Show -- 35- oltuatlon from a new angle In substance the bill provided penalties for polygamists It disqualified them for Jury 9 service public office and the franchise Up to this time the Mormons had dominated the politics of the territory of Utah and under this law their control would be seriously lessened In an attempt to emasculate the lav the Mormons charged the constitutionality of the act nevertheless the Sdmundo-Tuok- er Act was enforced with the approval of American public opinion many Mormon situation until 1290 During this contest of the lav? polygamists had been placed in a precarious But in spite of this adverse law it was not that the church officially withdrew the apostolic sanction of polygamy One must not bo misled to believe that the desire to practice polygamy was the sole reason for the Mormon miIn fact Moffett states there was never at any time mors than two percent of the Mormons in Mexico 10 The majority of the people who went practicing polygamy gration to Mexico to Mexico wore too poor to afford the expense of two or more wives Of those who had migrated for the specific purpose of continuing in a polygamous state were 9 Frederic L better from Staten p 203 3-9 July 1935 Paxson J F men who had in Utah Recent History of the United Moffett to H LI Foster |