Show I flTESTORSI + l > Bra nls and riamingr Banners l Up the Populace I I I The Big Tabernacle Filled to Over I I I iloivin with Protestors l A Long Memorial to the President and People of the United States The Peculiarities of the XOrmoii Re JA Ihjion Set Forth The Enforcement of the Edmunds Law i Protested Against I I The Mormon People Too Pray for a Commlssl A Document Calculated to Fill President Presi-dent Cleveland with Dismay The announcement that resolutions of protestation against certain rulings of the courts would be presented by the committee com-mittee appointed at a Logan meeting last month drew an immense concourse of people to the large Tabernacle this afternoon after-noon A brass hand stationed at the en trance of the Tabernacle discoursed some preliminary music and then retired inside in-side After some little delay Mr Wm Jennings came forward and nominated Delegate John T Caine to the chair His nomination was sustained and he took the chair Heber 31 Wells was then appointed secretary pro tern Upon the request of the chair 1 Wells then came forward and read the call setting forth the reasons for calling the meeting Mr Jennings T G Webber Web-ber Elias Smith Jr and Romania Pratt were appointed as vicechairmen of the meeting and W 11 Stewart and Mrs Clayton as assistant secretaries The meeting was then regularly opened by singing by the choir followed with prayer by Apostle J Grant Mr Caine then came forward and ad dressed the assembly opening by saying that the object of the meeting was to consider matters that pertain not only to our welfare as members of the Church but as citizens of the United States Mr Caine reviewed at considerable length the early history of the Church The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints had been one of violence and j persecutions driven first from one place to another their lands and goods con fiscated and their prophets murdered the loyalty of the Mormons had continued unbroken I was hard to believe such persecutions could exist in a land dedicated dedicatec to liberty A hasty review of the early settlement of Salt Lake u valley eary iuveu uiuHiuy wal lyujiuuuiu our re igion scoff at our credulity i you will hut look at what we have accomplished accomplshed The speaker then passed on to the purposes pur-poses of the meeting stating that the grievance which was complained of was that laws which on their face are of gene ml application are made t apply to Mormons only I is for the purpose pur-pose of protesting against this distortion of laws that we are here t take advan tage of a constitutional right namely the right to assemble and peaceably protest against public grievances We hope that our petition will he granted but if it is not we have at least done our duty to ourselves and children I After a selection by the band 01 Whitney was introduced Bishop the following DECLARATION OF GRIEVANCES AND PROTEST To the President and People of the United U1ied Stales FELLOW CITIZENS A condition of af fairs imperiling the vital interests of the vast majority of the people of Utah and their corehgionists in the neighboring States and Territories impels us their I representatives to address you Our rights as American citizens are trampled upon and believing it our imperative duty in the presence of such a danger to protest against the gigantic evil which threatens not only our liberties but the liberties of every freeman we in general mass meeting assembled in the name of freedom justice and humanity make this appeal for relief and protection Vf nrrt minrmnlnr with our folium ar Ulouular fplnu I n n countrymen j it is our religion which makes us so j we are a small minority in their midst but we have yet to learn that these are grounds upon which to upn justify in a land of liberty the acts of op pression which we as a people from op beginning of our history have been made to suffer As to our religious faith it is based up on evidence which to our minds is conclusive con-clusive j convictions not to be destroyed by legislative enactments or judicial de cisions Force may enslave the body but it cannot convince the mind To yield at the demand of the legislator 10 or the jucge the rights of conscience would us recreant to II prove 10 every duty we owe to God and man fvmuiijj uiu principles oi our religion is that of immediate revelation from God one of the doctrines so revealed is celes tial or plural marriage for which ostensi bly we are stigmatized and hated This is a vital part of our religion the de relgion cisions of courts to the contrary notwith standing Even the Utah Commission concede this In their report to the Sec rotary of the Interior November 1884 speaking of plural marriage they marrage say This article of their faith is artce as much an I essential and substantial part of their creed as their belief I belef in baptism repent ance for the forgiveness of sins and the like l orthodox Mormons be lee polygamy to be right and that it is an essential part of their creed That the Latterday Saints should view this ns n Tirit r nlo nf tl oit 1mnn mn require explanation n bU > 1 Polygamy n un derstood among Occidental nations is a system of sensuality and it is difficult for people among them to conceive how it can be associated with pure religion But the Latterday Saints believe that the marriage relation is one which when properh solemnized here exists in eternity Every faithful woman in the Church believes that in order to insure her exaltation in the presence of God and I the Lamb she should be marriqd or I scaled to an upright faithful man Act ing upon this belief these alliances are I formed while on the earth alances upon the ae I I principle that the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in God the has Lord revealed They this firmly believe that I to them as a com mand but while a patriarchal I patriarhal marriage i it is as is termed is IS a part of their faith and practice they have no par idea that it should become universal The equality of the r equalty if sexes it no other reason rason would this It is prevent j I is a mistaken idea that our Church favors the propagation of