Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-10-13

the doctrine of the Mormon church.
other than the polygamist principles.
shall be prevented from exercising the
rights OF citizenship, or shall be held |
up to disgrace and ridicule before the /
world. l have been among these peo-
pie for many years, and have found |
countless numbers OF them in their |
homes, living frugal. peaceful, indus
trious, respectable lives, not in poiyg- |
amy, but In the love Of their one wife, |
and in the love Of their children. living |
respectable, intelligent, industrious
lives.
l have asked the plain question Of
them, time and time again, and most
always ask 1t, II they believe in polyg-
amy, and / invariably receive the an
swer that they do not. l am not bit
shy about questioning them, because l
do not recognize that part of the old
Mormon doctrine as religion at all.
Talk about the Republican party be-
| ing in favor OF the Mormon doctrine or
the Mormon church. or polygamy, CA o
| sheltering or shielding them. They do
| themselves dishonor when they make
such statements because they know
they are not true. They know that the
Republican party placed the stamp of
disapproval upon polygamy and wrote
a prohibition in the constitution Of the
state that makes 1t absolutely impos-
sible for a polygamist or a man who
believes or teaches polygamy TO vote
at any election in this state without
committing a crime. Why, they would
have you believe that the door was
wide open, and that they were soar
ing like the guardian angel above 1t in
white wings and robes to protect you
in the purity of the home and that In
their hands rested the destiny OF the
/ homes of America.
-
league in the senate call attention to
this provision in the constitution the
other night and then seem TO fail to
comprehend that he had read himself
out of court. / see men in this audience
who sat with me in that constitutional
convention and who helped frame this
| provision. IL came before a committee
of whom 1 was the chairman-the ju-
dietary committee of that body. 1t was
considered there as to its legality and
conformity with the limitations OF the
constitution of the United States, as to
the restraint of the right of suffrage;
and L see other members here who sat
with me. 1t was intended to do just
what they professed they wanted to do,
and what they never attempted to do
when they had the power II Is only
few years since the time when Sena-
tor Dubois was elected to the senate,
when they had the power, and the ma
jority and the administration in this
state to pass any law they wanted to.
But polygamy did not seem so heinous
an offense at that time because IL was
polygamist votes in part that elected
/ him. my esteemed colleague, to the
senate.
got the roll call of the senate to-
day, in order that l might see who
: voted on that question and how they
= voted. l am not going to bother you
1 very long with this Mormon question,
but | want you to know that we are
E not in such desperate straits as they
would have you believe.
The Law Is Complete.
The provision of the constitution
!. reads thus: mo person is permitted
!, to vote, serve as a juror or hold any
, civil office who is under guardianship
idiotic or insane; or who has, at any
= place, been convicted of treason, felony
embezzlement OF the public funds, bar
O. tering or selling, or offering TO barter
= or sell, his vote, or purchasing or offer.
= ing to purchase the vote of another
= or other infamous crime, and who hal
= not been restored to the rights of citt
= zenship, or who. at the time of suci
= election, is confined in prison on con
~ viction of a criminal offense; or whit
= is bgamist or polygamist, or is livinl
20 or celestial marriage, or in violation o
y any law of this state. or Of the Unite'
- States forbidding any such crime, o
~ who in any manner teaches, advises
), counsels, aids or encourages any persol
:. to enter into bigamy, polygamy, or sucl
- patrialchal, plural or celestial mar
- riage, or to live in violation of any sucl
y law, or to commit any such crime; o
- who is a member of or contributes L
I" the support, aid or encouragement o
= any order. organization, association
- corporation or society which teaches
- advises, counsels, encourages or aid
q any person to enter into bigamy polyg
-, - amy or such patriarchal or plural mar
riage, or which teaches or advises tina
- the laws of this state prescribing rule
~ of civil conduct are not the suprem
- law of the state; thus, so far, tn
~ rest OF II applies to the Chinese and In
dians. That is the constitution, that
q higher law than any statute. The
=. repealed what is known as the Tef
se Oath law in 1895 by vote lacking on
~ of being unanimous In the legislature {
~ this state. 1 opposed the repeal {
\, that law. That is ancient histor.
~, The legislature, without regard
IN party lines, repealed the statute o
~ that subject. They needed no statut
"a the constitution is sufficient to prever
- them from voting. Senator Dubo
proposed, in his speech, and in his In
\. terview that was published at II
~ time of the convention at Coel
ca d'Alene to disfranchise them. II the
tte come within this provision they are dis
- franchised now. He lives in a count
~ that is perhaps more than half MOI
"a mons--if there is a poygamist maj
90 riage in his county. the county
= which he lives, l have seen no recoi
g. I'm any paper Of him having made ar
~ complaint before any judge. III
"a judge of that county, and Of that di
q trict is not a Mormon. Judge ST.
~. vens is as far from being a Mormo
uS or in sympathy with polygamy as an
a Nv man in this house. and last night,
-, the night before, or when Senator d.
- bois spoke, he selected Bear Lal
y county because 1t so happened that Il
Judge OF that county is a Mormo
-, but not a polygamist, but he does n
o. select Fremont county, or Bingha
.ss county or any other county whe
IL Judge Stevens is the judge, and whe
- the judge and the county attorney bo
&c are gentiles.
Now why doesn't he make complai
against those people he charges wi
this violation OF the law, because eve