Show ADMISSION OF IDAHO JjpCCCli ofPiionJebn T Calne vt t CUbf In the Home of Keirrsen titiTcs Thursday Ipril 3nJ JSOO Onlho UliU n 5S2to provide for tho admission of the State of Idaho Into the Union Mr Calncsald Mr Speaker I am In ever of tIme admission t sthtehood of l tho Territories a oon nstlity baveUm requisite qualifications and adopt constitutions as the fundamental lawuf thufuture States whlch ro lw te at Ies > t republican in form Although Al-though time Territory which L have the honor represent has for many years I > OM > ecd all the requisite I qualifications for statehood tint has been denied that precious boon because be-cause the majority of her people were members uf I uurucrually wcaR and uni pular church nut Because of plygamy for the great majority them never practiced It but because theywere Mormons I The same spirit hlch has denied statehood to Llali proposes DuI to dlsfranlhlre time members of the I Mormon Church in the future State of Idaho Because they are lyga mils Not at al for it was shown In evidence fon the committees on the Territories both of the Senate Sen-ate nnd the House that not more than one hundred and twentyfivu men out of the twenty or twenty live thousand Mormin living In Idaho had ever been in niiy polygamous polyga-mous relation At the pnscnt time those mel while suppoiting their families arenot livings with them in violation of law What then are the reasons for this wholesale difran ebeut1 There are two one r ligious Uley are members of the Mormon Church the other ollUcal it is fcuppcscd that they will vote the Democratic ticket The Mormon cititcns of Idaho arm counted to obtain the necessary population for statehood and they will be heavily taxed t support the State government Taxation without with-out representation Ls just as odious now as it was in the days before tho Revolution Its enforcement by an alleged free and sovereign fctate will be no leas detestable tlian it was by King George the Third I fear we are gradually departing from fho o great principles of free gov ernment founded by the fathers of hich Independence gave birth to the Declaration The spucr here quoted from the report Of Governor Stevenson of Idaho In which the Mormons are spoken of In high terms for their thrift industry and tcmperauce This Ifctlmony t time character ol the Mormon people of Idaho and the work they have performed in redeeming that once bleak aud sterile region 81 eaka loudly in their praIse pr jt fortbeee labors that they are t be disfranchised n I it tee they have rendered their country abundantly fruitful in grain hay and vegetables of almost ever kind tnt they a to be disfranchised I it lou they have erected substantial public buildings and the finest church edifice in Idaho that they areto be disfranchised I it because In Paris wit Cn population of about 1500 all Mormons Mor-mons there Is not a saloon or gamblinghouse or any other place where intoxicating liquor L sold anti this Is the case Iu all towns iu Idaho where these i ople have exclusive ex-clusive control that they are lobe disfranchised I 1 i because their towns and villages vil-lages are thrifty and their farms well cultivated their buildings generally gen-erally substantial and many of them stylish with all the modern Improvements Im-provements that make I country look progressive and prosperous n3 fJ that they are to be disfranchised If It because these j ople areas are-as a rule frugal Industrious and I honest that they arc t bu dIe frauchised I tin the bcstcltizera of Idaho I have no wish or desire t persecute wrong or oppress the Mbrmon people peo-ple nor do they wish 10 dtpr 1 thom of any of their rights a American citizens then I ask why or they I to L disfranchised I laW for 1 reply rllI will be said it isberause they hut Governor practice polygamy 1ut Gocor Stevenson says that he was Informed hymen high in authority In the I Mormon Church and In whose word I he had the highest confidence that they are willing to live up to the laws which they claim are now being fairly and more humanely administered ad-ministered aud that the doctrine of plural marriages Is tot practiced a formerly or taught either publicly or privately and that theydo not teach advise counsel or encourage time practice of polygamy or bigamy Thus Governor Stuvcusous statement state-ment which agrees with the testimony I testi-mony gIven before the committees of Congress during the pat Iwo yearjyfully dif poses of tho Iuuge of I polygamy The gentleman from Idaho Mr Dubois has wltfiernuch seeming pathos told you of the wretched appalling misery and dcgradaUou ol polygamist women and children he had witnessed in Idaho Why gentlemen there are thousands ol cases of misery and degradation ex UtingnmoDg women and children who are notpolygamists In every State In this Union but Uiat js e2 reason why whole communities should b disfranchised lie has