Show JUDGE ZANE AND THE MANIFESTO IN another part of this issue will be found some remarks made tuesday october 7 in the third district court by chief justice charles 8 zane the occasion which ailed them forth was the application of one thomas themas jackson for admission to citizenship the question of the membership or otherwise of the applicant in the mormon church was introduced at this point the judge ex pressed himself as bound to take judicial cognizance of the official declaration from president wood ruff buffon on the subject of the discontinuance by the church of the solemnization of plural marriages and the acceptance or of that manifesto by the 0 assembly of latter day saints sainte at the recent conference the position taken by chief justice zane does credit to both his heart and judgment he separated himself from those who unjustly and we might say brutally refuse to attribute good faith to the mor imor mons 19 in any position they assume his honor in unison with the genius of his high and honorable calling assumes an attitude in line with the long established principle of law that a man is deemed innocent until his bis guilt is proved this axiom has still greater force in relation to the acceptance as genuine a solemn declaration regarding the honesty of which there is no evidence on which to base an imputation of bad faith hence the consistency of the stand taken by judge zane he accepts the declaration as genuine and announces thai that he can only be re moved from that attitude by proof which would vitiate the manifesto he states that his fai h in hu human n nature is a factor in leading him to the conclusion he has reached but few men med have had bad better opportunities of gaining an insight enthat in that direction titan than the chief justice of utah and his experience in that regard in relation to the mormon people has been specially ample A although we have no means of knowing lils his views other than by an exercise of judgment as to what must necessarily be the nature of his impressions regarding the mormons cormons Mor mons as a rule we believe he cannot think otherwise than that they possess traits that constitute them a community who will not disappoint those who trust in them judge zanes announced future rule of action in relation to the admission to citizenship of members of the church is the legitimate outgrowth of his views of the manifesto we congratulate him on his consistency |