| Show 3IOE3IONS IN IDAHO The San Francisco Eramincr thinks the abandonment of polygamy by the Mormon church will have immediate and weighty political consequences for the reason that the action instantly enfranchises all Mormons Mor-mons who arc not actual polygamists or at least enables them to tike the oath which is I the test of citizenship in Idaho and Utah I The editor goes on explain that when a I citizen of Idaho is challenged for Mormonism Mormon-ism ho must swear that he is not a member of any organization that teaches any practice prac-tice contrary to tho laws of the land and that he does not contribute to the support of any such organization Heretofore those Mormons who have wished to take the risk of voting hrve withdrawn temporarily tempo-rarily from membership in the church but this has been held to be an illegal subterfuge subter-fuge and has subjected them to punishment punish-ment Hereafter they can boldly take the oath while remaining in full fellowship with their organization The Mormon church no longer teaches polygamy Nobody No-body can prove that it comes under the ban Its sacred books will testify in its favor The Book of Mprmon condemns plural marriages Our esteemed contemporary does not understand the situation in Idaho It is not to the Mormon as a religionist nor to his polygamy that the Idahoans object It is to the way in which he votes If the Mormons had been given to voting the Republican Re-publican ticket nobody would have suggested sug-gested their disfranchisement and the test oath clause would never have appeared in theconstitution Two years ago a number of men who had not been members of the church for years and were not in sympathy with the church subscribed to tho test oath as they had a perfect right to do but they were nevertheless indicted and punished They were Democrats in politics poli-tics willIe the election machinery and the courts were controlled by Republicans and antiMormons Of course the manifesto forbidding polygamy should remove the last barrier which stands between the Idaho Mormon and full citizenship and we sincerely hope it will for it is an awful thingior men to live as the Mormons in Idaho are living vithout voice or I influence in the government which they support with their taxes subject in their persons and property to their enemies and permitted fewer political rights than the tramps who count railroad ties and ride on brakebeams enjoy But we have little confidence in an improvement in the un American condition of things so long as the control of the state shall be retained by those now in power The men who tOOk advantage of the test oath to deny the right to vote to men who had not been Mormons for years who had contributed nothing to the support of the church and who did not recognize in the least degree the authority of the church will not we fear hesitate to exercise the arbitrary power with which they are clothed to deny the privilege of the ballot to Mormons notwithstanding the fact thai polygamy has been forbidden in the most solemn and effective manner possible However the effect of the churchs action ac-tion upon those who interpret and those who administer the law will naturally be watched for with some interest both in and out of the new state |
