| Show AN HONEST STATEMENT the following from the pen of A H cannon E esq s q appeared recently in america a journal published in chicago your a kunou that america is devoted d to honest politics and good litera literature encourages me to correct some glaring errors concerning which appear under the head of american iams isms in your issue of october 31 1889 if these misstatements were purposely made the following will be of no use to you but if unintentional I 1 may hope that you will pot not fail to 10 let the public hear what Is briefly advanced in our own defense the statement that joseph smith was open to bribes when he and his people dwelt in illinois ois is entirely without foundation in fact that he sought from both political parties redress for the wrongs ani and injuries done his co religionists is true and he even appealed to the highest power in the land for relief from oppression and for the rights which the constitution guarantees to every citizen that his petition was an able and fair one is evi danced by the reply of martin van aured then president of the united states your cause is just but I 1 can do nothing for you the cormons mormons Mor mons 31 in those early days only asked for their rights and being refused them they could affiliate with and sustain neither party this they certainly hail the right as freeborn free born men to do you say sayago gov v ey of arizona in his annual report urges congress to re enact the law franchising disfranchising dis all polygamists in that territory if you will read the edmunds tucker law passed by congress in march 1887 you will readily see that all polygamists are dis franchised in arizona as well as in every other territory what gov desires is a ing every mormon whether he practices polygamy or not his desire is to make mere belief a crime of sufficient enormity to rob a citizen of his franchise and the right to hold office the idaho test oath which win will be submitted to the united suites states supreme court during the coming month is of this nature and has franchised disfranchised dis 1 thousands of legal voters because of their membership in an unpopular church it is this that gov would like to see in force in his territory the statement that the mor mons have planted COID colonies Dies in arizona and other territories for the express purpose of controlling elections is one which we defy any person to prove the people have only done what it is the right of every citizen to do settled on the public domain aud and they have generally only occupied that portion which it was thought a white man could not redeem such lands have been reclaimed with the most severe and unremitting toll toil if this is a crime we plead guilty to the our votes and our consciences are not open to purchase but having no very strong political bias we would naturally feel kindly dis d la posed to the party that would give us the rights which we claim under this god given government and which would protect us from the violence of mobs and the rule of carpet who look for popularity in the oppression and falsifying of our people and doctrines we have no desire to loveras love ove raw the united states government 21 2 1 nor do we ever expect that the members of the mormon church will be in the majority in this country we do anticipate a day however when good principles and equal justice will prevail in this land no do matter from what source whether jew gentile mormon nl or pagan such principles are ob obtained talliEd you speak of the hideous immorality of their doctrines as though you knew that the latter day saints were and are immoral if you were really acquainted with us you would well know that a lustful or impure man or woman cannot remain in this church you would kuba that we look upon adultery asa as a crime second only in enormity to that of murder and worthy of capital punishment you crimes are considered by us as among the most damning in the whole catalogue of crime you would know that where such sins are committed by members of the church it subjects them to immediate excommunication muni cation you would know too on the testimony of many eminent travelers and writers not of our faith that as regards morality and sobriety the mormon people are without superiors in the world permit me dear sir in conclusion to state that I 1 have believed america to be a tearless fearless advocate of the right a publication that aims to be just to every individual sect or party and it is this belief that prompts me to pen these lines in order that our ode of the story may be heard by your numerous readers and that a fair hearing may be accorded to even the deluded 13 and much abused mormons cormons Mor mons J fe S i vf S f |
