Show THE it Is ia not creditable that the utah prosecutions for i have thus far teen been conducted under a territorial law framed by the tho mormons cormons themselves thome thomb elves olvea and aimed by them at conduct which they regarded as criminal their in terp of the law for years has been that it simply shielded marriage as they define marriage it Is hardly fair to turn their own enactments theme themselves elves as the thil means of expressing pros pres slug the national judgment against them the united states ought if it attempt anything in the case to make impossible sueh such questions as aa those with which mormon legislators met glovernor woods woodal V veto eto i 1 e if it polygamy is contrary to the constitution or laws of the united states why do not the federal judges prosecute us under united cited U states laws the query is very pertinent and forcible the prosecution ought to be under the united states laws if carried oli oil on by united states officials end and it if the existing united states laws or courts are defective the fault should be remedied vast and growing ln interest terest are at stake in the settlements between the rocky bocky mountains and the pacific interests industrial material financial I 1 involving the security and thrift of the whole country lying between the mississippi bis bib sippi and the pacific as well as also a moral question of vital moment there should therefore be both a peaceful and la a healthful solution of the vexed mormon problem iemand lemand and this can only be reached by a policy of firmness and consideration justice and expediency forbid that punish ment should be inflicted for acts passed and tacitly acquiesced inmany of them for decades or that innocent offspring ofis pring should be made to buffer bummer for these acts the use of a territorial law of mormon origin can but inspire a sense of unfairness and injustice and such an argument as is implied in the question above quoted the mormons cormons hold that they are shielded by the constitutional guarantee guaranteed of religious freedom and the shortest way to show them they are not is to allow the matter to be carried to the supreme court of the united states this will be a just concession to their thet sense of fair play 21 and will close a controversy I 1 that otherwise otherwise they never will own and cannot be expected to own tobe to be decided against them brigham and his coadjutors often and emphatically declare themselves yes yeb confident that thai in the national supreme court their cause would be invincible As long as they can say this they can command their followers to any extent it if they are correct in this let it be known the resort of the prosecution to a legal form that leaves them thein no right of appeal is easily interpreted into a confession that they are correct and is calculated only to incense and antagonize them indefinitely A few decades more will work an amazing change chango in these united states the temper cherished towards the government by the multitudes of and beyond the plains may determine the permanency of the union the true course Is no cold or indifferent or constructively 1 y hostile one but a policy marked by quick generosity scrupulous integrity and a fraternal sympathy the millions over the continent should from infancy grow up to feel that the national government is their discriminating friend and aud Is ia regardful as well of the rights and interests of feeble feebie communities I 1 from which it has nothing imme dia ely to fear as aa of those that are really formidable communities that t today to od day sy may be alienated with impunity may in tibebe found through geographical position numbers and wealth to be the strong security or the profound peril of bf the republic missouri democrat |