cool wind sways and bends them hither and thither, they make pathetic music which is intensely "sweet, but sad." | Keats expresses this fanciful sentiment concerning the reeds fancifully, and it accords with the strain in which I am writing: how did we weep to find Naught but a lonely sighing of the wind Along the reedy stream; a half-heard strain; Full of sweet desolation, balmy pain." or, as one writer has beautifully expressed it, "like far-off reminiscenses of youth." The approach of spring speaks tenderly to me of lovely flowers and hanging vines, of the sweet music of song-birds, and glad hum of bees, of gay butterflies, of young lambs skipping and calves bleating, and all these are most welcome to one whose heart is in sympathy with the pulse of nature. And while admiring all these, the works of a N. P. Willis gives a truly poetical Supreme Being, let us look up and adore definition of the reed and the willow: "The reeds bent down the stream, The willow leaves, whose flowers the water The reed is often used as illustrative of weakness; always ready to bow before every breath of authority, yielding and submissive, as some of "the lords of creation" who are compared to sturdy oaks, desire women to be. But as I am not moralizing, I will refrain from giving my views on this point. In some countries there are many flowers that make their appearance early in the season. In England, among wild flowers, the yellow daffodils bloom in March; and this pretty blossom is a favorite flower with some of the poets well known to fame. Wordsworth speaks gracefully in verse of the floral splendor of the daffodils haunting him, he says, "They flash upon him in the bliss of solitude," and Herrick thus laments their too early disappearance: "Fair daffodils, we weep to see You haste away so soon; As yet the early rising sun Has not attained its noon; Until the hasting day Has run But to the even song, And having prayed together, we Will go with you along." And O, the violets of spring! who does not love them? Modest, dainty and fragrant. Who does not appreciate their lovely sweetness? The perfume is wafted to my senses from far off years; the great Creator, not only of that which we see, but of the soul by which we sense and enjoy them. Like the Psalmist of old, one might well exclaim at this season, "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad. Let the field be joyful and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice." Amethyst. SPECULATION.-A Yankee boy on his way to school took notice that a millshaft which consisted of a long, straight, slim, tree trunk, was wearing out; its giving way was only a question of time. He knew that seasoned wood would be needful to replace it; a green trunk would not answer. He cut one, stripped the bark, smoothed the knots, and laid it in his father's door-yard. A year later the shaft broke, and the mill-owner was anxiously looking for a substitute. "What will you take for that hickory pole?" "One hundred dollars, sir." "A hundred dollars for that stick!" "Yes, sir; I cut it for your mill a year ago, when I saw the shaft was wearing out." And the mill man was glad to pay rather than have his mill stand idle while he seasoned a new shaft for himself. Now this youth rendered a useful service to the neighborhood, and deserved his money. This was speculation; genuine, natural, honest speculation. That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me.-Pope. He can't be wrong whose life is in the right. Virtue has many preachers, but few martyrs. TWILIGHT REVERIES. 185 TWILIGHT REVERIES. The shadows rest upon the mountains high, And blue and purple haze enwraps them now, And clouds, fantastical, pil'd against the sky, Wreathe quaint, odd garlands round the mountain's brow. How gently twine shadows and clouds so gray, Oft have I watch'd the phantoms twilight made, And in similitude my fancies play'd With light and shade, and blended them together. The soft breeze gently whispers in the leaves, The visions of the past fill all my soul, And through the vista of the years grown grim I trace the outlines, as upon a scroll, Of forms and scenes familiar, though so dim. I see the forests near my childhood's home And all that then was mine, of youthful hope, All these, I gather in the shadow'd scope And shudd'ring pause, 'twixt happiness and fear, 'Tis pleasant thus to view the path we've trod, And mark where here and there our feet have stray'd, Where sometime fell a heavy, chast'ning rod And soft the whisper, be not thou afraid, Sooth'd all the wound-and cheered us ever on, If on our way some shadows in the years, Now looking back through mists of bitter tears, We know, WHOSE HAND has led us safely through. When the last eventide has fully come, And twilight reveries on earth are o'er; May hope triumphant light us to that home, Where tears, and doubt, and grief are known no more. Emmeline B. Wells. THE CONTRIBUTOR. | practising it before any such law was THE "EDMUNDS BILL." SENATOR George F. Edmunds, of Vermont, has succeeded in securing the passage by Congress and the executive approval of his anti-polygamy bill. It is now a law of the land. Its provisions, in several respects, are regarded by our people and by many outsiders, Congressmen included, as unconstitutional and Vicious, being designed, in the spirit of intolerance, to do the greatest injustice to the citizens of Utah who are affected by them. It is believed that the law