| Show AGAINST disfranchisement 9 thim THE following is an extract from an able article headed an unnecessary measure which appeared in the omaha bee of may existing law being therefore ample le for crushing out polygamy any ful further arther legislation relating to the mormon church must necessarily take on the character of persecution and be repugnant to the provision of the constitution which says that congress shall m make ake no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof of this nature is 19 the bill now in congress which in effect provides that no member of the mormon church shall either vote serve as a juror or be a elected acted to or hold aby civil office in the territory of utah I 1 A man may be the most radical of non polygamists but if he believes in the other doctrines doe of the church and remains united with it he must by the terms of this proposed law suffer disfranchise ment and the loss of all his civil rights the injustice of this must be obvious to all fair minded lo people ople and we do not think it at all doubtful doubty ua that such a law would be at variance with the constitutional provision we have quoted quoted its practical effect would be e to lo condemn the mormon faith as a whole and nd to prohibit its establishment lish ment a as a religion and this congress has no right to ao do there is a vital principle involved in this matter which ought to be apparent to all who are not blinded by bv an undue prejudice no further danger to the moral welfare of society in utah hiah or elsewhere w in this country is to be feared from polygamy even th though ugh the doctrine should survive with a few as an article of faith its practice is i a thing of the past and only the pro practice atice is criminal the proposed legislation is unnecessary and its ita adoption would work great injustice to thousands who desire to be good and law abiding onix citizens ens |
