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Show POLYGAMOUS MOEMOSS. Tuesday evening's Deseret News had a two column and a half leaded article under the heading "Present, Past and j Future," dealing with a rumor which j moit people have heard, regarding an impending raid ot Borne mythical per-eonagee per-eonagee upon leading Mormons of Utah for alleged violations of the statute regarding polygamy, nd which ie not credited by any, or at least only by a very email per cent, of those who have heard it. Tub Dispatch has heard a good deal of this talk but it is one of those whe have doubted the existence ex-istence of any euch purpose, nor have we yet heard aught to comDrm the flret I rumors. That a few persons may haye Indulged in that sort cf talk we fully believe, but that there has been any ground for it or any, even the elighest truth in it, we do not belieye. There are probably a few men who have been disobliged by the result of the election last fall who are still very angry. These have talked indiscreetly and what they have said ii tortured into meaning a vast army of faithless Mormons and wicked American citizens are still in dehance of both the church manifesto and the Edmunds-Tucker law, living In polygamous relations with their former plural wives. Unquestionably there are some few who do this, and doubtless there will always be some to dey both church and law, but the number num-ber must be veiy small indeed. The men are not numerous who will thus violate the laws of-both church and state in this way, especially where the penalty is bo grave, to say nothing of the breaking of the pledged faith of the church and its Illustrious leaders. We can hardly see enough in the situation situa-tion to warrant the official paper of the Mormon church in aiecribing to it an imporrancs which would warrant this eerious and extended treatment. Neither the News nor the officer who is said to have prepared a list oi over 200 cases of this species of. violation of law will live long enough to see the day when there will be no such cases in existence. In the very nature of the cae there will be some rmainintr for all time where wicked men and wo- j men too who will live the old life in defiance of law.but aa the days pass, each tucceeding one will see the number num-ber lessened. Of course the violators I of this law must be sought out and I punished, but in thus seeking for of fenders the utmost care and delicacy will be observed that false accusations be not made. Even were there ten times the number of 200 cases reported, jet persecutions of ths kind and for mere revenge or upon conspiracy to drag down any innocent man or to distress dis-tress an innocent and unoffending ex-polygamous ex-polygamous wife, cannot be too severely se-verely or promptly punished. We are I of those who cannot believe that there ia one single man in Utah so lost to all Bense of right to truth and honor, to lend himself to a purpose as ignoble as this would be. Hence we feel that the News has made an error, a quite serious one, In triving to this matter of the reports an importance which it is not entitled en-titled to. We can ouly regret these indiscretions in-discretions and warn the people against being influenced one way or another by them. This, of all other times, is least appropriate to the indulgence of such sentiment of hate as this would indicate. We are convinced that Utah has just entered upon a career of development de-velopment which will induce such prosperity pros-perity as no western etate has ever before be-fore seen or enjoyed. The stirring up of such strife as this would indicate, would be a crime against Utah and all her dearest interests, of the deepest dye. The News, to make good its serious statement of the matter should give names, names of officers preparing the lists of recalcitrants and lists also of the suspects as far as obtainable, to the end that a searching examination may fully set up their innocense, and this is the shortest and best way out of the maze, if there is one, and the quickest way to settle the doubts of I all, if there is no grounds for these reports. re-ports. All good citizens, church or anti-church.muat anti-church.muat take this view of the matter. mat-ter. No other is possible for an honest hon-est man or a good citizen who values the peace and the prospects f Utah. |