cit an iucidentwhich hesouphtto t make very dramatic lie had seen mman alleged second wife on the wit uric stand and heard her swear that she was not married to the defendant defend-ant Well now if she was on alleged al-leged second len could she iu tow be married t the defendant May net her lawyer have advised hereto maVe such answer hoIJIujthat In law she was not a wife But technicalities asIde I any such case exited and can not say I it didnot the woman was doubtless a plural wife and to save her husband hus-band the father of her children from merciless prosecution t r him upon whom the and her unborn un-born babe were dependent for support sup-port she denied that she o married mar-ried to him While I do not lustifv any person In testifying falsely I will say that i Is nut the tlt Ume into in-to worlds history that women have sworn falsely to save their husbands from jninlslimcut On the mimic stage such women are heroines and their acts are applauded to the echo The gentleman had no word of condemnation for the cruel law the brutal prosecutor and the inexorable inexora-ble judge who compelled the woman totestify under such circumstance I he hod told you how helpless delicate women and innocent children chil-dren Were hunt down like wild beasts dragged into court badgered by lawyers and who failing t testify test-ify to eult tile prosecution were thrust into filth prisonsamong thieves aud murderers nnC kept there UU forced t answer question which would convictUielr husbands and fathers he could have drawn a picture much more realistic than nnyaore by tho horrors of polyg nmyHe lie failed to tell you how in Idaho and Utah juries were packed t convict con-vict Mormons of polygamous pr tiers j how time Territories were ransacked ran-sacked to fled material for juries that would bring in the right kind of verdicts He forgot to recite how high cur official in his Territory after an herculean effort t secure a jury warranted to convict sacrilegiously sacri-legiously declared that ho had secured se-cured I jury who would convict Jesus Christ Himself The gentleman gentle-man has not told you fractional part r the appalling misery and degradation t which polygamist women and children have beeu subJected sub-Jected In lime Territory bf Idaho Had I his learning and eloquence I could trW 1 picture that would make time angels weep but I rather hang ray brad in shame antI blush forhumanlly speak of the outrages out-rages committed In the came of law li tjo in ClaIm and Idaho for the alleged suppression of polygamy Tho gentleman from Idaho and others on the republican side of the House have cither by direct aie gallon or artful InuenJo charged LneMormoii jwjpleTrith disloyalty to the government I Jeuy the charge and 1 assert that few people of any age or cnt have been more patient peaceable and submissive than the Mormons often undsrsach circumstances rf lAlpabla wrong crmtn llpll and oppression a have inetr Insurrection In other slstance communltii and lurton oter ha been made to certain cer-tain expressions of Individuals among the Mormons under circumstance circum-stance of excitement and exaspera lne eXpra ton as evidence didoyalry of the whole Mormon people Wearoabo arraigned for disloyalty because we have sometimes protested against lausand decisions which wedeomed t be oppressive and unjustly discriminative dis-criminative againstour people Our belief In God as the supreme ruler of the Universe and unlven His overruling providence and authority has been distorted by our enemies Into treason againstUragovcrnmeut How would ngln6tU gocrmeut gentlemen who are cltliens of the States like to EUve their loyally tried by such standards as these The constituents of the gentleman from 2 6vr York Mr Raker may freely denounce time governor aud time legislature criticise the decisions of the judiciary or denounce theIr sheriffs and even send them to rime penitentiary The constituents of the gentleman from Iowa Mr Struble may meet in State convention and denounce the prohibition laws and demand their repeal The farmers of Kansas tho constituents of tho bass cnUtents gentleman gentle-man from that Stato Mr Perkins may meet In contention arraign UnIted States Senators and protest against laws which they deem wrongful and oppressive Again good ant loyal Christians all over this country may demand such a change as would recognize CG In the Constitution as the supreme ruler ol time universe Ail thiru tilings may b done by nonMor mon with impunity but If Mormons Mor-mons criticise and protest against I cruel laws and wIcked officials their nlt acts are brought forward here and elsewhere as evidence of disloyalty and treason In this free country there can b no criterion of loyalty except ob dience to the constitution and laws The Mules and Persians were the only people within my kuowiedge of history with whom the bws were thought t be so