| Show TIRE STRUGGLE COMMENCES IN IDAHO D W STANDROD district attorney for onelda county idaho has ranged himself on the side of the faction which intends to prevent any mor imor anen from voting in that territory he has issued instructions published in the malad enterprise to registrars in that county containing a great deal of assumption about the mormon church its teachings and practices and what it ought to do or was expected to have done in relation to its principles and gives the following as tola fase ipse dixit for the guidance of those officers it bei being n g so well known so much so that the courts could alm almost ost take judicial knowledge of the fact that the so called mormon church is an order or organization which practices and teaches bigamy polygamy plural or celestial marriage as a doctrinal rite of said church I 1 think it if the applicant answers affirmatively to the question are afe you a member of the order or organization commonly known as the mormon church you should on this answer alone refuse to register him I 1 have therefore embodied this question in the enclosed draft of questions to be propounded by you yon to every applicant who may apply to you tor for registration this blank I 1 have prepared tor for your gaia guidance ance in arriving st at the qualifications of applicants for registration should the applicant refuse cuseto to subscribe to the blank you may still examine him under oath writing the answers in the blank as given by him and stating on the margin thereof that he was sworn to answer them clearly you have the ri right lit 1 to do this under subdivision ar first at of section of the revised laws if the applicant should answer said question negatively I 1 think it then bt tit comes coines your duty to register him provided he is otherwise qualified but should you find that he has sworn falsely and that he is a member of said organization you will please report the case to totne tome me at once 11 the draft of t questions is similar to that published in the DESERET a few days ago that the question are you a member ot the order or organization commonly known as the mormon church is not authorized by law is evident to any one with ordinary common sense who reads the statute referred to in the foregoing judge s R Z johnson the attorney general of idaho in answer to inquiries from a registrar answered concerning a mormon applicant tor for registration offering to take the test oath it is your duty to see that he be understands der stands the oath or that chat he be brad bad read it or that it has been read to him and it you have reason to believe that he is about to swear falsely you should explain the oath to him and warn him but bat these are not questions for you yo a to try in any view of the law you have no right to reject his application because lie he will not answer your proffered questions as to what he be believes or what he is a believer in the law does not profess to go into that question D W standrod andrud St is not U S district attorney for idaho he be is simply a county officer under the territorial laws his instructions only affect one ohe county the U S district attorney for idaho is james H hawley who was nominated by acclamation as delegate to congress by the democratic convention at boise city on wednesday standrod Is ia a very ordinary and as may he be seen by t his official letter a very person who was elected to the idaho democratic convention two years ago and disregarded his agreement with those hose who elected him in reference to te the test oath lie he knows he cannot count upon the support of the people whose votes sent him there and being extremely anxious tor for reelection election re as county attorney he is seeking to prevent them from taking any part in the election next november in addition to the opinion of the attorney general of idaho from which we hae have made the above extract D W standrod received from that gentleman in answer to his own application li a detailed argument establishing fishing the illegality of any question to a voter as to the name of toe church to which he belongs or what tenets it mar or may not entertain mir the he course pursued by this unreliable aud and not very brilliant young aspirant is simply one of obstruction and may bring him and those who are guided by his ill digested opinions into considerable difficulty legal steps will no doubt be taken to vindicate the rights of citizens under the law lav even on en the construction put upon the test oath act by the me idaho courts no such auch a catechism as that invented by anti cormons mormons Mor mons to accomplish their personal ends is either authorized or justified by that act the course of the enemies of the mormon people in idaho is similar to that pursued in all the attacks I 1 hat have been made upon the church aud its adherents no matter tow flow partial severe and un american may tie le the laws which have been trained framed specially to interfere with their rel celip ig lons ions liberty those laws have been exceeded ceedee aud and their execution has bas baen far beyond both the letter and spirit of the statutes and the intent of those who founded them it becomes the duty of citizens whose rights arp are invaded andl and j whose lawful privileges are den denied I 1 ed to stand up manfully aud and at any cost to conteno contend lawfully for all that belongs to them under the law it is not only their duty autv to themselves but to their co religionists aud to the cauze cause of human freedom and human rights we hope our friends in idaho will be alive a 11 veto to the position position and the requirements of gour the hour |