this i propagtion doctrine or seeks to establish it as a uni I versal system At the same a time fully believe that women should we be j l C I married even if two or three of them as I II T i in the family of Abraham Jacob and others become the wives of one man > I Instead therefore of our system oi mar I huge promoting sensuality experience has proved that it checks it i and instead I of being destructive of the family relation I it is preservative of it I Plural marriage was publicly proclaimed pro-claimed a doctrine of the Church in ISoL Congress declared it a crime in 1802 j but I the law enacted against it remained for I I wAntAln PN lpuJ loftoj the Federl j officials l hesitating to enforce isif they i doubted its constitutionality The law oft of-t ISO9 was not declared constitutional until the 6th of January 1879 Plural marriage mar-riage therefore was openly taught and practised ten years before any law existed against and twentyseven years had elapsed from the time of its first public promulgation until the Supreme Court decided the law to be constitutional Thus it is apparent that plural marriage was not introduced in violation of law but the law was enacted against this principle of our rlgion The charges of treason ana reoeiuon made people are absurd against our as as they are untrue We have given too many proofs of our loyalty for such accusations accu-sations to have weight Thrice driven from our homes and while fleeing from the confines of the nation which refused us protection a call was made upon us for 500 men to assist in fighting our coun trys battles in Mexico They were promptly furnished though it took the flower of the camp the ablebodied men of that band of refugees They left their mothers wives and little ones encamped in tents and wagons upon the prairies and performed an unparalleled march of 2000 miles over barren plains and bleak mountains to the scene of action where they rendered signal service in their countrys cause The main body of the exiles continued their western flight until they reached the Rocky Mountains where they unfurled the Stars and Stripes which had led their desert march and two years after framed a Republican constitution con-stitution and applied for admission as a State into the Union Are these evidences evi-dences of disloyalty All through our history the general government gov-ernment has seemed to regard us less as loyal American citizens than as a dangerous danger-ous alien element I may have been induced in-duced at times to recognize that we had some justice on our side but it has never come to our defense To a delegation which narrated in burning words the story of our wrongs in Missouri the Chief Magistrate of the nation made the humiliating hu-miliating confession that though our cause was just he could do nothing for us The land whose Constitution in the language lan-guage of its framers was hoped to be broad enough to shelter under its mantle the Jew the Mohammedan the Pagan as well as the Christian has scarcely been able t tolerate much less to protect pro-tect the numerically insignificant Mormons Mor-mons The general government has ever manifested man-ifested a readiness to give ear to the unsupported charges of evildisposed persons per-sons against us and has sought to correct II alleged evils with extreme rigor We point particularly to the inglorious crusade cru-sade of 18378 known as the Mormon I War based upon the falsehoods of a Federal official when the Executive dispatched dis-patched an army to whip us into a loyalty loy-alty from which on investigation it was proved we had never departed Our re uemon was ioimu lu uu I what IL uiwuys has been the mere creation of an en emys fancy The authorities at Washington have disregarded our rights in the matter of mater local selfgovernment As early as 1849 the people of Utah framed a State constitution consti-tution and applied for admission into the Union Their application was repeated as conditions became more favorable first in 1850 again in 18G2 then in 1872 and lastly ii 1882 and each time has been ignored A Territorial government is not a Republican institution j but for thirtyfive years we have been compelled to accept the colonial conditions which it imposes and denied the most precious of all rightsthat of selfgovernment Only for the first ten years of our existence in the mountains were we vouchsafed this precious boon to any considerable degree during which time a man of our choice I occupied the position of Governor We possess every qualification for Statehood population wealth stability of commerce com-merce and society No reasonable excuse I ex-cuse can be assigned for the refusal of our application We submit that it should of right bo considered and favorably I acted upon I has been the undeviating policy to send strangers into our midst as governors gov-ernors judges prosecuting attorneys and marshals men who with marhals honorable exceptions ex-ceptions had no interest in the common welfare We complain not only of the personal character of these officials and that they have acted the part of petty despots among us trampling on our liber ties assuming prerogatives thpv novnr could presume to exercise except among l so unpopular a people and haughtily ig noring our rights and feelings but also that where this disposition has not been sufficiently pronounced popular clamor tending to engender and develop camor i been so strong that fair min led just men have enjoyed but short terms of office while those who possessed the one quali fication of hatred of the Mormon people I were kept secure in seats which they al most daily disgraced We complain of repeated manifestations I of illfeeling from the parent government I Even in small country towns Mormon postmasters have been displaced for strangers in some instances mere tran sients who in have trn sient many cases been re tained in 1 office although serious chares I Imppuneu uy evidence sworn to Dv re putable citizens have been preferred against them Mormons have been ire questly removed without just cause The names of postoffices in towns named for leading and beloved citizens men who laid