The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-12-24
TO PROHIBIT PoLYGAMY.

Editor Herald:--A constitutional
amendment against polygamy.' Why
we favor 1t. Is it necessary? A
present issue for settlement by the
congress of the United States and the
people is, Need there be adopted an
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States prohibiting polygamy?"
Why we favor it is because we be-
lieve there is need of it.
For years the government has dealt
with the crime introduced into Utah
by Brigham Young and his followers,
who claimed it to be part of their re-
ligious duty and privilege under
the Constitution; and congress was
slow to act until it was proven to the
satisfaction Of the majority that it
was crime, even by the contents of
the books they professedly claimed to
accept as standards; viz, the Bible,
Book of Mormon and Doctrine ana
Covenants. ALI of these books con-
denim polygamy as they existed up to
1876, when they, contrary to any
known law as previously taught by
them, inserted into the Doctrine and
Covenants as printed by them that
which they claimed was a revelation
from God endorsing polygamy.
When congress became convinced
that polygamy could not be defended
as part of religion under the Con-
stitution, they passed laws which
condemned it's practice under penalty.
Many of those in the practice were
fined and imprisoned, and lne consti-
nationality of this law was affirmed
by the supreme court of the United
States.
MILFORD Woodruff, then president
of the church in Utah, better known
as the Brighamite church, issued a
manifesto which was adopted by the
church, instructing the members to
cease the practice of polygamy, and
| by many this was thought to be the
end of trouble upon that point; but
not so, many continued the practice
Statehood was then petitioned for
under such agreements that it was
concluded that no polygamy would
| be practiced in Utah, but that it
would be treated as crime, and
| statehood was granted. Still polyga
my is practiced and state legislation
does not seem to be adequate to pre-
vent it, and the state had the effront
cry to ask to be represented in the
halls of congress by confessed pc
| lygamist, B. H. Roberts. This was
of course denied, but no action is
taken against him or others who con
fess that they are living with more
wives than one; and even now there
are in nearly every city of any size
representatives of that church who
are advocating polygamy in every
| home, where they will permit them
| to enter to converse upon their faith
This is in its nature unpatriotic il
not reasonable.
Since all past legal efforts have
not been adequate to prevent or pro
hibit the practice Of polygamy, there
seems but one thing now to do, which
is to amend the Constitution of the
United States so that polygamy will
be forever prohibited in all the states
and territories under it's Jurisdiction
AS a part of such amendment there
should be a clause forbidding any
| divorced person to marry again un
less the divorce is secured for the
Scriptural cause of adultery or forni
cation, or the companion from which
they are divorced dies or commits
adultery.
For such an amendment all God
fearing people should labor and pray
and for it has "The Re-organizeC
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Da.
Saints" raised it's voice at her las
two general conferences, and for i
we are now laboring.
In behalf of truth and good citizen
ship, am,
Elder j. F. Mintun
| Missionary in Charge of Des Moinel
| District of "The Re-organizet
Church of Jesus Christ of Latte
Day Saints" the headquarters o
which is at Lamont, Iowa.
| -.