| Show SHALL THE MORMONS BE FRANCHISED disfranchised DIS ON this important question the washington post had recently the following thorough and consistent editorial we reproduce it in its entirety as the argument is too corn com and connected to condense and do justice t to it il if any any legislation for t or utah is to bo be attempted at the coming session of congress Jon gross it should in the circumstances be proceeded with on the grounds of justice and wise expediency rather than those of official selfishness or partisan advantage the rhe announce announcement mont that a strong lobby is to arrive here shortly to urge the ado adoption p of further measures against the mormons cormons in that territory though not veri derided vended ded basan hag an evil sound and possibly a atilt worse implication the alleged purpose of these politicians is to secure the practical dis of the mormons cormons by means of a bill to bo be passed in the hurry curry and confusion of the short session two bills now pending are available for the purpose one introduced trod by representative struble ruhle St of iowa an and another of similar nature by senator cullom of illinois these bills take the privileges of the franchise from any person aiding abetting or countenancing polygamy or attached to any institution that does doe to attempt to pigs pass ei either ot of those billsen bills la the face of the change which has been effected etreo ted in the atti attitude etude of the mormon church would not only be such an avowal of distrust and suspicion of the majority of the utah as on the evidence presented congress 3 should hould not make but it would also k have the a appearance rance before the whole country tr 1 of being a resort to a method of oppression oppi re asten altogether uncalled for ne b by anything apy thing in the present situation the mornion mormon church has done everything necessary to a public renunciation of polygamy as a pra practice otice and it has bag solemnly edged its allegiance to th the laws of the united states slates president woodruffs Woodruff Ps man manifesto festo dw declaring the end and doom of polygamy and ad the duty of to the laws or thy country was generally accie accepted 99 19 etnest anest in its tone and faithful in As tte ments and shortly after that dleo i ww explicitly affirmed by the beadi of tha 4 and ratified by its if great annual convention ven tion the best beat evidence from utah is to the effect that the action of the church was sincere and genuine and it has been so accepted by several of the federal officials of the territory of course coarse there are arc many both in ill and out of biah who do not fie believe lieve in the honesty of the mormon church and who regard its recent action as a mere bluff but in matters of political legislation and government only only overt acts established by proper evidence can be considered and no reliance can be placed on mete mere surmise or conjecture however sagacious it will not therefore bo be wise in congress to put much faith in the more junsup ported statements of utah politic politicians lac s especially those of them who would woula regard the perseverance of the mor mons as loyal and law abiding citizens in the light of aftan lan evil because ft would have the effect of retiring them the politicians from official into private life those in utah who distrust the pro sessions fes of the mormons cormons are mainly of two very different classes the first of these are themen the men whose political supremacy an unrestricted mormon vote would overt overthrow lirow and whose dreadon dread of that overthrow makes them so eagerly but suspiciously jealous against again stan an evil which has all but dis appeared ared the other is the missionary ceass representing in various ways the several christian denominations iu in whose eyes eves the chief offense of the mormons cormons is that they remain in the mormon church and will not allow themselves to be converted to another system of doctrine these theme mis missionaries siona ries without any ill intent dwell so habitually on the enormity of a bad doctrine that they come to believe they know its actual results in practice when all that has come to their knowledge it Is simply of a hearsay and exaggerated character ohai acter besides they have to find abiding reasons for the continuance of their work enow now the fact that a man holds an obnoxious doctrine has nothing to do with his bis right to vote in the state or of new york for example a citizen may accept indifferently the theory of malthus or the doctrines of the lat ter day saints without being in any way dad de barred from doing a cit zent duty at the polls it is only when he commits an overt act against t the be pu public blie peace and in violation of 0 public bl law that his rights righta are alg abridged 4 what is true in new york should be true also in utah it if under the new law any cases of y have come into existence let them bo be found and suppressed balqar by b legal agencies let the suffer the penalty of his crime oven even if it involves his loss of suffrage bat baj do not attempt the suppression of d 4 whole people th be deprived of suffrage because of condee condemned aued opinions esthe tyrants method it is entirely repugnant to the theory and practice the spirit and the life of true reau republican b government the allegation is that the coming lobby is organized in the interest of the republican party that the dis franchi Bement of the mormons cormons would lead to the admission of utah as a reliable republican state and that that admission would yield two needed republican publican Ite united states slates senators Sena tort T the e likelihood is that this brave con sel racy has little foundation in fa batand tand L t that athe the real conspirators have bave their interest I 1 centering na near 8 dulake city and but whatever the end tp ip ak ae gimi on of the eh arneter pro 1 1 4 bg be discouraged for the I 1 ave 0 f 48 8 people the prosperity pro of me b te 0 ry and the general maintenance of political honesty the people of utah should be encouraged cou raged to place confidence in the congress 9 of the united states whatever can be done to strengthen their allegiance and obedience to the laws should be done but to deprive them of their rights except individually by b due du e process of law la w would ou id be unjust i J at a and fa oppressive e s e and n w d w would on id plant plan t t the be seeds of ineram ineradicable i lb 1 animosity ni mity |