sacred perfect and Infallible that they were held t 0 perpetual and irrepealable The Ir test against Uiese laws was treason punishable In time fiery furnace and the lions deiii Tho right of the people of I republican publican government to protest against a law or demand Its repeal or glilo for reform i not t b limited to cases where rite people are clearly In time riglmtthat I is begging beg-ging the question Itut it II bard and cruel as was the cam with the Mormons in Utah t b charged with disloyalty fur wih dlsloytJ denouuclngand criticising acts and decisions of Federal oniccis that were clearly wrongful nnd oppressive Recent In fctanccs ot till kind were related ban b-an exUtah commissioner Hon A B Carlton I < Cur the committee Territories of this House Though personally cognizant of the facts related by D1 I prefer to give his statement as lie being a nonMor mon Is not an Interested party I therefore condeiiic front ills testimony testi-mony M followtt The Federal Jufce in Utah a few yeara ago made an extraordinary deeliion In the application I r what woo called 1 esreira tuio The third fection of the aocalled Edmunds ar of lire make n aa lodictaUo otenie for any male teresa lo habttwtih I more than ole woman and flee the maximum maxi-mum panuhment at a line cf JJOi and Im priMmmeul Inc six 1 month lint ike Judge Inrenied a new doctrine and called I tf nation the gial of which wa that I a man had been bring with two or mere wire for three yean the I0 of the statute or limitation the fracd jury ml ht aenegamer that u dittOs tip the three 7cin into period of a year a month a week or a day eachand brins in ieparate indictment lor dole or the ° rpt ed pnkxla 00 thrillS three year being efreicaKd Into period of ole dir eb the offender of three yen conUnuoo Cohabitation habitation rnTrnt be Indicted one thousand aid ninety rite time with eommaUtlte 1 floes and imprisonment amounting to Us fine and flee hundred and long comIc ass and mix monuu imprisonment Tills doctrine w 0 applied I many case The Uonnons cntlcued 1 no contrary 1 law and uauu lbs who4 court Judicial cc deel < lon ta similar ease both In khrlind 1C1 lcaand that by a wrt of r Inflation the loSers Munbt 1 guanO a man an Indeanito number Ume for one ocnie In TlolaUon of the Constitution I Out tee ledges pare no bred to thete dIo lojrl complaint and went on Me rrrat Irn until the bopreme Court of the United Slate esteemed the COM and decMcd e tha Mormon were rISC and tho Utah JatfF were arose I In rt Snow ISO United Unit-ed states Supreme Court Ueporu 771 e rw Another cae of Mormon dulojalty occurred I the autumn ot IIP A majority ot the Utah CommlMion decided that man wa not entitled to r rcjrutered s a TOUT who had named a plural wife lulxequent to July lltcs the data of the puuge of the first act conccmtns polypamyalthoufh all bl wive or all but Ole had filed from ten to twenty yearn before Tha Uormona r 0 disloyal that they criticised the nhD a aSsort cU Oe ruling 8 aur unreasonable unreason-able and to law How lh ad contrary 1 J they asked Mal a man r a polypulit who b no wife at allr This drcsk however continued to be enforced b the Commission Commis-sion foroTer two year and many of the leadlnK mIntea acre denied the rlcht to vote or hold care 7 amonc them William Jenmne the m Tor of salt Late City altbeaco they had had no more than one wife for may rear finally after the cnstovary 1nwi delay the Supreme tUb Ute Mate J that this rutmog of the Commission woo corona eon Murphy T Cam < ey et a 112 Fu prcme Court ieport pipe U The facts tlC by Judge Carlton arc undeniable for they a matters record in tho Supreme Court of the United State That the position of the Mormon Church rut to laws and governments govern-ments may be fully understood I quote from the fjlVk of Doctrine and Covenant n tandard book of the Chtircli in matters of faith and doctiine My time will not permit me t read the whole article but I will print I with my rrrb I will content myself by reading two or thrcfl extracts The speaker here read from the section of time Book of Doctrine and Covenants relating g to Govern menU aud Law In General Now ilr Speaker that Is the accepted ac-cepted doctrine of the church alt utterances of no man In the church b he Elder Apostle or Prlet In cnlct wltl these pre cepts can be Oct up as superior to till standard I pror The advocates of this bill divert attention from the real Iscuo by cry Ingouflulygamyl Iolygamjll thus seeking to make It appear that those who are opposing the dltfrnn chhing chuM In this constitution are opposed t the suppression of polygamy I contend that It I 1 not a question of polvgamyat all > o one asks that polygamists shall vote hold office or serve on juries The question Ii I shall Morons who have leer entered into any polygamous relations who have never violated any law either of Idaho or the Unie Stoics many of whom pr