Salt Lake Telegram | 1926-11-14 | Page 13 | As I Remember

It was the Mormon question that was paramount in 1873 1872 and and antl anti antl continued to ibe be before congress Not ot satisfied with conditions In Utah tire the most lurid stories s were circulated I culat d throughout lh the country and In the lower house lot of congress Delegate William 11 II Clagett ett of or Montana who wIth had been beena een eena a former resident of or Nevada In Inan inan inan an address charged that In Utah freedom of Ot speech of ot the press and of ot public Jc worship were unknown un Un- known and that Brigham Young Young- h had d raised the British flag In Ip Salt Lal Lake e Cit City This outrageous declaration not only Incensed sed tire the Mormon people but the Gentiles as well veil and many mapy prominent Gentiles in the territory united In in- ina a request w which was w wired to Representative Aaron A A. Sar Sargent ent of f California who afterwards afterwards after atter- wards b became Came United States State senator sen sep ator that thit he enter at at once an emphatic denial of ot such auch al absurd urd stories and charge charges Meanwhile Delegate Per Hooper of Utah had madea made marIe It a most vigorous denial of the story and declared the charges without foundation the reply of Delegate Hooper being delivered ered on the floor of the house hi his conclusion con con- elusion being a vigorous den denunciation mel mel- atlon of oC the Montana 1 man and his declara declarations Hons Representative e Clagett tt was theauthor the theauthor author of of ofa a nu number of f a antl anti Mor mon measures which he introduced introduced- In the house and It was in in-in- in in introducing one of ot these that that he made the outrageous declaration Later in company with Samuel A A. A Merritt delegate from Idaho Clagett called cabled upon President Grant and urged upon him the necessity necessity necessity ne ne- ne- ne of ot sending a special message message message mes mes- sage to congress on the Utah situation situ situ- Prior to their visit to PresIdent President Pres Pres- ident Ulysses S S. S Grant Gran the president president president dent had made a personal visit to the tho Judiciary co committee of ot of both s senate and hous house at which he lie urged th-ged the committees to re t the Logan bill id at-id rush it through congress The Logan bill Im- Im powered the federal officials of the territory to select their Own wn jurors the same as Jurge McKean had ruled should be done Under the urging of ot the Idaho and a nd Montana delegation President Grant transmitted a a. special message mes ms sage to c congress in which he said I I 1 consider It my duty to call the attention of congress to the condition condition con con- of affairs in the territory of Ut Utah h and to the dangers likely to arise If it continues during the coming recess from a threatened ene-d ene conflict between between- the federal and territorial authorities Public In that territory prod produced by circumstances too notorious notorious no no- to require further notice makes it necessary in my opinion in n order to prevent the miscarriage miscarriage niage of Justice and and to maintain the supremacy of the laws of ot the United States and of ot the federal government to provide that the selection of ot grand and petty for the district courts if H not put under the control of ot federal officers officers oUI- oUI cers cars shall be placed In the hands of ot persons entirely independent of those who are determined not to enforce any act of ot congress obnoxious obnoxious obnoxious ob ob- ob- ob noxious to them and also alo to pass some act which shall deprive ve the probate courts oi 01 an any court created created created creat creat- ed by the territorial legislature of Ot any power to interfere with or Impede im impede impede Im- Im pede the ac action of the courts held by the United States Judges I am convinced that so long as congress leaves the selection select of Jurors to the local authorities it will be futile to make any effort to enforce laws not acceptable toa to toa toa a majority of the people of the territory ter ter- ter- ter rito y or which interferes with local prejudices or for the punishment of ot polygamy or 01 any of its affiliated vices or crimes I r presume that congress in passing upon the subject will provide provide provide pro pro- vide all alt reasonable and proper safeguards to secure honest and Impartial jurors whose verdicts will wIn command confidence and be bea a guaranty of ot equal protection to all good and law abiding citizens and at the same time make male it understood understood understood un un- un- un that crime cannot be committed com corn with with- impunity I have bet before re said that while the laws creating the several territories territories ter ter- ter- ter have generally contained uniform provisions in respect ct to the judiciary yet congress has hag oc occasionally oc- oc var varied ed these provisions In minor details ct l is the circumstances circumStances circum circum- stances of ot the territory affected seemed to to demand and in creatIng creatIng creating creat creat- ing the territory of Utah congress congress congress con con- gress evident th thought that that- ch- ch there might require judicial l r remedies s n t n necessary in other territories