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Show in thcso days of apostacy, his public manifesto: with a secret circular modifying modi-fying the former. As we said before.it would have been preferable had President Woodruff's manifesto been peremptory rather than advisory, but as he doubtless wished to maintain the abstract theory of plural marriage, with which we have nothing to do so long as it is not carried into actual and criminal practice, he chose the milder form of promulgation. We doubt not that the surrender of a doctrine doc-trine so stoutly upheld by the church was not voluntary, but forced by irresistible irre-sistible circumstances which we all understand, but without analyzing the motives there is no reason to believe that the manifesto will not be carried out in good faith. In all the conflicts arising from polygamy in Utah it has been justly charged that the Mormon church has never authoritatively oro-claimod oro-claimod against it; that it has never submitted to the law3 of the country aimed at its suppression, but that it covertly cov-ertly encouraged their duliance. Now that the church, through its head docs, however ungracefully, submit to the inevitable in-evitable and removes tho accusation, we believe that polygamy in this torritory is doomed and with it one of the moit odious and invidious questions that ever distracted politics, and it is from this that we expect a transition to better things in Utah. THE TIMES ANI) THB MANIFESTO. We expected when we expressed our views on President Woodruff's manifesto mani-festo to raise a howl in tho ranks of the rabid faction that has made Mormon baiting the controlling policy of its ex-istenco. ex-istenco. That class, steeped as it is in prejudice and rooted In bigotry, cannot can-not understand how a paper like The Times can bo a staunch advocate of the Liberal party and yet do justice when occasion demands it to tho other side. That class, unablo to deviato from its own narrow course, or reason beyond the cenflnes of Its own contracted mind, cannot appreciate the higher motives actuating men in setting the common wolfare above mere factional advan- tage. Hence we are not surprised in the least at the holy indignation which some of our contemporaries in Utah aud Colorado, in Wyoming and in Idaho profess at our comment on the manifesto., It is pretty hard on the organs of hate to hnrp forever and ayo on one single issue and then at an inauspicious inau-spicious momont have it knocked out of existence. On the othor hand a part of tho Mormon Mor-mon press, like tho Provo Enquirer, is not satisfied with our position. It says: The Salt lakh Times takes a more cheerful cheer-ful view of President Woodruff's manifesto than what the other Liberal organ in Bait Lake does, True; but that is because Tun Times does not live in musty reminiscences, but in the clear day of present promise. We fall to see that the manifesto is such an important document, that it can be said that we are so much nearer to ' the f ulllllment of Utah's grand mission" than in the past. And yet it is, for we repeat it abolishes abol-ishes polygamy in Utah, and thorcfore eliminates the most exocrablo feature of our politics and tho main objection to our claims for admission as a state. President Taylor declared his Intention somo Ave or six years no, of living within tho laws of tho laud. So It will be seen that It has been esteemed Juat) as much a duty even before this manifesto was Issued as now, hence we fall to see, as ThkTimks, that -probably no document Issuing from the head of the Mormon church of re; ent years carries with it the Ntgnltlcanceof President Woodruff's manifesto mani-festo concerning polyiiamy," as it is fully in accord with the teachings of the church and written word. We did not and do not set any particular partic-ular stress upon a goneral declaration, but in President Woodruff's manifesto uraur inese signiucant words: And I now publicly declare that my advice the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the laud. Nothing so specific has ever emanated from tho pen of President Taylor. How can those who persistently teach us that the mere suggestion of the head of the church is binding upon the conscience of the Saints explain away tho binding force of this deliberate "advice?" And how will they who Jexpatiate upon the iron discipline governing the Mormon church provide tor the necessary ceremonial cere-monial of plural marriage whon the priesthood is opeuly instructed to taboo it? We scarcely behove President Woodruff is fool enough to supplement. |