The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-07-11
Six Years of Effort.

Six Years of Effort.
For six years the regular organized democracy of
the state of Idaho has demanded that full force and
effect be given to Section III, Article VI of
constitution which provides follows:
No person is permitted to vote, serve juror,
or hold any civil office who is under guardianship,
idiotc insane, or who has, at any place. been
victed of treason felony, embezzement of the public
funds, bartering selling offering to barter or
sell his vote, purchasing or offering to purchase
the vote of another, other infamous crime and
who has not been restored to the rights of citizen
Ship who at the time of such election is confined
in prison on conviction of criminal offense or who
is bigamst poygamist is living in what
is known as patr1arGhal' plural or celestial
this state or of the United States, forbdding any
such crime who, in any manner, teaches, advises,
counsels aids or encourages any person to enter into
bgany, polygamy, such patr1archal plural, or
celestial marriage, to live in violation of any such
law, or to commit any such crime; or who is MEM
Der of contributes to the support, aid, en-
cOuragement OF any ORDER organization association
corporation society, which teaches, advises
sells, encourages, or aids any person to enter into
bigamy polygamy, such patriarcha, or plural mar
riage, which teaches advises that the laws of
this state prescribing rules of civil conduct not
the supreme law of the state
Section ~ of the article reads as follows
The legislature may prescribe qualifications limit
at1OnS and conditions, for the right of suffrage adj
ditional to those prescribed in this article but shall
never annul any of the provisions in this article
tanned.
An oath embodying the provisions of the consttu-
ton above quoted is all that the regular organ
lied democracy of this state is demanding as test
oath, electors oath. To make such an oath
effective each person who offers to register in order
to vote at election to be held in this state
should be required to take such an oath, and should
also be required to take the same oath before he
deposits his ballot in the ballot box. What objections
the Mormons and their synpathsers can have to a
plank in the state democratic platform requiring such
an oath to be taken as prerequisite for voting in
this state is hard understand if they are not pro-
tecting polygamy. Certainly good citizen should
insist that any provision of the constitution of our
state should be dead letter SO long as it remains
part of the constitution.
The only conceivable objection to Section III of
Article VI of constitution by the Mor1nons and
their Sympathsers, is that its enforcement would pre-
vent the Mormons from voting. In other words that
the provisions contained in said section of the const
tuition would disqualify the Mormons from voting be-
cause they still believe in poygany and the Mormon
church still teaches advises, counsels, aids and
courages persons to enter into poygamous, patriarch
al, plural or celestial marriage. That the Mormons
recognize polygamy divine command is evil
denced by the following quotation from the Doctrine
and Covenants of the church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints containing the revelations given
to Joseph Smith, Jr, the prophet page 1853:
l. Verify, thus sayeth the Lord unto you, my
want Joseph, that lnasmuch you have inquired of
my hand to know and understand wherein [, Moses,
David and Solomon, my servants as touching the
principle and doctrine of their having many wives
and concubines
@ Behold and 10! l. the Lord, thy God, will
answer thee as touching this matter.
B. Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and
obey the instructions which [ about to give unto