| Show LAWS ARK ARE MADE TO REACH BEACH actions ONLY TIM THE recent attempts to obstruct the naturalization of mormon citizen citizens n 8 I 1 and the registration of mormon voters who are willing to make all the agreements and take all the required of them by law are viewed with disgust by the better portion of the country wherever they are understood the local plotters pres presume lume all the time on the ignorance Isa orance ot of the great public in relation to utah affairs and the general lack of disposition to inquire I 1 n into them of sources from which reliable information can be obtained but the present questions are receiving attention klu kin many quarters where there has been an indisposition to make fair investigation and wherever the facts become known knob the attempts made to go beyond the law in order to prevent the majority of our oar citizens from regulating their local at fairs receive that denunciation which they deserve the chicago tribune which has never been accused of a leaning to anything savoring of mormonism in a recent issue reviewed the situation here explained tersely and intelligibly and strange to say correctly the dispute about the test oath between the leaguers and the commissioners and characterized the course which the former form er desired the latter to take as an unconstitutional proceeding declaring that the legislation which has been enacted was not directed at religious beliefs but at violations of the laws of the land 11 that is the point to be kept in view the courts should observe it as well as the commissioners the highest court la in the land has declared that legislation cannot rightly invade the domain of faith it it can only affect actions courts have no right to make law jaw nor add to it what they think it should mean or control they can only interpret and administer the law its as they find it they have no more right to discriminate as to the faith of individuals than legislatures possess belief opinion and the advocacy thereof are free under this great government ern eru ment and those who attempt to te col control arol them by any degree or kind of force are hostile to the of our country the chicago tribune said on this subject A mormon may believe what he be chooses but be is not at liberty to practice the crime of wholesale prostitution tit ution and make it a privilege by local law the congressional gressional on bills were intended to co reach crime not religious beliefs however grotesque they may be the diff disfranchisement ranchi of a mormon who obeys the laws of the territory and of the united states would be no more inore defensible than the disfranchisement chi of LL a spiritualist or of our modern pagan col bob ingersoll because he bu does not share the christian belief who can dispute the correctness of these remarks the wonder is ahat there should be any necessity to aff affer er them in this land of civil and religious liberty the incidental reference to a practice which toe I 1 mormons cormons Mor mons have no right to establish by local law is though true in principle the mormons cormons Mor mons have never desired to establish prostitution by local law they have endeavored to prevent its establishment and would kave have succeeded if it had not been tor for the protection it has received from the very persons and officials who have made the greatest outcry against po alnut amy but perhaps in using that term the tribune intended to refer to our plural marriage system if so the phrase was very improperly selected for it has no BO application to polygamy and even i if the word was rightly used the implication is a mistake the mormons cormons Mor mons have never sought to te establish polygamy by local law they have viewed their marriage system as an entirely religious matter outside of the purview of secular legislation it takes along a long time to get this fact well into the craniums of men who write for the information of the american public but by contin continually rIly presenting it we hope to make the them comprehend it some day the lewiston maine journal also has an article on the oath question and presents the facts correctly deprecating the attempt of the minority to fasten an illegal oath upon the majority and endorsing the commission in resisting tho the scheme it closes the article with these words this is american wisdom when the government begins to interfere in the beliefs of any portion of its citizens it is treading on forbidden L ground it Is not tae he religious roll sious beliefs of the mormons cormons with which the government is called upon to deal it is with the abominable practice of polygamy if a mormon swears that lie he will obey the constitution and the antii polygamy laws that is all that can be required of him in ia words if he be disregards those laws as well as his liis oath then he is it fit subject for punishment at the hands bands of the civil authorities these are the views of gf the sensible and informed portion of the public opposed top posed to polygamy poly garny all that they required of thy the mormons cormons Mor mons is that they will agree to obey the laws let those who can do so BO consistently make that agreement if they do not keep their ther promise it will be time enough then men tor for the authorities of the government in aut to interpose what the mor mons believe is no business of any commissioner judge registrar or any other officer and he who so exceeds his duty as to deny any citizen a political or civil right or hinder the free exercise thereof on account of belief membership in a church or views he may enter entertain upon any subject ought to be lifted out of his position so quickly yand and forcibly that the me memory in 0 IT of it would be a c caution utica to him forever |
