Show constitutionality Y OF or the THIV LAW ASTORIA november 15 isk isu editor deseret neuss another question I 1 wish to ask through your youn valuable paper if you think it it worthy of insertion when I 1 wrote you before speaking of th eEdmunds law I 1 called it 6 unconstitutional when I 1 saw it in print it there makes me to call it a constitutional law now I 1 am not learned in law and perhaps it was so worded worried by the proofreader proof reader to correct an error of mine well that is all right but if the edmunds law is constitutional I 1 cannot see it it may be Edmunds law but nota icon law and I 1 would like to be informed sherm wherein it Is constitutional that I 1 may comprehend it now I 1 read in section 8 of the edmunds law agno egno no bigamist or ov polygamist or any person cohabiting with more than one woman and no woman cohabiting with any of the persons described is as aforesaid in this section in any territory or other place over which h the united states nave have exclusive jurls juris juristic dic tion shall be entitled to vote at any election in any such territory or other place or be eligible to election or appointment to or be entitled to hold hoid hola any office or place of public trust honor or emolument in under or for any such territory or place under the united states stales now is there anything constitutional in all that Is it not unconstitutional Is it not a palpable violation at least of half a dozen provisions of the constitution of the united states 1 1 nor liany person be deprived of life liberty or property without due process 0 of law 2 no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury tyl 3 in all criminal bri minal minai prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right of a speedy and public trial byan impartial jury of the state or district wherein the crime shall have been committed 4 ho he shall be confronted with the witnesses against him 5 lle lie ile he shall have bave compulsory process for obtaining wit fit witnesses nesses in his favor 6 gile Ille he shall shail have the assistance of counsel for his defense 7 7 no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a geitness teft ness against hint hini himself self 11 8 no bill of attainder shall be passed 11 9 no ex pott post tacio facio law shall be passed w WHAT nat HAT IS AN EX POST FACTO lave 1110 law I 1 1 every law that makes an action done before the passing of the law lawana aut auk which was innocent when done criminal and punishes such action 2 every law that aggravates 11 a crime or makes it greater than it was when committed 3 every law that changes the punishment and aud inflicts a greater than it wa was s when committed 4 every luw law that alters the legal rules of evidence and receives less or different testimony than the law required ed at the time of the commission of the offense in order to convict the offenders etc what say sas you is th that at law cons titu dional nier QUI istar if it I 1 think aright bright judge zano wano e ex pressed as voicing ibe the wisher of people in administering the edmunds law as he does 0 or r has he fie surely must have been out of his reckoning ile he could not have got sot the views of that large number of people cleof of whom he speaks something is wrong somewhere as see the f following ollo olio w clipping from the herald which expresses also mso the views of the new york evening post boston advertiser philadelphia ladelphia phi Anteri american cap caa and lots of other papers some days ago we referred to the fact that nearly all of the prosecutions have been carried on under the third section of the act which provides p punishment not for polygamy or plural marriage but for or plural cohabitation which is made a misdemeanor the mormons cormons assert that the federal courts have refused to enforce this section against gentiles who were guilty by their own confession according to the telegraphed egra phed abstract of the report the commissioners reply that the law was not directed against individual lascivious practices but against the assault by the mormon church upon the rmon roon system this will not do the law is plain it specifies a crime and provides punishment for any male person who wiio commits it this law should be enforced all who violate it in utah whether they be dior Alor mormons cormons mons or gentiles the saints just at the present ought to take special comfort from the say sy ing ang of our savior blessed are you 1 when men meil revile you and speak all mannen manner mauner of evil of you falsely I 1 rray Fray praying ins may hold hola on to the iron rod I 1 remain yours E J BROOKS |