The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-12

suppressed by taking away the political
power OF the sect which encourages and
sustains it
The power of Congress to enact suit
ample. Ii is not a case for halfway meas
ures. The political power OF the Mormon
sect is increasing, 1t controls now one
OF our wealthlest and most populous Ter
ritories. Wherever 1t goes II establishes
polygamy and sectarian power The sane
lity Of marriage and the family relation
are the corner stone OF our American So
ciety and civilization, Religious liberty
and separation Of church and State are
among the elementary ideas of free in
stitutions. To re-establish the interests
and principles which polygamy and Nor
monism have imperiled. and to fully re-
open TO intelligent and virtuous immi-
grants OF all creeds that part OF our do
main which has been, in a great degree:
closed to general immigration by ntol-
Grant and immoral institutions, II is rec
commended that the Territory of Utah he
reorganized. 2
Ofends Moral Sense
President Garfield, in his inaugural
address March i. 1881. said "The
Mormon church not only offends the
moral sense Of mankind by sanction
ing polygamy, but prevents the admin
istration OF justice through ordinary
pressed the opinion that Congress
should prohibit polygamy and not al
low ''any ecclesiastical organization to
usurp, in the smallest degree, the func-
tious and power of the National Gov
eminent
In 1881 President Arthur. in his an
pual message to Congress. called atten-
tion 10 the continuous practice of polyg-
amy IN the Territory of Utah in the
following language:
For many years the Executive, in his
ta1 IHz,N a
the necessity of stringent legislation for
the suppression OF polygamy In the Terri
tories. and especially in the Territory Of
Utah. The existing statute for the pun
ishment OF this odious crime so revolt
Ing 10 Chrstendom. has been persistent
" and contemporary violated ever since
It's enactment. Indeed. In spite of the
commendable efforts on the part OF the
authorities who represent the United
States I'm that, Territory the law has IN
very rare instances been enforced. and
for cause. 10 which reference will pres
entity be made. practically a dead letter
The fact that adherents of the Mormon
church. which rests upon polygamy MS Its
corner stone have recently been settling
in large numbers I'm Idaho. Arizona and
other OF the western Territories. is well
calculated to excite the greatest interest
and apprehension. It imposes upon Con
greSs and the Executive the duty OF ar
rayng against this barbarous system all
the power which. under the Constitution
and the laws, they can WELD for it's de
Struction
Edmunds Law Passed
Following tins suggestion of Presi-
dent Arthur, Senator Edmunds intro
duced bin TO amend the act Of july
l, 1862, which was passed by Congress
and approved March %, 1882. This
act, known rs the Edmunds law, was
the most drastic vet proposed, and
srruck a deadly blow at the very root
of the evil It made bigamy,
polygamy, and polygamous cohabita-
tion crimes punishable by fine and
imprisonment, it excluded from the
Jury box on the trial of any person
charged with the violation of such act
every person who had been or was
then living in violation of this
statute, or who believed in the right
fulness of the acts prohibited ii dis
franchised all persons who were guilty
of violating the provisions of such
enactment, and rendered them iuelig-
iblc for election or appointment to any