The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-10-13

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 l have found
countless numbers of them in their
homes, living frugal, peaceful, indus
trious, respectable lives, not in polyg-
amy. but in the love of their one wife,
and in the love Of their children, living
respectable, intelligent, Industrious
lives.
1 have asked the plain question of
them, time and time again, and most
always ask 1t, IL they believe in polyg-
amy, and / invariably receive the an
swer that they do not. l am not bit
shy about questioning them, becaus 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, OF u
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
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.
l was astonished to hear my col
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. l see men in this audience
who sat with me in that constitutional
convention and who helped frame this
provision. 1t came before a committee
Of whom / 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 Tsee 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. 1t Is only
few years since the time when Sena-
tor Dubois was elected to the senate,
when they had the power, and the ma
state to pass any law they. wanted to.
But polygamy did not seem so heinous
an offense at that time because 1t 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 might see who
voted on that question and how they
voted. am not going to bother you
very long with this Mormon question,
but l want you to know that we are
not in such desperate straits as they
would have you believe.
The Law 10 Complete.
The provision Of the constitution
reads thus: mo person Is permitted
to vote, serve as 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
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 has
not been restored to the rights of citi-
zenship. or who, at the time of such
election, Is confined in prison on con-
viction of criminal offense; or who
Is bigamist or polygamist, or is living
In what Is known as patriarchal, plural
or celestial marriage, or in violation of
any law of this state. or of the United
States forbidding any such crime, or
who in any manner teaches, advises,
counsels, aids or encourages any person
to enter into bigamy, polygamy, or such
patrialchal, plural or celestial mar
riage, or to live in violation of any such
law, or to commit any such crime; or
| who Is a member of or contributes to
the support, aid or encouragement of
any order, organization, association,
corporation or society which teaches
advises, counsels, encourages or aids
amy or such patriarchal or plural mar
riage, or which teaches or advises that
the laws Of this state prescribing rules
of civil conduct are not the supreme
| law of the state; thus, so far, the
rest of 1t applies to the Chinese and In
dams. That is the constitution, that is
higher law than any statute. They
repealed what is known as the Test
Oath law in 1895 by vote lacking one
OF being unanimous in the legislature OF
this state. opposed the repeal OF
that law. That is ancient history
The legislature, without regard to
party lines, repealed the statute on
that subject. They needed no statute
the constitution is sufficient to prevent
lnem from Young. senator DUBOIS
proposed, in his speech. and in his in
terview that was published at the
time of the convention at Occur
| d'Alene to disfranchise them. II they
come within this provision they are dis
| franchised now. He lives In a county
that is perhaps more than half Nor
mons-if there Is a polygamist mar
riage In his county, the county in
which he lives. have seen no record
in any paper of him having made any
complaint before any judge. The
judge Of that county, and Of that dis
| trict is not Mormon. Judge Ste-
vens is as far from being a Mormon,
or in sympathy with polygamy as any
man in this house, and last night, or
the night before, or when Senator Du-
bois spoke. he selected Bear Lake
county, because 1t so happened that the
judge of that county is a Mormon,
but not polygamist, but he does not
select Fremont county, or Bingham
county or any other county where
Judge Stevens is the judge, and where
the judge and the county attorney both
are gentiles.
Now why doesn't he make complaint
against those people he charges with