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Show COvCEftMG THE "AtOHHOW IV IDAHO. ISnianvu Crrr, Utah, Oct. 21-h, 13M lAttor Vcscret JWir Wojld yoa pleaso inform raev through the columns of your paper, on the following points "What are the rights that the 'Mormon' 'Mor-mon' population in Idaho are deprived of? ' When was cltlx-nsbip, and the other rights above mentioned, taken from tbem, and by what laws and processes? 'Was it through the workings of the Republican party that thn 'Mormons' 'Mor-mons' we-e deprived of these rights? ' By giving ma information on the abovo ma'ters yon wonld greatly oblige. . A." The rights of which the Mormons" Mor-mons" in Idaho have been deprived, de-prived, are those political rights which are exercised by all citizens oi the United States over twenty-one twenty-one years of ags in that Territory the right to vote, to hold office and to sit on juries. These are denied them by the Constitution of the State of Idaho. Membership In a certain church or association Is made the test of political disability. "Citizenship" is not taken from any person, either in Idaho or elsewhere, else-where, by law on constitution. It is certain rights and privileges that grow out of citizenship iilch have been taken from the "Mormons" of Idaho. Those who have thus been stripped of political power are still citizens of the United States and of the Sta'e ot Idaho. Their citizen ship cannot ba taken away. The right to vote and to bold ofllce was wrested from the Idaho "Mormons" "Mor-mons" by the enactment of the test oath, which, with the history of its passage, will be regarded as the most infamous blot that appears upon the annals of Idaho. It was passed by the Territorial Legislature in December 1SS4 Its validity was upheld by the courts of the Terrl tory, and finally by tin, SuDreme Court or the United Sta'es, tho last named judicial boJy mistaking tho grounds upon which oljection to it was maje, and incorporating in its opinion, as arguments of counsel, coun-sel, sentiments they neither expressed ex-pressed or entertained. At the election in Idaho of ISSb, n number of "Mormons" who had withdrawn from the Church for the purpose of voting, being able to declare de-clare truthfully that they were not members of that church or association, associa-tion, were denied the right to vote notwithstanding such withdrawal And some who cast their votes were prosecuted for doing so. A number of these cases are still lending, as it was alleged that their withdrawal was not actual but only pretended. Thus, whether members of the proscribed church or not, citizens were denied the right of tho exercise of the suflrage, because of their affiliation or supposed sympathetic connection with the "Mormon" Church, which is tantamount to disfranchisement and punishment for belief. The Republican party is chiefly responsible for these cncroa"bm:uts upon constitutional principles and privileges. But If it had not been for some tw o faced and treacherous pretended Democrats the infamy could never have ben consummated. consum-mated. The Democratic party in Idaho could have prevented the wrong if the party had been sincere, whole-hearied and courageous. Hut while some of its members stood up manfully for sound Democratic doctrine doc-trine and policy, others, for place or pelf, worked into the hands of the en-emy.audso en-emy.audso ai led in disfranchising a large number of "Mormon" Democrats Demo-crats and fastening Republican rule upon the Territory and upon the new State. For further Information on these points, we refer our correspondent to the test oath of the Idaho L-gis-lature and to the anti "Mormon" provisions of the State Constitution, which have already been published several times. Time brings man changes, and a people possessed of the virtues, stability, progresIve-ness progresIve-ness and firm determination which mark the "Monnon"citlz"CS of Idaho, Ida-ho, cannot long remain in, political bandage or w ear (he shackles which bigotry, intolerance and the malice of thwarted ambition hae been the means of fastening upon them. |