the foundation of the Territorys prosperityhave been Territors whim or suggestion of some sinallsouled bigot or insignificant minority of petition ers the Federal government in all these movements using its power prejudicially to the great majority of the prejudirialy Our numerous petitions numelJUS protests and I memorials in our own defense have been I usually passed over unnoticed while peti I unnotced whie tions tons urging governmental action against acton us from religious denominations denominatons unac quainted with us except from I have been 1i nnrnM hearsay arort r vUU > HIVU ana generally acted upon Sixtyfive thousand names appended to a document asking for an investigation of the Utah situation before the Edmunds act should be passed the signatures of the people directly interested were cast aside as of no moment and the odious law was I to The its consummation pushed Commissioners appointed I the Edmunds law appinted abused under grossly lie abusec authority conferred conferrd upon them and i have usurped extraordinary illegal and 1 icgal arbitrary powers While their sole duty I under the law was to appoint registration I I I and election officers registrton j and ofcers to canvass the I returns und issue certificates of election j to members of the Legislative I Iegisltve Assembly they have I illegally assumed to exercise important legislative and judicial func tons judical i i They officially formulated an unauthor I f fn I ized and illegal gal i expurgatory test oath covering the whole life of tile individual and required each elector in the Territory to take it before he could register or vote and by their order the names of all per sons who failed to take this oath were stricken from the registry list rgistr lst They so u < r construed lthe test oath thatit could not I I be taken by any person who had ever lived in polygamy or who cohabited with more than one woman Iin the marriage relation but it could be and was taken by persons who cohabited with more than L one woman not in the Marriage relation thus disfranchising only Mormons and permitting nonMormon violators of the law to register and vote They have arbitrarily assumed to exer cise legislative powers by the promulga tirm of rules and order which in effect I materially changed the existing laws and L excluded from the polls thousands of legal voters who have since been restored to the privileges of electors by the decision deci-sion of the Supreme Court of the United L i States They have presumed to exercise the hIghest order of judicial authority by declaring de-claring void the acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah which L provides for the election of Territorial officers and thy have arbitrarily and j without authority of law forbidden and L I I I prevented the nmncn and return Of I any votes cst for these officers since the passage of the Edmunds law j thus completely nullifying and abrogating statutes of the Territory which have received ceived the implied sanction of Congress and have never been pronounced invalid by the courts but which have been in force and acted upon as valid laws for many years They have constituted themselves a Supreme Tribunal for the determination determina-tion of all matters in the Territory pertaining to elections and the qualifications qualifi-cations of voters and their opinions and orders upon these subjects have been regarded upn their appointees as the supreme law of the land They have grossly abused their authority au-thority in the appointment of registration registra-tion officers by selecting for such positions posi-tions whenever possible only such persons as belong to the antiMor mon faction denying to the majority party whose members comprise four fifths of the population of the Territory Terri-tory representation among the registrars regis-trars And in the appointment of judges of election they have either refused re-fused the majority party any representative represen-tative at all or have only given it one of the three judges in each precinct They have assumed to be charged as the representatives of the Federal Government here with the duty of suppressing sup-pressing polygamy and have presumed pre-sumed to advise the President and Con I gress as t tie KIIIU ot legislation they deemed necessary for that purpose recommending the most radical and extreme ex-treme measures thereby showing themselves them-selves the pronounced enemies of the Mormon people We complain of the injustice done us by the United States officials snt to execute exe-cute the laws j they have generally allied themselves with sectarian priests and po litical adventurers ltical adventurer lending their execu tive or judicial influence to foment local excitement aud degrade us in the estimation esti-mation of people abroad The Governors of Utah possessing absolute ab-solute veto power have usually been despotic in their ministerial acts I Governor Shafer in 1870 forbade the militia to muster drill or assemble for any purpose So far was this order carried car-ried into effect that the aid of Federal troops was invoked to prevent the march ing of a company of militia in Salt Lake City in a public celebration of the anni versary 01 American independence I The present Governor especially has acted the part of a petty tyrant In his official messages and reports 1 in his contributions to the press and in his public addresses he has persistently misrepresentated the state of affairs in afairs Utah and seized upon every opportunity to arouse popular prejudice and hatred against her people He sought to defeat the expressed will of the people by declaring a man receiv declaring ing 1357 votes elected over one for whom 18368 votes were cast He endeavored without authority of I law to displace the officers of the Terri tory elected by the people and fill their places with men of his own appointing He has accused us of lack of interest in educational matters but when a bill was passed by our Legislature appropriating money to build a University lie refused to sign it the j building however was j erected with means furnished by private citizens shame and stands a