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Show i . DISCUSS AND AGITATE ! ( The introduction of Mr. Woodburn's ; anti-polygamy bill in the House of Repre- sentatives on Monday has resulted in j evoking considerable discussion over the i merits of that measure as compared with j the Edmunds bill now in the hands of the j House Judiciary Committee, and in which it is sought to incorporate the pro- ' visions formulated by Senator Edmunds I " since the bill's passage in the Senate. , : Under the circumstances, it may not be amiss to reproduce that jwrtion of the ; .proposed amendment to the Edmunds . bill which strikes directly at the great j evil here. -x As given by the Chicago J !, Tiineg, it is substantially as follows: I , - f It is proposed to excuse every person from I .. participating in the Territorial government 1 1 unless he is registered hereafter; and to en- j , i title him to be registered he must take an I ! I . oath in writing that he is sincerelv attached I" to the principles of the Constitution of the United States; that he regards the Constitution, Constitu-tion, the acts of Congress, and of the Territorial Ter-ritorial Legislature as interpreted by the courts as the supreme law of the land; that he declares allegiance to the government of I the United States, and renounces all allegi- ance to any other power, civil or ecclesias tical; that he has no sympathy with the po-' po-' litioal aims or intentions of the Mormon ; i. Ctr-rh, and is opposed to any interference h -. i church with the exercise of the elec-, elec-, ' 1 - u-nnchise by dictating to or counseling t ..jter how he shall not vote or how he shall perform official duties; that lie dent, de-nt, unces as pernicious and holds not binding upon him any such counsel or dictation; that i he is separated from the political party of ' "e church, and solemnly promises and I oars that he will not act or be in concert . ith any political party acting or which may i .'iejeafter act to carry out the politioal will ; i of the church or of any Mormon political i j Iarty. i j This is a sweeping measure, and if ; ! enacted into law, would doubtless fully ' j ! meet the expectations of its author. As I ' J pointed out in the Democrat last evening, ! tais air;'" -nent recognizes as the basis ! ;; I of disfr.i; .'ilsement, the fact that "every , 1 Mormn : li.Ject ofor'an officer in, j i the Kiujjdo.il of God on earth, and must i therefore" of necessity be an1 alien, if not , ' , f a traitor, to th ; United States, because ; one and all of these people are engaged ; ' : in a conspiracy to establish by apparent : ; republican form1; and methods a theo- cratic empire." - i ;. j On the other hand, the Woodburn bill recognizes poly uiiy as the basis of dis- ! franchisement, thus le.iving in the hands j ; of the priesthood means by which they I i : may escape the consequences of the pre- j ! scribed oatli by simply yielding,?, or pro- - I fessing to yield, up polygam. Without amendment in this respect,' then, this j bill looks as though it might fail where ! the Edmunds bill would prove efficacious. ! It is highly desirable that Utah should ; j at once be given soms such legislation as 1 is proposed in one or both of these ibills. ; t To that end the Gentiles of Utah should I not fail, through an accredited source, to j j make such suggestions- in the proper I : j . quarters at Washington as will result in f I ":!' giving us just what is needed. And this f j , is a work, too, as we have heretofore sug- i gested, that should be engaged in by : i ail non-Mormons, irrespective of political . ! ; professions. If the Edmunds bill is deemed the proper measure, let it be so j understood ; if it be deemed wisdom to ' ; supplement that by the Woodburn bill, ' ; let that be understood, so that a con- ' certed and vigorous effort may be .made ' " '. to pet the legislation we need. Any half-way measures at this late . ; ; Jay would work irreparable disaster to l : f , this Territory. The Gentiles should see : that none such are permitted to pass, if r they can prevent it by making the proier j j representations to Congress. |