will not stand a fair test in the courts. Some of the salient points made by honorable Senators and Representatives, who opposed the bill, were not replied to by its advocates, but they will no doubt be raised again in the courts, when they must be considered and set aside, or the bill must be declared unconstitutional and therefore void. It was claimed by several Senators that the section of the bill which disfranchises American citizens for the crime of polygamy, before they are convicted of that crime by a competent court, is in its very nature a bill of attainder, inflicting pains and penalties. without investigation and trial. The Constitution, Art. I, Section 9, says: "No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed." It is further claimed that this Constitutional provision is violated, in causing the disfranchising clause of the bill to disable those who ever have been guilty of polygamy. That is, if a man were a polygamist thirty years ago, before there was any law whatever against polygamy, and though he ceased made, yet under this bill he is denied the rights of citizenship. The meaning of an ex post facto law is, law which inflicts punishment for an act which was not a crime at the time it was committed. There are other features of the bill which are equally flagrant violations of the Constitution. It is, however, not our intention now to discuss the legal value of this enactment, but to endeavor, so far as our understanding of it will permit, to indicate its probable effect upon the people of Utah and to call the attention of the younger portion to the duties such legislation imposes upon them. Of course the abolition or prevention of polygamy, which the bill is ostensibly intended to accomplish, is as far from being effected as though the statute had not been passed. It does not in the least daunt the believers in that institution. If polygamy as commanded by the revelations of God, is necessary to be practised at all, it is none the less obligatory upon the Church, because human governments impose pains and penalties. No faithful member would hesitate a moment to obey the dictates of conscience for fear of consequences. Though he might expect to suffer the punishment prescribed by the law, he would count that a matter of small consideration compared with the importance of keeping God's commandments. The bill therefore will fail, as indeed every human effort must fail, to prevent the practice of those principles which have been revealed for the regeneration and salvation of man. Its promoters have undertaken to measure arms with the Almighty, to proscribe and punish what He has commanded and blessed. We shall see what the outcome will be. From the history of others, who have at various times in the past presumed to sit in judgment upon the Latter-day Saints, one is measurably safe in predicting the triumph of our cause and the confusion of those who oppose it. It might be considered an absurd challenge of human probabilities to prophesy that the distinguished Senator from Vermont has reached the zenith of his EDITORIAL. political career, particularly as he had the honor the other day to decline the President's nomination to a Supreme Court justiceship, but is it not as probable to prove a true prophesy as that of Joseph Smith, when he told Stephen A. Douglass, twenty years before the event, that he would aspire to the presidency, but if he raised his arm or voice against our people he would fail to reach the goal of his ambition? The famous "loathsome ulcer" campaign speech of that distinguished politician, to use a vulgarism, effectually "cooked his goose." be seen; 187 Those who are not among the politically ostracised owe it to themselves and the community, while suffrage is still extended to them, to exercise its duties with all commendable zeal. None should fail to qualify as voters who are of age. Every alien should be naturalized at the earliest possible day; and if we are permitted to vote, we should poll the largest vote ever returned from an election in Utah. There are enough young men and women in the Territory, who have, in the past, thought father and mother could do all the voting that was necessary, to overbalance the falling off from the registry lists, through this bill of attainder. Surely, they will not hesitate now to do their duty! We may thus make the wrath of man praise the institutions of God. For if the children of polygamists shall come to the front and outvote their disfranchised parents, will it not show to the world how great and glorious an institution polygamy is, to thus produce citizens and voters in a greater proportion than the most capricious dodging of the Constitution will allow a corrupt Congress to cut them down. We rest secure in the expectation that every The Edmunds bill disfranchises all polygamists, men and women. Exactly how they will be distinguished from the rest of the voting community remains to it will depend upon the methods adopted by the commissioners appointed by the President. The election law of the Territory is to be regarded, and it is supposed there will be tacked on to the oath which it requires all persons to take before registering, an additional affirmation that they are practical polygamists or bigamists. Whatever the form may be, no doubt every means will be employed to bar from the polls and from office every one made an offender by this law, and if we are not wrongly informed