bably do not believe In the doctrine of plurality of wives Mull these men > ossenlng every other quallfl caUoii entitle them to time franchise fran-chise b deprived of it because they belong to H church organization which holds that under certain circumstances cir-cumstances I i not sinful for a man to mar more than one wife The clause 11Is o I pritd t yol e JU 81 art ole who Is a member of or contributes t tear te-ar r aid or encouragement ot any order organization aiuoeiaUon corpora tins or society which teaches adobe connceJi encouragesor aids any person to enter into blgimy polygamy Ibo or inch fUn I-bo or plural marriage Under this provision every member mem-ber of the Mormon Church who In any tnne however remote contributes con-tributes to the support of that Church lthL 3 chtt If lie donates to any charitable InsUtu lion any SabbaUj school college P academy or hospital connected with that Church ho 1 t j be disfranchised Kay more any person though not a member of the Mormon Church who contributes t the support aid fmnc or encurgment elo is to b di The language Is unmistakable who Is a member of or contributes to the support etc This provision Is doubtless Intended to b made applicable ap-plicable t that class of independent independ-ent Gentiles In Idaho who refusing tovrear the antiMormon collar a stigmatized by my gentlemanly friend from Idaho as Jack Mormons Mor-mons The seoUemen whonmp porting this Infamous measure sure J uneh tee to what lengths they advantage are going t accomplish a T liUcal UnderaTerrltortal otatutoofldaho antiMormon test oath was proscribed scribed for voters This measure though not nearly s farreaching In its disfranchising elements as the domino In the consUtutlou was generally gen-erally N construed as to prohibit every Mormon froia voHEg ran onon cn tough ho was willing t take the prescribed oath In some instances men Urrd of politico cetracitm weary ot being deprived of every right as American citizens sweltering swelter-ing under the iron heel of political i ilespoUsmT wlUidrew from the church arid while attempting vote were arrested for conspiracy quite a number of Arhotn arcnosraWaltlns trial on that hargr Ju t think of It American utzuo every way qualified to otl1 having even taken Ito obngx bus text t while attempting ti exercise time highest privlledge of that citizenship are arrested for conspiracy con-spiracy placed under exorbitant bonds are thrown into jail to b Indicted In-dicted tried and convicted not by jutics or their tccre hut biJUriift of their euemlis Ob Ijiberty1 what crime are committed in thy name Now wlille under the Territorial statue there was some opportunity for the accused voter to purge himself him-self by ting tun test oath under Uiis constitution the proscribed r classes are forever barred from voting vot-ing holding office or sitting on juries There are no means provided by which the status of voters I to 0 determined Thcru Ii no e purgatory oath as in the Idaho 1 tubs nor i any provision made by which tbe dlffranchUcd class cau ever be reenfranchlsedbocause this provision I unchangeable Some gentlemen who support this constitution i consti-tution Insist upon calling this provisIon I visIon a test oaUi and uheii told heel there Is no oath provided persist that Item Is I nn oath mlho constitution constitu-tion tou thus iltraonstrnUiij that Ihvy do not understand the provisions of If Uio measure Uicy are advocating If those gentlemen who so vehemently assert that there i an oaUi provided in rime constitution will examine the document they will fall to find 1L No gentlemen you cnnnct find Ij I is not there Nor Is that nil If a citizen is onco disfranchised there Is Iio remedy for him he must ever remain so for tho Constitution ArUclu 6 Section 4 declares taI The LeKislatnro mar prescribe qnaUUca tlons UoiilaUina and eondlUona for the rljrnt of taSrtft additional t IbO prescribed pre-scribed In lOts tide but shall noses annul an-nul any of memo rroriiions In Ibis article contained Again If n member of the Mormon Mor-mon Church n clUeeu of any other State enjoying there all the privileges privi-leges I of an American citizen without with-out let or hindrance should change hb residence and move Into Idaho he would immediately be disfranchised disfran-chised nnd uot permitted to vote serve as a juror or hold any civil office Ity crossing an Imaginary lino ho would erase to be a free man and become a political slave Nay more If the distinguished Delegate from Idaho who so obstinately obsti-nately champions thrsclamcshould ever lie converted to the faith of till Saints as was Saul in ancient time if he should be baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Chrit latterday Saints under this constitution ho would bo immediately disfranchised notwithstanding not-withstanding his eminent services bringing theStatelnto the Union Nor would ho have any