OCR Text |
Show LIMITATION. Wo are eorry to sou our esteemed conlemnorary, tho Oyilen Junction, "gclting dl wronfi" ia its law. The editor, commenting ou the decision ol the supreme court in tho Kwymlds cuao, stated that "all persona who hftvo taken plural wives since 1802 havo committed olhjnses aj;aioHt slid law (tho anti-polygamy law), and are subject to prosecution tha-fj'ur ." Bome-ono, Bome-ono, ovidenlly a lawynr, calla attention atten-tion to the error, whereupon the Junction pcniuU iu its mistako, Baying that "conjugality, and nol the ceremony cere-mony wbii:h Beta it on (oot, constitute thoollouse," of polynamy. It has been bold by courts overywucro thai the marriage ia tho violation of the law. Two of IbH present federal judges of Utah have so decided, and under the United Stales statute of limitations, dismissed prosecutions for polygamy or bigamy not commenced within two yoara of the second marriage. Under tho present lawa, and according to tho interpretation put upon tbem by courts hero and tUewuere, no person can bo punished for practicing polygamy who has not entered into that relation within two years. In some of tlio tUU s, we believe, the o ffc nao is made continuous, and the purtiuj can be pmjecutcd at any lime eo long as they cohabit or live together to-gether na man and wile. The United States Btatutcf, by which oaec-e must bo prosccuUd in the ter-ritoricp, ter-ritoricp, limit the institution of such prosecutions to two years alter tho commission of the oflimse, which the courts hold to be (he marriage, and not the living together It is this very limitation tbut has made the people who ard so anxious to raid upon the polygamous Mormons' persons per-sons and property, so clamorous for now legislation on the subject that would mako those who violate the Btatuto liable lo prosecution at any time. With only the present laws in forco polygamies who have not married mar-ried within two years aro as safe from criminal prosecution aa monogamists, or old bachelore, the opinion of our respected contemporary to tho contrary con-trary notwithstanding. |