of the habits of "returning boards," the disfranchisement will not stop there. It is to be apprehended that, having the counting of the votes as well as receiving them, the peculiar mathematical formula which Governor Murray was governed by, in making thirteen hundred more than eighteen thousand, will be learned by these gentlemen, and applied, if a possible technicality can be discovered by which to throw out the monogamic Mormon vote, as well as to prevent polygamists from voting. We hope the President will be so wise in his selection of men that they may be of a character above such baseness, that they may be men who will earnestly seek to administer the law as it is written, in impartial justice; for though the law is most foul in its condemnation of citizens, it to some extent permits a portion of our community to exercise some of the rights of citizenship. public spirited young man and woman in the community will be on hand when the time comes to register and see that their friends do also, and at the August elec tion the people's party will roll up such majorities that the star chamber Commission will have to out-Murray our gubernatorial mathematical phenomena, to count them out. THE PETITIONS. THE memorials to Congress, which were so numerously signed by the people of Utah were duly forwarded to Washington, reaching the Capitol before the House of Representatives passed the "Edmunds Bill." They were read and referred. These petitions simply asked the Congress of the United States to delay legislation on the Mormon question un til a commission of its own appointment might investigate the situation here. They were unheeded, the most indecent haste being shown by the supporters of the bill to pass it, without amendments, as it came from the Senate. A gag was put upon the members, and the only debate permitted consisted of five minute speeches, occupying altogether but two hours. The House is responsible for enacting this unconstitutional measure, which strikes at the very foundation of popular government, while ignoring the protest of over fifty thousand persons, whose interests are assailed by it. It is a source of gratificatain to those who signed these various petitions, to know that whatever distress may come upon them and the government, through the hasty, ill considered and intolerant action of Congress, it is in the face of an earnest protest. This fact relieves the victims of the bill from the charge of apathy and shoulders the entire responsibility of its enactment and the consequent evils which it entails, upon those, who, fearing to lose their place and position, yielded principles of honor and sense of justice, to the merciless clamor of bigoted sectarians and office seekers. The young men's memorial was most promptly signed and returned, the following being the number of signers from the respective Stakes, that were reported in time to be sent with the first express: Salt Lake, 2537; Utah, 2155; Cache, 1772; Sanpete, 1521; Weber, 1040; Davis, 855; Summit, 522; Box Elder, 499; Tooele, 491; Bear Lake, 471; Juab, 346; Morgan, 303; Parowan, 194. Total 13,035. A few days after these were sent, an additional number were received and forwarded. The totals of the respective memorials as they were finally summed up were as follows: Relief Society, 19,108; Citizens,16,256; Young Men, 15,636; Young Ladies, 14,152; Grand total, 65,152. ANSWERING THERE seems to be a feeling among some of the members of the Mutual Improvement Associations, when they have a question given to them, to answer it in the shortest possible time and in the fewest imaginable words; as though brevity, under these circumstances, was the most desirable of all attainments. We do not so regard it. If we understand the object of these associations aright, it is that of mutual improvement (hence their name), every member doing his and her part according to their several abilities, in teaching, edifying, pleasing and interesting their associates. And when a question is asked it is always desirable that it be answered with sufficient fulness that those who listen may understand, not only that a thing is sobut why it is so. For instance, the very important question might be given a member to answer, "Is baptism essential to salvation?" That question could be answered by the member simply rising, saying emphatically "Yes" or "It is," and then resuming his seat. But is the question answered QUESTIONS. in the spirit, intent and meaning for which it was given, by a simple, unqualified affirmative? The answer would be perfectly right and truthful so far as i goes; but it does not go anything like far enough. How much better it would be to give scriptural reasons from the teachings of the Savior and the servants of God, showing why baptism is essential to salvation. Thus it could be affirmed that they who refuse to be baptized "reject the counsel of God against themselves," Luke vii, 29, 30. And certainly those who reject God's counsel can never be saved. Again, Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned;" therefore according to the teaching of the Son of God, baptism is essential to salvation. Still further, Ananias said to Paul, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins." Is it necessary that our sins be washed away before we enter heaven? If so, baptist is unquestionbly essential. So we might continue with many other pertinent quotations, all of which would give instruc |