recourse except apostaUza from the alUm and return1 to the beggarly element ele-ment of the world Could anything any-thing be more abound and unAmeri canWhile the advocates of this measure meas-ure fire clamoring for the political equality of the blacks in the South they by this constitution doom white American citizens to perpot ual political bondage Just think of it poliUcal white slaves in a free li J lt8 ff and independent State one of time States of the Americau Union The home of tho free time asylum of the oppressed Tell It DOU la Oath publish It not In the strerlaot Alkelon Int the daughter of the Itnludnea rejoice i lot the daughter of the tnclnamcuca triumph Mr Speaker lro to call allen ton to another feature of this ills frauchkicg dilute of the constitution constitu-tion now under consldenitlon It is this thkNo No penon Is I permitted In Tote serve as a Juror or bold any ctrtloacc who is auemberof contributes molts support aldoreJicouncementof anr orderon nl 0005 cliuoncorpontion or society which tea or adrue that lbs hot thl > buue prescribing rule of clrll rotxinct ue But the aupreme laws ot lbs ante AVIiile this provision by any Lair construction would iiotdlsfraucbiM any member cf the Mormon Church for notwithstanding osscr tons to the contrary that church teaches as I have alreidy shown implicit obedience to the laws of time State it would disfranchlc everyman every-man who believes that Jehovah Is the Supreme liulerof theunlvcrse that Jeius is King of Kings and Lord of Lords I have before me a copy cf time Girittian Statesman n paper pub llkbedin Philadelphia hich contains con-tains a tall for a conference ot the National Reform ocIaUonn hich IK now In session at Lincoln Music JTnll In IMnrllr 1 will mil ttrn brief iVtracts i from said nli to ferrlng to Christian principles of civil government It says Asneer thc renclples which thu I astorIa lIon holds to be fnndamenmat In clOt roe eremtlIt ass these NatIons and pun menu are accountable lo Almighty dod and are bonod by the moral law the Lord demo Christ u the actual gorernor of na lions and Hi wlI revealed in the Holy Scripture It the supreme rule to decide moral questions In political life Throe principles we noM to hare been Teh She toncaby Into the very dOer Jlmeriean Institution In-stitution Our stability and our pr gems r bare been due to the power they hare er ertedtn our national lire All the erils which hare afflicted na bare been traceable to our departure from them All oar hopes for the lutnre depend upon them Use rraresl penl He in the fact that theseprln aIsles arc ignored by large number ot our etUieniand denied by many Olhers The dolt of the h ocr is ta emphasue and uphold bD04C hold them and to Inculcate 1 them upon the fait Increasing millions ot our population Ludrrrring all these practical I uu Is a drcperand more radical contrormy Coked by those she deny that civIl caters ment utaill i angrelatholt teriOd or 10 Chnlerme lhe moral law I Clo deny that nor Imos aDd IIIUIIIUoo bold bur at any point the Impress of the Christian re It son sad who ae obeyIng conamanlly sod of deliberate purpose to obliterate etery ChrUUan feature of American InsUtntlo and to Olrorce our government from alt connection with religion The document states that this call Is concurred in by lIon William Windom Secretary of the Treasury his honor William Strong formerly JuiUce Supreme Court of the United SUtw by the Protestant EpIscopal bishops of the dioceses of Mlncuri Central New York Connecticut Con-necticut and Delaware by three bishops the Methodist Episcopal Cnl t f church and several other eminent Christian men and women Among the speakers at one of the meetings of tile conference on Tuesday Tues-day last was Rev R M Somerville of New York who In an address upon the Christian doctrine of civil sovereignty as reported in the daily WcuItingtonTsui held that God was supreme In all attaint and must bo recognized above tbo imperialism im-perialism of any earthly monarch or chief cxecuUve In American governments Ho was surprised thatary one ehouldattemrt to deny the authority of Christ everywhere except in the Church and time disposition dis-position to rule him out of consideration consider-ation iu civil affairs and Insisted that any theory of civil government that denied his Supreme authority was radically and wholly wrong Now Mr Speaker I contend that ICHon William Windom his honor exJusUce Strong and the right reverend bishops and other dUUnguIsbcd divines who indorsed this call lived in Idaho while holdIng hold-Ing such views they could neither vote hold office nor serve as Jurors If lie v Mr Somcrvllle was aclUzen of that State under this constitution lie would not only be disfranchised but would be liable to prooccuUon conspiracy In that he teaches r ti1G and ad vises that God must be recognized re-cognized above time chief executive Of American Governments