Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-21

| ana control over the privileges and cleo
ton Of members, the house deposed him
from his seat, expelled him from its
| membership. Whether or not that was
wise or legal. we are not here to discuss.
But he was reputed to have had three
wives, and It seems not 10 be denied in
the debate, II ] am right aud the sem
ator from Utah says that the prosecu-
tion which followed was not effective.
! Here Congress, for the offense, put him
/ out OF the pale Of It's membership, and
the marriages having been contracted
prior to the enactment OF the leeisla-
ton, he was not within the penalties OF
the law In respect to the ceremonial
rites OF polygamous marriage, for his
marriage preceded this statute, and for
the blgamous or polygamous cohabita-
| tion he escaped any conviction, as has
been stated by the senator from Utah.
| Mr., President, / have looked IN vain
In the federal reports, In the supreme
court reports, TO ind whether any con-
| structlon has ever been given or wheth-
| er anybody has ever appealed 60 that
single line OF prohibition IN this en-
| abing act which made Utah state.
| looked in vain and well might know
| | would. Nobody would ever make
enough Of such an lmpotent pretnse Of
a restriction as 20 expect to find any le-
gal efficacy IN that single line. II was
| good humored concession by a good
| humored Congress that lost control OF
| this subject that was indifferent to this
| grave and important matter; and
now that line is all that is served up
to us again IN this bin to restrict the
| Mormon evil. Roberts, the Nor
| mon,' came 70 Congress and the pres
| ent Legislature Of Utah is Nor
mon' body. The Church has not weak.
ened II Is intrenched in power by state
| hood.
The distinguished senator from Penn
sylvanla says II we offer these amend
| ments In good faith and at the proper
| time the bill may be so amended. But
this bill Is now pressed, whether amend
| ed or not, and ! take notice, and think
| the people of the country viii take no.
| tice, That this bill, without any such re-
| strlcti0ns, is here pressed for passage
| AT the present session OF Congress and
| VIII be pressed so far as ! can now see
| without any amendment IN this partic-
| ular. No court will ever be called up
on TO enforce the efficacy OF that idle
and inutile line OF the ineffective and
scant profession OF prohibition Of poly
gamous marriages, without any at
tempt TO restrict or restrain polyga-
nous cohabitation, adultery. fornlca-
ton or other oifenses, or control OF
marriages or certincatlOn Of marriages
and the like, In the federal statutes
Mr.. President, ] hope ! have not any
bigotry In my composition, ! certainly
have no superstition. saw In the press
some time ago that | had RETAINED
from talking on a certain occasion be-
cause | had superstition about the
number l3. II makes me smile to think
anyone could print a statement 80 sill
~ am not conscious of any supersti-
ton. l certainly am not conscious Of
any bigotry; but at the root of the civ
ilization Of the English-speaking people
are the home and the home life We
are a people OF homes, We are a peo-
pie Of domestic affections and domes-
tic life.
TO us the words father" mother"
wife" child" are as sacred, II not
more sacred, than the equivalent words
In any other tongue to people Of any
other land. Our states are founded on
such a civilization. Ii ia postulate of
the American states existence II is
the Plymouth Rock OF that splendid
structure, this republic. 1t is the basis
whereon we have raised our supremacy
In this world. Without the home life,
the domestic life, In every state in this
Union we should find in one spot or an
other a quichsand under the stateliest
pile ever reared under the sky, the lof-
test civil government the world has
4 ~ I
speak II sincerely.
These words are feeble when compar-
ed with those OF a distinguished Judge
Of our supreme court In case that
came up from Utah. the case Of MUIR
ply VS. Ramsey, in ia United States,
page a.. He had IN mind the formation
OF states and the duty of legislators
when dealing with the making Of states.
The simple and eloquent words, when
We are so lightly passing by this dan
ger Of polygamy In the new states
which IL is proposed to make should
be an admonition TO every legislator 1t
seems to me, as they are to myself.
Said Justice Matthews, for the supreme
court.
III We concede that this discretion in
Congress Is limited by the obvious pur-
poses for which It was conferred, and
that those purposes are satisfied by
measures which prepare the people Of
the territories TO become states In the
Union, still the conclusion can not be
avoided that the act Of Congress here
In question is clearly within that justi-
fication. For certainly no legislation
can be supposed more wholesome and
necessary IN the founding Of free,
self governing commonwealth, ft 10
rank as one OF the coordinate states
OF the Union, than that which seeks to
establish Il on the basis OF the idea OF
the family as consisting in and spring.
ing from the union for life OF one man
and one woman in the holy estate Of
matrimony; the sure foundation OF all
that is stable and noble In our ciylliza-
ton: the best guaranty OF that reyer-
ent morality which is the source OF all
benehcent progress in social and polit-
zeal improvement. Murphy VS. Ram
sey, ia U. S. Reports, 49,"
This court. by that learned Judge, In
those solemn terms admonishes us, the
makers OF states, that we must base
new states only upon the institution OF
the family as an Engllshman and an
American know the family, as Bruins
saw the cotter's family on Saturday
night. We must never again forget
that the unit Is the family, OF which
the basis IL the domestic life--one man
and one wife, happy children mother,
father, sister, brother, yet all unit in
a household; many households making
many homes, and OH the happy homes
saving the state from corruption and
from secret conspiracy, from such con-
dtions as this which exists in Utah,
conditions extending TO Idaho, advanc-
ing to Wyoming, already reaching out
as a fast-growlng power In Arizona,
and even invading New Mexico.
say this is a serious matter and the
admonition Of that learned Justice. now
IN his grave. should come home TO me.