The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-07-04
An Old Petition.

that came out of the heart of Mormondom thiry-six
years ago. voiced by the suffering women of the
realm of Brigham Young
At that early day the prophet seeking adj
mission to the union for Utah. that he might shake
off the rule of the federal government, which
beginning place restrictions the unlimited power
he had enjoyed in the mountain isolation of his de-
luded people
Nearly 500 women of the territory sent petition
to congress in opposition to statehood in the year
1872 and thousands of others would have signed it
but for their reasonable fear of the consequences.
The petition was prepared by Mrs A. G. Paddock,
of Salt Lake, a with abundance of Nor
mon experience and the author of several valuable
books on the subject of Mormonism. She says in
presenting the subject of the petition in of her
books "that in 1872 there few Gentle
in the territory and women who had once been Nor
signed the petition at great personal risk.
Many to whom the petition presented said:
Every word is true, and we want to sign it, but
dare not
This petition constitutes an interesting fragrant
of history and in reading it feel assured that
conditions have improved in Mormondom only
far as American laws have compelled Improvement.
Mormonism is always bad circumstances will
permit and if it gains in government the ascendency
for which it is striving it will revert to the con-
dtons of 1872 and the darker years preceding that
date
The petition of the women of Utah reads as fol-
lows:
To the senate and house of representatives of the
United Statese in congress assembled: We, your
petitioners residents of the territory OF Utah, the
mothers sisters and wives of her loyal citizens ap
peal to you in the of justice and humanity, not
to withdraw your protection from us. Our sole
dependence is upon you Only the strong arm OF the
federal government can secure to u.s. and to our
husbands and brothers and sons, the enjoyment OF
the rights guaranteed by the constitution of our
country.
For more than twenty years Utah, though terri
tory of the United States, and as such nomnaly I'M
der the jurisdiction of congress, has been IN reality
governed altogether by the Mormon priesthood Let
history tell the nature of their rule.
No more. bloody despotism has dsgraced the
earth in modern times Brigham Young, in the self
appointed character of Gods vcegerent, has held
the life, liberty and property of the people in his
hands. Disobedience to him has been accounted
crime not to be atoned for except by blood
Nothing that the people possessed could be called
their own except by his will Not only they
required to pay into the church treasury onetenth
of all their property, but they liable at any
time to be ordered to give up their homes to the
prophet; and this order dared disobey. Many
of your petitioners have been robbed thus in years
past Women who by the labor of their own hands,
have earned the shelter of roof for themselves and
their little ones have been deprived of that shelter by
Brigham Youngs commands. The bread has been
taken from the little children's mouths to swell the
revenues Of the church and enable its rulers to add
house to house and field to field.
But these robberes a little thing compared
with other enormities perpetrated by the despotic
rulers of this people in the of religion. During
all the years that their will has been law III Utah.
mans life no woman's honor has been safe, if either
stood in their way Never, in this world, will the
history of their dark and bloody deeds be fully
written for the victim and witness of many TRACE
dy hidden together in the grave
For twenty years none dared lift their voices in
complaint or condemnation; and now, when liberty
of speech so long denied is vouchsafed, it is fitting
that womans voice should be heard, for woman has