| Show ANTI antl A MORMON developments IN THE NORTH IN this issue is a communication bearing 11 somewhat upon the situation in idaho chief justice J T morgan has in effect as we understand ruled it that the acts of the last legislature ol 01 that territory which define the qualifications of officers jurors and electors are valid should his action be sustained by even one of his hig associate justices in the event of a test caseb cabet e ing carried to the supreme court 0 of f the territory the enn eff effect act will be revo revolutionary I 1 u tio nary the laws referred to exclude all members ot of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints f from rom the privilege of sitting as jurors holding any office in any county or precinct or voting at any election asa As a ref refresher resper to the memories of I 1 our readers vve ive here reproduce the test oath incorporated in the election law jaw and as the one which forms a part of the law lav in relation to the qualification of officers und and jurors is similar in character it will be seen how sweeping and tyrannical the measures are the oath lorms forms a portion of sec 16 of the act you do solemnly swear or affirm that you are a male citizen ot of the united states over the age of twenty one sears years ears that you have actually resided in in this territory gry bry for four months last past and in this county thirty dai daf dars days q that you are not a bigamist or po polygamist that you are not a member of any order organization or association which teaches te acnes advises counsels or encourages its members devotees or any other persons to commit the crime of bigamy or polygamy poly garry gany or any other crime defined by law as a duty arl ari arising siu or resulting from membership in such order organization or association or which practices bigamy or poly polygamy 11 amy or plural or celes celestial marri marriage agey aget as a doctrinal rite of sich sach organization that you do not either publicly or vAtel in any manner whatever teach advise counselor encourage any per acon bon to commit the crime of bl bigamy admy or polygamy or any other crame crime defined oy by law either as a religious duty or otherwise that you regard the constitution ution of the united states and the laws the thereof and of orthis this territory as interpreted by the couts courts as the supreme preme elaw law of the land the teachings of any order organization or association to the contrary notwithstanding and that you have not previously voted voted at this election so help you god 11 the penalties for violat violations fons lons of odthe the law are defined in the following sections SEC 44 if any person offering to vote at any election in this territory shall wilfully corruptly corrupt ly and falsely swear or affirm touching his qualifications qualified as a voter he shall be deem deemed ed guilty of a f felony clony iund and upon conviction thereof be punished by imprisonment in the territorial prison for a term not less than three nor more than ten years tiec 45 if any person not a lew leg legal al voter and possessing all the qualifications prescribed for voters in this act or who Is laboring under any of the disabilities mentioned in section 2 of this act shall vote at any elect election ionIn lonin in this territory or shall hold or exercise any afflec or position of public trust he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction be punished by a fine line not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than thirty days nor more than one year pr both so fined and imprisoned in the discretion of the court coutt 11 in the event of 0 the monstrous enactments act ments being finally upheld bythe by the courts in accordance with the initiatory proceedings ot of chief justice mor gan it is not difficult to picture the condition that would ensue in the present state of feeling against the saints they will in that case easy be at the mercy of a host of cons conspirators gators of the most unscrupulous kli klu kind d chev would be under the heel of alot ot of df conscienceless traders in public office as they have been defined by an idaho olli official cial clai who has had ample opportunity port unity to weigh them in the balance the better part part of the population the mormons cormons Mor mons who are lire admitted to be ahead ot of all others other in business and ollI cial clai integrity and all the virtues will be subject to every species of indignity from those who are Infer inferior loito to them thew in every substantial quality they will be subject to be robbed plundered and abused without any means of redress by the villainous class of the population as they are already robbed of their rights as citizens tile the judicial districts of idaho each comprise several counties the sessions of the court are held in the several counties by turns in that of bear lake where the population are almost exclusively exclusively mormons cormons Mor mons a jury could not be found within its limits unless resor resort was had perhaps to semi transient residents along the oregon short line railroad and for what reason has this gloomy prospect been shaped for the S saints of our sister territory not for any overt acts that they have nave committed or intend to perpetrate the infamous outrage is framed and applied soleat solely oil on account of their religious belie belief only that and nothing more for auy man to attempt to claim that they are left unmolested in their religious belief now would oe be a paro parody dyon on common sense and an egregious departure from truth they are dis franchised robbed of their rights precious to every properly constituted man and laid liable to be the hapless victims of a crowd of the blackest villains that ever walked the earth for the terrible crime of bel bei believing ieving leving something they are thus trampled under foot of the mean and mercenary on account of something over which they have no control Bellef relief is tle tie result of evidence no matter how unsubstantial that evidence maybe may be esteemed by others to them it is sufficient upon which to base their hopes in relation to the future life or any other subject they have an inalienable right to retain it and in fact cannot rid themselves of it if they would except by the presentation of contra evidence to them stronger than that which induces them to assume their present position belief being a matter beyond the control of the tha persons in whose minds it exists laws which rob them of rights and privileges because of it are both senseless and tyrannical it would atwould be equally 1 consistent to pass enactments making lalni a specified color of the hair the stature or rotundity of the physique or the tane of the voice a qualification for holding office sitting on juries or voting at elections there is a point that can be reached when human endurance is liable to fly the track it is to be hoped that the P present resent attack will not stretch so far as that because of the consequences that would ensue from such a climax the spectacle presented by this crusade is a sad one it is a damaging commentary upon this great nation on the one hand is an upright and conscientious selent ious lous people ground down and oppressed and on the other a host of sou son soulless less tyrants filling fillici g up their cu cup p oi of iniquity |
