Show THE HEW EDMUNDS BILL t baa need in congress another anti mormon bill 33 vur readers have already been unformed the text of this bill is published in this issue of the HERALD in many respects this bill is infamous in eoma minor particulars it is good among the schemes of robbery which this bill contemplates is the the perpetual tion fund and the destruction of the corporation of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints by jhc thc united slates government provision in the bill is also made for recording marriages and a severe penalty attached for a failure ta so record them as provided this bill also gives power to the federal territorial coulta to compel a first wife to testify against her husband it extends the time of limitation in the prosecution of cases of polygamy and unlawful cohabitation the deseret news further canvasses this bill as follows the is intended to give power to the courts to make unreasonable searches and seizures of ecclesiastical records which are not public property and cannot be made pubic property by any act of con gresa without violating the constitution of the united states hut that sacred instrument is fast becoming obsolete and does not count in legislating against the latter ay saints the seventh section is a most unjust attempt to rob the women of utah of the right of suffrage term right understandingly the alecs live franchise is conferred as a privilege a vested right by possession and usage there is no reason why that right should bo taken away from the women of utah more than the men the object clearly is to reduce the voting power of tha mormon citizens of utah this being the undisputed intention why not take the franchise away from ever person claiming to be a mormon this would be more reasonable and logical and not any more unjust in principle though it would be more extensive in its effects than to take it away from the women alone it is to be presumed that the authors of the bill considered that the total disfranchisement of the mormon people would be a little too strong a measure at once that it provoke too much discussion as to the motive an adso they thought it better their object by degrees the enfranchisement of the women of utah was once a pet measure of butali was once a pet measure to break down mormonism it was argued that if the downtrodden down trodden women of utah could yote polygamy would soon be doomed and mormonism destroyed st but it haa been demon ot rated that downtrodden down trodden women are as earnest in the support of religion as the men W kr lyo lull fut their belief and because ther do not vote people think they should this blow at comans womans is as cowardly as it is illogical and subi vested rights and it will havo bearing upon the end that ts promoters have in view irwill rheet also with considerable opposition in congress the eighth and cintli sections of tap bill prove beyond doubt what we have often alleged that those members of congress who are most prominent in legislating against Utah do not understand the situation here and generally are ignorant of utah affairs they depend upon state ments made by unreliable enemies of alie cormons mormons and th work in tha dark those two sections are aimed at empty space there are now laws which provide foche numbering or identifying of votes and the civil and criminal jurisdiction ris diction once exercised by the pro bate courts was taken from them by act eleven years ao mr edmunds ought to know enough of the subject on which jie attempts to legislate to avoid making such an exhibition of ignorance as this attempt to repeal laws that have no existence the section intended to deprive children of any interest in atie slate of their fathers la a very narrow and illiberal policy and will simply make it necessary for fathers of children called illegitimate in law to specially provide for them by deed or will while the en acts when alic fathera do not go provide will fall innocent children a feat for the accomplishment of which mr edmunds anut take considerable credit and in which lie must have cicat satisfaction section eleven is another exhibition the senators ignorance of the lawn of utah which he attempts to mand there are no such laws on our statute books as that section de glans to annul the section k worse r than surplusage 1 l the next four sections forni a bold attempt at wholesale robbery they propose to take for public purposes the property of private associations call them corporations if you please though the corporate existence ofila church Is an open question these cannot bo made operative aliey is much ignorance of the of the church properties and of thep E fund company ns kotlier sections do of the laws of utah they are in open violation of article V oatlie amendments to the constitution and eliat they are manifestly unjust and dishonest we think it will be conceded by everybody but bigoted antl cormons mormons Mor mons who think the end the means and arc lust as ready for pillage as they are tor pcr seo ution lender coyer ofilio law ve would be sorry to have lo 10 live for a week on the property that the trus tees appointed by alie president will nich from the church or the P E fund |