monument to his I The Edmunds act contemplates the discontinuance I dis-continuance of the Utah Commission so soon as the Territorial Legislature should provide for filling the registration and election offices under the local laws but when abill was submitted to him provid ing for this in full conformity to the Ed inunds law and other acts of Congress he vetoes the bill and thus continued the Commissioners in office contrary to the intention of Congress to the annoyance of the people of Utah and at great ex pense to the Nation The last Legislature bill passed a bi ap portioning the representation of the Ter ritory This bill was drawn up in accord ance wiin me governors suggestions but when it was presented to him for his sig nature he treated it with contemptuous silence thus insulting the legislators and the people who elected legslatrs These and many other similar acts brand him a despot unworthy govern act gover among his fellowmen The Edmunds law which not only pro vides for the punishment of polygamy but also for cohabitation with more than one woman whether in the marriage re lation or outside of it is made to operate upon one class of people only the Mor mons and yet of the nonMormon class who transgress the law the name is legion The paramour of mistresses parmour and har lotss UII auu 1ar secure from prosecution walks in the streets in open day No United States official puts a spotter on his trail or tri makes an effort to efort drag his deeds of shame and guilt before a judge and jury for investigation and punishment jur note the contrast In Utah Idaho and Arizona a ed assault is made upon Arzona Mormon concert people Spotters and spies dog their foot steps Delators thrust themselves into bedchambers and watch at windows nhrn T u ace 4uesuuneu me questoned upon streets as to the marital relations of their pa I rents Families are dragged before Com missioners and grand juries j and of punishment for contempt jures are on pain husbands pelled to testify rracf against their fathers com and I 4U VUJU ce maae to I answer shamefully indecent questions as to the sexual relations relation of men and women Attempts are made to bribe men to brbe bore work up cases against their neigh bor Notoriously disreputable charac tens chamc ter are employed to spy into I ily relations mens fam I of Contrary to good law persons accused prove crime themselves are esteemed innocent guilty The until burden they of proof rests upon the accused instead I of a upon the accuser Trial accued by jury in thf > I iiiuncaia no longer a safeguard against injustice to a Mormon accused of 11ormon crime Accusation is equivalent to conviction when fail Juries to he find are is packed a a verdict Mormon to against convict insult the and accused if they are heaped upon them by the and antiMor abuse mon ant lor press Men fearful of not obtaining justice i the courts are avoiding arrest arests believing no fair and impartial Sn trial be had can b under existing circumstances who There contracted are persons in the community there contrctd plural marriages before was any law thl andrewhn1any against the practice who have not since entered into relations After the passage of the such Ed j I mum net and out of f defcroncoto its ic quiiements they ceased tp cohabit ith their plural wives Such men haelo t lated no law and yet they are harrassed and dIn d-In consequence of this crusade whiCh bears all the aspects of a religious persecution perse-cution business relations are disturbed j values of even kind unsettled neighborhoods neighbor-hoods agitated and alarmed j and property proper-ty of the people generally jeopardized It not only aflectsalleged violators of the I law but those who are innocent of trans Dressing it It works a hardship upon Fhdsentire community upon the innocent as well as the guilty The overwhelming majority of the Mormon Mor-mon people are monogamist and but a small percentage are even suspected of violating the law In the name of this great majority u3 pray that this unusual cruel and partial administration of the of the law shall cease I the conscience of the people J demand de-mand that the law be enforced let it be enforced in all the Territories and in the i f nnJnhig rnll in TTfoll I n nr nCit nf < I ul < I TTnh upon Jew and Gentile as well l as upon til I Mormon These are some of our grievances Now hear our protest We protest against unfair treatment on the part of the general government We protest against a continuance of Territorial bondage subversive t the rights of freemen and contrary to the spirit of American institutions We protest against special legislation the result of popular prejudice and religious ious i-ous interference We protest against the conscience of one class of citizens being made the criterion cri-terion by which to judge another We protest against the tyranny of Federal Fed-eral officials and the continuance in 1 office of men who disgrace their positions I and use their official powers as a means of oppression We protest against the partial administration admin-istration of the Edmunds lawthe punishing pun-ishing of one class for practising their religion re-ligion and exempting from prosecution the votaries of lust and crime crme I We protest against the breaking up of family relations formed previous to the passage of the Edmunds law and the depriving de-priving of women and children of the support and protection of their husbands and fathers We protest against the prosecution of persons many of whom are infirm and aged who entered into plural marriage before it was declared a crime and have crme never violated any law AVe respectfully ask for the appointment by the President of a commission to fairly and thoroughly investigate the Utah situation situ-ation and pending its report we solemnly protest against the continuance of this merciless crusade Pending the adoption of the resolutions resolu-tions several gentlemen addressed the meeting each speaking favorably of the i measures and trusting that they would prove efficient We go to press before a report of the action on the resolutions could be secured but there is no doubt of an adoption |