His audacity In presuming to place the liJtmoto t Supreme Being above his excellency ex-cellency the governor of Idaho would not onlybe condemned condemn-ed but severely punished Ibe Under this clause of the ConsJ lutiou Roman Catholic would be untitled to vole serve as a juror or hold any civil office because he la a member of an order organization association corporation or society whirl teaches advises that the laws of the State prescribing rules of civil conduct are not tbe supreme laws of the State PopeLeoXIII in his enclycical of January Id last 1 In treating of the I civil duties of Catholic makes the follow lug declaration de-claration noFlf the laws of the SUtcare maoCr eontrndhrohon the dinne law If they ramaad anything prejudicial to tee chores craze hosUte to the dnur imposed by religion or nolale la the pennant the supreme pontiff the authority of deco Chrlstthenlndeedlt i 0 a dillY to restat them and a crime to obey them a crime fraught wllh Injuiy I the State Itself The wise pontiff in a jejol decree de-cree Issued In 1SSO declares that The Judicial funetionanr must refuM bedience to the State and to the law or the eouaUT which are In contradiction with 1 IIIAoat1loUG pr < pta It will be Interesting to watch event In Idaho and see If Iloruan Catholics holding to these teachings of thu Pope which must be accepted aa the rule r allis of all good Catholics Catho-lics will be permitted to exercise the elective franchise In the new State If Uiey are it will be la direct violation i viola-tion of the constitution I The gcnUeman from Icsho however how-ever has been candid enough to admit ad-mit that the dlsfrsnchlstmcntclauj I under consideration was intended I only for the members of tho Mormon I Church Why then was It not so stated in Uila constitution Why was tho word church carefully omitted Why wax there no mention men-tion of any religious society or organization The answer Is plain The object was to deceive to cover up SlOt accomplish by circumlocution circumlocu-tion and indirection what they deemed itlmpoliUc to declare bluntly blunt-ly and directly immelyi Tint all members of the Church of Jesus Chris of LattrrdaySalnts arehere by excluded from voUng and holding hold-ing office in the State of l I1boP ThIs was avoided however evidently 1 evi-dently for the reason that It WM thought that all cuphemUtic presentation WnU CnJ sentation of an odious principle would avoid sounding the alarm to thu friends of religious liberty and toleration But Ibis ncheme like most contrivances for fraud and deceit I de-ceit turns out to Uie dismay of Its projectors to be a bungling invention inven-tion and may be used to hurras oppress and disfranchise 0 other religious denomination besides Uio Mormons as has been plainly demonstrated In title discussion As to the gentlemen who composed com-posed the Idaho coustituUonal convention I con-vention It Is probable that most of them will suffer no personal inconvenience incon-venience byUils l or any other reli I clous test as It Is likely that they I have no use for tho name of God except I ex-cept to supply time expletives of profanity ItleUf1 Itl Naitu htC Jlr faulty But It maybq that some of them In that faroil mountain region still have sweet memories of the angelus bells heard in childhood and owe others may remember the words of the Westminster sail catechism cate-chism and tho time may come when they and their friends will be hoist by tbelroirn petard and compelled to drink of the poisoned chalice which they have prepared fo tIme Mormon Mr Speaker an the Church of Jesus Christ of IjattiiMlar Saint commonly called the Mormon Church has bwn FpoVen of during this discussion as a crlmiunlonaul ntlon and Its members having been freqtienUy accused here and elsewhere else-where of entertaining and practicing practic-ing tho doctrine of blood atonement of having taken disloyal oaths against tho Government w hilu passing pass-ing through the ceremonies of the endowment nnd that the Church favored a union of church nnd stale to refute this and similar charges I present and phtcn on record a statement state-ment recently Issued by time leading auUioritlcsurUiat Church The speaker hero read the Official Of-ficial Declaration signed by the First Presldefidy and Twelve Apes Uea of Uie Church I which TTM called forth inconsequence of Uio results of the Investigation before Judge Anderson An-derson Mr Speaker It lias been more than intimated by gentlemen the other side that those members of this House who have sought to eliminate the unAmerican and monstrous dlsfranchlsement calL from the couKtltuUon of Idaho will feel a little mean rhentbeycometo face Uielr constituents nt home This insinuation net only gratul tousand unjust bUt also Intuiting I and offensive insulting to their I peers on this floor and ollcnIv lathe la-the Rood taste and good sense of all tlioM who despite