| 557 Who can, who dare so arraign the wisdom of God, in arranging the affairs for the bringing to pass "his act his strange act," by declaring that he intended such a condition of things as is now existing in the valleys of Utah?-The Saints' Herald, vol. 34, p. 65.
On February 17 the report of the conference committee on the Edmunds-Tucker Bill was adopted by the House of Representatives by a vote of two hundred two to thirty-nine, and on the 18th it was adopted by the Senate by a vote of thirty-seven to thirteen. The Act became a law without the signature of President Cleveland. 1
About this time E. H. Gurley, formerly an elder of the church, was preaching in and near Lamoni, upon, his own responsibility, not claiming to represent any organized body. In his preaching he made some attacks upon the church, especially in the series of meetings held in the Bonnet Schoolhouse in Decatur County. These efforts were replied to by Elder J. R. Lambert, and subsequently the controversy was carried into the Saints' Herald through a correspondence by Elders Gurley and Lambert.
On February 7 the United States Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Utah courts in the case of Lorenzo Snow, and declared that what was known as the segregation policy was illegal. This policy held
1 The text of the oath prescribed by the Edmonds-Tucker Bill is as follows:
"I, ------, being duly sworn (or affirmed), depose and say that I am over twenty-one years of age, that I have resided in the territory of Utah for six months last passed, and in this precinct for one month immediately preceding the date hereof; and that I am a native born (or naturalized, as the case may be) citizen of the United States; that my fun name is--------; that I --- am years of age; that my place of business is---------; that I am a (single or) married man, that the name of my lawful wife is---------, and that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and will faithfully obey the laws thereof, and especially will obey the act of Congress approved March 22, 1882, entitled 'An Act to amend Section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United States in reference to bigamy and for other purposes,' and that I will also obey the Act of Congress of March 3, 1887, entitled 'An Act to amend an Act entitled an Act to amend Section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, in reference to bigamy and for other purposes,' approved March 22, 1882, in respect of the crimes in said Act defined and forbidden, and that I will not, directly or indirectly, aid or abet, counsel or advise any other person to commit any of said crimes defined by Acts of Congress as polygamy, bigamy, unlawful cohabitation, incest, adultery, fornication; [and I further swear (or affirm) that I am not a bigamist or polygamist, and that I have not been convicted of any crime under the Act of Congress, entitled 'An Act to amend Section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, in reference to bigamy and for other purposes,' approved March 22, 1882; nor under the Act amendatory thereof, of March 3, 1887, and that I do not associate or cohabit polygamously with persons of the other sex.]"-The Saints' Herald, vol. 34, p. 225.
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