Show THE NEW ANTI antl 6 1 MORMON SENATE BILL THE tim brooklyn eagle makes the following comments on alua VA woy twy oy mr dir hoar in the senate some of its provisions are of very questionable constitutionality and the whole theory of the measure is opposed to the genius of our political system there are two ways of treating the mormon problem one is to leave the community to the influence of a civilization liza tion that is crowding it upon all sides and will in time subvert its peculiar institutions and the other is to deal with it by force from the latter iatter la ater alternative the american people Veople would shrink and the fate of tile the E edmunds law shows that congressional elpe eppedi dl ants are inadequate to meet the case senator hoars haars nostrum will not cure cur c the evil the new york evening post reviews the whole bill and after describing the provisions of the leading sections thus discusses the nonsense to which we have twice drawn att attention entson the mormons cormons have a corporation called the perpetual emigrating fund company which is we believe bileve devoted to the work of making converts in europe and bringing them over to this country there is nothing in the missionary work of the mormon church to which the united states sta tes government can take exception on the 0 error or absurdity of the doctrines taught any more than in the missionary work or spiritualists or Shak shakers drs unless s it can be shown that the converts are arc to bp be eng engaged aged oil on their arrival here in the of united states laws but can this be seq shown 49 has it ever been shown it s ii riot 0 11 a violation of united states laws to believe polygamy to ue ot divine institution any ally more moro thao ahan to tto believe belleve with the shakers all maynage i 3 sinful the violation of the law not in thinking that a man may haye two iwo wives but in having them the present bill expressly provides that no one shall be ba franchised disfranchised dis in the territory on account of hl his bis opinions about pol poi polygamy the objection ben then to t the emigration company is t that at it brings people to utah who may at If after they get thero theno commit a adultery under under the influence of gi a ia religious delusion but is this ifft filz clent ground for the dissolution of a religious corporation corporation bd by act of congress can congress angress do 0 anything any thim of the kind considering that I 1 the constitution ution of the united states and ana all laws of the united states not locally inapplicable were in 1860 solemnly y c declared ared to be in full force and effect in utah as in all other territories more remarkable still is the sec see tion which provides not that the mormon church corporation shall be abolished but that the management management of it shall be taken out of the hands fiands of the members of it and committed to 14 trustees to be appointed by the president with the consent of the senate who shall shail hold office for two years and report annually to the secretary of the interior as to the property business affairs affair si and operations of the said corporation po ration now we know that corporations po rations which violate their charter or abuse their f franchise may be wound up on oil the proper presentation of tile the facts to a court of justice by a legal officer of the government and their r property be distributed in such manner as tile the law or common justice may require we are too familiar with the legisla tion intended int emed on grounds of public policy to restrict the accumulation of property by ecclesiastical corporations in general but we cannot recall any case before this tills in which it was gravely r 3 1 ely proposed to punish a corporation porfi forfi po ration 0 for any offense by putting its property into the exclusive control of government trustees with directions to continue the business or to punish a particular ecclesiastical com coQ corporation oration for being too powerful powers ul or teaching erroneous doctrines by committing its affairs to thell theli ands of of government officers who derided or loathed the beliefs of its members moreover we do not believe and shall not believe believe until the supreme court has said it that any such expedient can be resorted to for any purpose whatever by the legislature 0 of purpose the united states it would be a monstrous and dangerous precedent oft ofine practical objections to giving such a huge financial plum as the inana management gement of the mormon ch church funds to 11 trustees appointed bythe by the president tand and senate we need hardly y speak Every one knows the kind of politicians poy lis ils who would seek and get these trusteeships trustee ships we see them now starting for washington with their grip sacks after the failure of some lati onor after losing their seats in congress their natural desire to 6 ahan handle handie alel dley I 1 other peoples funds intensified by their horror of poly polygamy gainy gaint in all its forms and their passionate love iove love iove of domestic purity the pecuniary scandals of politics during the past twenty years have been great and dreadful but they would probably all put together be a mere more trifle compared to atoo a five years administration of mormon church property by the kind of men to whom we give territorial appointments 11 |