tbe Pharisaical cant thunseumpUon oCI nm purer and holler Ulan thou This It I an old trick cxpusedand tare long ago assuming all tho virtue and all time Intelllgencoand proposing extreme unreasonable anti unconstitutional uncon-stitutional mcaurcs forallcgcd ell to denounce all those who oppose them as symrathlfers with crime and immorality Religious bigotry like a cold snake coIled on the human heart poisoning every noble and generous emotion hardly moreodiou than lint narrow partisanship which with brazen check and unctlous mile with indecorous hilarity and heartier gusto strikes n fallen foe In violation of he law of chivalry as well at Uie precepts of the Sermon on the Mount and all this for a mean and temporary partisan advantage ad-vantage On tho other hand tho gentlemen on tills sIlent the House can proudly toy to their constituents constitu-ents Ve made manly I effort to rave a proposed State of this Union from the reproach of religious jr secutlon and Intolerance wo were unwilling lo punish 1 by dbfrancblse tl r1 no ment 25000 free Americans on account ac-count of their religious belief antI their membership In a Christian church Wo agree that polygamy and bigamy shall be punished i with revere penalties to tbe end that they maybe prohibitedand extirpated n Ihx but we nre unwilling that 25000 people shall be punished fur oflen os J t J 1 committed by only 125 menThe men-The judge who given the prisoner I i the benefit of the law and time safeguards safe-guards of the Constitution Is some tlruts In cases of jopular excitement excite-ment traduced by tile mean and vulgar tat If he waspartictpt crim iait shielding his partner In guilt I I from merited punishment But what shall be said of enlightened gentlemen on this floor kind gen erou and humane In their private relation who at the behest of party exigency are not only willing tfi wan rm ling to strike down the monuments of religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution but would If they could cover with obloquy all thllTho oppose their scheme To show how cruel unjust and unnecessary the proposed dlsfran chlwment La f will call to the attention atten-tion of the House time progress already al-ready made In tho discontinuance the practice of polygamy among the Mormons From official reports ont tUrin on-t Department the Interior lrt etf bl or and from the evidence before the Senate and House committees on Territories appears that from 75 to 90 per cent of the adult Mormons are not and never have been In the polygamous relation and of there the great mass have taken the test oath of reglstralfon required by the EdmundsTucker art of March 1687 swearing among otherthlngs that they will obey the laws of the United States with reference to bigamy and polygamy and unlawful unlaw-ful cohabitation and that they will nol aid abet ecu us1 orndvkc any person to commltany of the offenses named In those laws In June of that year the people formed a CO 11511 tu lion Froh I III Ii pg amI punishing polygamy which I constitution consti-tution was mUlled at time next August Au-gust election at least 95 per cent of the Mormon electors voting In its favor fa-vor Again In ISIS rite Legislative Legisla-tive Assembly enacted a law declaring declar-ing certain marriages to bo unlawful unlaw-ful f among them nI plural marriages and providing severe penalties against nuy clerk uf a probatu court who shall Issue a license In such cases cas-es and also against any minister preacher of Uie gospel or other person per-son who shall J assist In the solcmul zjllon of such unlawful marriage The same Legislature adopted 4 concurrent con-current resolution In favor of the prosecution polygamous offenses as other offenses ace prosecuted In tho Territory Huchnro eomeof the means which the Mormons of Utah have voluntarily volun-tarily adopted for the discontinuance of polygamy and I do not hesitate to declare that polygamous or bigamous big-amous marriages among the Mormons Mor-mons In Utah and Idaho now are and for more than two years put have been more Infrequent 1 than j I bgaaxniii o3enscs In many of the Ststcl Mr Speaker lje brief time ale lotted win not permit rrte to pursue this subbed further In conclusion thefnre permitme to placdou record nay 8olenin pdhatngaInst the t hng o Iuiqutlywhlch I tieI MouSe is about nerpelratc Pauje gentlemen androraidcrtbit by till pcryw disfranchise without troll without 1 conviction twentyfive thousand American citizens among them the f1J1 1 to r pioneers Idaho for the Mormons were the pioneers of Uiat Territory They are the men who bate made it possible for those to live there Who are now ersecuUiigand oppressing them Do not allow prejudice to i sway you touo this monstrous wrong I even to gain a political advantage A State geelneti iy such meani will i I bringnopjlorv to you r forty nor add I any luster Ie t our glorious constcll aUou f i |