Show THE GOVJEBHOKS OATH The oath thatGovernor Murray has framed under the Edmunds law and which he requires those officials whose commissions are issued by him to subscribe is an indication of the possibilities of that law if its administration ad-ministration be placed in the hands of such men as the governormen whose prejudice is stronger than i their sense of justice and whose idea of right goes no further than the serving of self and party Murray Mur-ray also declares in the oath that in his opinion the law should be applied ap-plied in its spirit and not literally and that so far is he is concerned this will be his policy The Ed munds bill was frame exclusively for Mormons In one particular that of improper and immoral cohabitation co-habitation it was made general This Wits done to make a show of fairnesv t it would be disgracefully iucousibtent to say u c Mormon polygamist polyg-amist should be punished and a Gentile bigamist excused But neither Edmunds nor any member of Congress who voted for the bill expected any nonMormon would he brought within the operations of the law Fairly and literally interpreted inter-preted the law would apply to incontinent in-continent or infidel as well as to the twice or thricemarried Mormon and no officer has the right to make any exceptions as Governor Murray is doing by requiring that his prescribed pre-scribed oath be taken Can it be that his excellency fears an oath in strict accord with the law would prevent the issuance of commissions commis-sions to any of his friends and associates His action has that look about it We are not sorry the Governor has so early declared himself him-self in this matter that he has so soon come out in favor of immunity tor Gentile polygamists He thus gives the country a further insight into his own character and his conduct con-duct may have the effect upon the President of inducing the appointment appoint-ment of commissioners who have some regard for honor for fairness and for justice and who are not afflicted and influenced by bigotry and prejudice that are infinitely narrower and meaner than the same passions in the religious person |