| Show A FAIR AND consistent VIEW THE following appears in the editorial columns of the arizona gazette published at Pho phoenix anix at the time of the adoption of the constitution of the united states slates there was great prejudice existing among the different states on account of religious belief in none of the colonies except in maryland did absolute religious tolerance exist there was much opposition particularly from the new england states against the enfranchisement of the jews and there was a feeling equally strong that there should be no BO religious test of any kind whatever until it was agreed that congress should wake make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof virginia and new york refused to ratify the constitution these states accepted the instrument ment with the understanding that the first amendment guaranteeing the freedom of every man mad to worship god according to the dictates of his conscience should be proposed and adopt ed the united states were first to give political rights to every religious creed efforts have been made since to prohibit the free exercise of religion notably in the know nothing craze of 1653 and 1855 when a ety was raised against catholics and the attempt was made to prevent them from holding office the democratic party has always opposed any abridgment of political rights an account of reli religious ious belief it is because the gazette gazire is democratic and believes in a strict construction of the constitution of the united states that it protests against the attempt to disfranchise or persecute any class or creed on account of their religion we have no sympathy with mormonism or the supposed revelations of joseph smith but we sure axe not disposed to quarrel with those who have that is none of our business about five per cent of the mormon charen entered into polygamous relations congress passed what Is known as the edmunds act to protect the family by punishing those who practiced polygamy or unlawful cohabitation to t I 1 O this law has been most rigidly en enforced treed ninety seven per cent of those charged with polygamy or unlawful cohabitation have been convicted and punished the destruction of gamy is inevitable it cannot polygamy Soly Roly burish in any part of the country this being the cise case there was no necessity of the passage of the edmunds tucker act by the last congress the gazette has heretofore declared it to be questionable legislation it is doubtful it if congress has the right to confiscate church property because it dislikes the church and it is also doubtful if congress has the right to set the limit to the size of odthe ithe lot and number of acres of land a church can own in any territory as it does under this bill congress has the power under section 3 article IV of the constitution ution to make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territories but whether it can under this clause strip the people of a territory of of all voice in in their local government as is done under the edmunds tucker act is very doubtful while every one is agreed that polygamy cannot and must inot not be tolerated yet conservative and thinking men are not prepared to go to the extreme which this mormon persecution for it can be known by no other name is being carried hence it is that such papers as the new york times the chicago tribune the lewiston me journal and the springfield republican begin to sound the alarm against such ouch a wanton and wicked invasion of the rights of the whole people arizona by the repeal of the anti aati mormon legislation of its legislative assembly has said to the world that here all men shall enjoy equal political and religious no man shall be punished lor for opinions sake but when opinion lead to actions in violation of of law then and not until then shall the culprit be punished |
