misleading and, as we viii
prove, Sc In some respects grossly IN.
true, It is represented in those cases
Of unlawful cohab!tOtion that have
been either "minlmlzed or evaded." II
Is made to appear that the statute pro-
yides for penalty Of $500 ilne and six
months Imprisonment The words mot
exceeding" are carefully left out by the
truthful ministers and the penalty in
fllcled. one hundred dollars-they neg
lect to say $3.50 In one case--is repre-
scented MS 'minlmized," when It might
have been lawfully placed at one dol
lar, and the fact In mitigation, that the
defendants pleaded guilty. is also kept
out Of sight by these delightfully."- frank
aud honorable ox9ounders of law and
politics In the garb Of gospel ministers
But they go on to assert that utah
law makes no provision for a grand
jury" Get the Compiled Laws Of Utah,
1898. and the laws passed In 1899, and
you win find IN the former three entire
chapters--i9. 20 and 2i--of the criminal
code, devoted TO the subjects Of the
formation, power and duties OF the
grand Jury. The laws Of 1899 make fur
Their provisions concerning that body,
which these purveyors Of information
for the benefit Of Congress and the
country declare DO not exist In Utah.
IN logic these expounders are as in
ylncIble as IN law Just take this para
graph OF the address Speaking Of the
Mormon" leaders It says;
"Their greatest fear at this moment
Is that Congress will take steps
TO submit an amendment OF this
nature to the Federal Constitution to
the several states for their approval
We copy the following verbatim from
the issue Of the Deseret News OF Octo-
Der rs, 1898 The News let II be remem-
bered Is the official organ Of the Nor
mon Church: From what has been
said on the subject. II Is sufficiently
clear that II Congress takes the matter
w in the form Of an amendment 10
the Federal Constitution, Utah will be
among the first States TO ratify such an
amendment
That Is TO say the fear Of the "Mor-
mon" leaders Is expressed In the quota
ton from the Deseret News. which
shows that they do not care anything
about ~ II these very profound rea-
soners and learned law-explainers only
knew how little the Mormon" leaders
are concerned about the proposed
amendment, they would be greatly
chagrined and their expectations as to
It's consequences would be coldly damp
ened.
OF course the presence Of two Nor
mons" In Washington, just now, cannot
be due to anything but a desperate and
vigorous opposition to the proposed
measure" And yet the gentlemen al
luded to did not even take the trouble
to appear before the committee having
the matter In hand. Great jumpers at
conclusions are the authors Of the min
lsteral address, And they are so fear
full Of the mingling OF Church and State.
and the Influence Of the Priesthood in
Utah" that they take a hand in politics
themselves and draw up some amend
ments TO the national Constitution, TO be
adopted by Congress and the several
States OF the Union.
We need not wade through any more
of the pool from which draughts are to
be drawn OF ana sent 10 Congressman
and others. What We have sampled is
enough. The drift Of Il all is that the
leading 'Mormons' are to be dlsfran-
chised. Congress Is not only to leglslate
on this matter for Territories and
places over which the United states
have exclusive jurisdiction" but to
make laws for sovereign states, regu-
lating their domestic affairs. What for7
To secure the punishment, II possible,
Of few persons who, having entered
into obligations In plural marriage
which they feel II would be wrong TO
violate. come In contact with local laws
and are In danger Of its penalties,
But these state laws are not stringent
enough, and are not executed with sufl-
Client severity to suit these followers Of
the meek and gentle Nazarene. so the
Nation is 10 be aroused, and the Con-
sututlon Is to be amended, and the
mighty ordnance Of the United States
Is TO be loaded 10 the muzzle TO shoot
away a few specks that, IA the eyes Of
these very truthful and honorable ex-
pononts OF Christian ethics appear to
be greater and blacker than all the So
clal plague-spots that dlsligure the face
and eat into the yitals Of the social sys-
tern Of our country.
II Is the same old relentless spirit that
waged war against the Saints IN Ohio.
In Missouri and In Illinois The weapons
welded by mohs with christian" min
listers for leaders are not now leyeled
AGAINST the "Mormoas." But the venom
and wrath and disposition to crush and
aastrov rxhfbited then works toward the