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Show PETTERKD ECROPE-FREE ' AMERICA! , Home, the chosen seat of mental des pntisUi has opened its arms to the invading in-vading army that offered it a more liberal rule, and already political jour nals hare been established there that criticize Pope, priests and officials with a freedom that makes the inhabitants of the "eternal city" open their eyes in bewilderment. France, iu throwing throw-ing off tlu imperial dynasty has cast the censorship of the press to the winds, and proclaims that liberty of press and speech shall be held sacred. Germany, with its vast and accumulating accumula-ting power, is demanding that its journalists jour-nalists may be free to express themselves them-selves plainly concerning the fitness of their rulers for the high positions which they hold, as well as concerning their policy and official acts. While these evidences of progressive liberalism are being manifested in the nations of Europe, where tyranny has so long reared its powerful ; front, what do we witness to-day iu free America, the home of liberty , where a free press and free speech are held as sacred as life itself? Here, in this laud of freedom, free-dom, a Federal Court is found that attempts at-tempts to brand as a felon's act the criticism of a public servant ; that tries to stigmatize as a crime the simple asking for information concerning reports re-ports in common circulation, which if true would unfit that servant for occupying occu-pying the position he has been appointed appoint-ed to fill. The press of America may well doubt if such a thing could be in this country. coun-try. They will rjuery if there can be found between tho two oceans a place where it could be attempted. But they have more reason to query when they know that here in Utah, far years, not only the utmost liberty, but the most extreme license of the pres6 has been exercised unquestioned ; and that it was only when attention was called to an unpopular official, who had iu public speech, on more than one occasion, proclaimed himself the enemy of the people, that this movement move-ment of a court was inaugurated. The object and design must be patent to all. Criticism of officials must not be permitted iu Utah. No matter who they are, what are their antecedents or how they act, their being stamped with the teal of office at Washington must be accepted as a patent of their fitness for office, their virtue, their immaculatcness, and their vast superiority above all their fellow-citizens, fellow-citizens, llcr.r it, the press ef free America, that criticises Presidents, Governors, Judges, Senators, Representatives Repre-sentatives and every official with the utmost latitude; hear it, that in one of the Territoiies of the United Slates of America, a journal is threatened with indictment and the whole machinery machin-ery of a Federal Court is bet iu motion against it, because it asked a few questions ques-tions as to the truth of certain rumors affecting the character of an official of the Territory and such an official! |