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"Violators of the Laws of the Land." Large anti-polygamy political cartoon by Thomas NAST, on a single leaf taken from Harper's Weekly for January 28, 1882 [Volume XXVI; whole no. 1310].

Folio (15½ X 11¾ inches), one leaf, paged 61-2. Attractive modern hand coloring. Very good condition.

SOLD

The cartoon occupies nearly half the page, and measures 9½ X 7 inches + caption. It is nicely centered at the top, extending more than half-way down the page, quite suitable for display.

Two comical old Mormons in top hats try an assault on the House of Representatives with an umbrella and a small CANNON. An allegorical woman guards the doorway, and the second line in the caption reads, "Columbia. 'Even (G. Q.) Cannon shall not open these Doors to you.'" A placard beside the door reads, "Notice. No Polygamist shall be admitted to a Seat in this House. U S." This cartoon is illustrated by Gary L. Bunker and Davis Bitton in The Mormon Graphic Image, 1834-1914 (SLC, 1983), p. 48, mistakenly citing the date as 28 February.

 

George Q. CANNON ( 1827-1901) was an apostle and first counselor to Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff & Lorenzo Snow; a director of the Union Pacific Railroad, and Utah Territorial delegate to Congress. "In 1880," explain Allen and Leonard,

George Q. Cannon was overwhelmingly reelected to a fifth term as Utah's delegate to Congress. Governor Eli H. Murray, however, verified that the Liberal party candidate, Allen G. Campbell, had been duly elected. His reasoning was that as a Mormon, George Q. Cannon was ineligible for citizenship. Even the anit-Mormon press denounced such blatant misuse of power, and Elder Cannon contested the matter in Washington and was eventually seated. In 1882, after the passage of the Edmunds Act, the cased was heard again in the House of Representatives, and this time Elder Cannon lost. The House, however, did not vote to seat Campbell, and the seat remained vacant until the next election. [James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City, 1976/86), p.397]