Show SOME OME appropriate FACTS AND reflections uron UPON WHAT IS CALLED THE MORMON mon MOX QUESTION editor deseret news wems the character of the present prosecutions for polygamy and unlawful lul lui cohabitation together with the methods adopted in these prosecutions elicit much comment in the community and seems to demand an occasional reference in some public form now that thata a new administration is entrusted entrust edwith with the 1 important m octant affairs of this great government ern ment it is a fittin fitting time lor for attention to 10 be called to this subject affecting as it does the interests of many residents in III utah and other territories of the union for it cannot be justly claimed but that this violent political moa movement rement Is prejudicial in its effects upon the general interests of this vast region af although though directed against com few of the ai mormon Mor people the republican party has inaugurated the present SYSTEM OF DEALING WITH POLYGAMY as in its judgment the most likely to effect the object expressed in its platform when it came into power the abolition of what was termed the twin relic of barbar barbarism iaru its course in this direction has been marked by the most extreme and radical measures republican zeal has been unremitting in seeking such legislation as would f famish the department of justice with the tha necessary power to convict and punish those who practiced polygamy and some of the judges have even supplemented the legisa legislation tion thus obtained by their extrajudicial extra judicial rulings upon the most must technical and overstrained over strained pleadings of the off meers officers for the prosecution governors judges marshals and attorneys have combined to accomplish this purpose apparently sa so dear to every republican heart evidently with the hope of hav having ing the scalp of this lc intruder tru d er upon the civil civilization bation of the age to lay before the country as a trophy oi of political victory and a means of retaining reta retaining inin political power but republican methods methods and republican zeal appear to have come short and now we find the newly newis inaugurated democratic president announcing that the conscience of the people still demands that polygamy shall be repressed after twenty nive five years of the most unrelenting effort the old party art of the anti antl platform ras has tad lad had to retire and the sub subject eject now comes to t the he fro front n t in n the new inaugural like a fresh theme redolent with original charms and virgin claims upon the public attention the question is therefore suggested to the mind of every thinking person HAS THERE NOT BEEN SOME hii hil misrake MISTAKE in this antl anti policy one of of two things is certain either the practice if as is claimed it still exists as vigorous as ever is of such a vital character that it is beyond the reach of legi legislation legislate an and courts or the stringent methods so zealously hitherto adopted are not the means calculated to accomplish the long desired object what then seems to be the proper conclusion certainly this that however desirable it may be be to abolish this feature of mormon society in utah another and more sensible method metho than those already adopted should be chosen by thu thy new administration it will not be contradicted I 1 think that every system which siri sirl smacks acks of persecution is an incentive rather than a hindrance to the performance of what assumes the character of a rell roll glaug duty the very U UNITY ITY 0 OF F T THE I 1 IE P PEOPLES E orl els EIS baitty PARTY which has caused so much comment and even apparent alarm among politicians has been brought about largely by the stringent efforts made to break down the religious institutions of the mormon people they have naturally rallied together moved by one common interest and that the most natural of all self seif preservation internal feuds factional feelings private piques and dislikes and all the other social causes of disruption in communities generally have been swallowed up in the one great absorbing theme of af self protection the gohei government has itself withdrawn its friendly influence which it owes to every citizen and ana community on its vast domain and has pronouncedly by its off omm official leial actions declared itself as the foe of the 11 mor mons and their religion till TENURE OF FEDERAL in utah has been re regulated upon the basis of the most rai ral radical fical hatred to the people among officials were appointed to minister as representatives of the government no kindal kindly or conciliatory methods have beell a adby op C ted no solicitude for the welfare of the people has been manifested the one theme has been heralded and maintained till the public all over the world have been sickened with its repetition namely that Mormon mormont 11 institutions must yle be changed or the people punished or annihilated if it needs be to accomplish it there has been no high minded statesmanship exercised or at 1 east least none has been displayed it has been a perpetual hounding threatening and perse persecuting persecution cutin policy from nin the very beginning the the people have sought by edition tion through thrombi their legislature and petition ieti Beti y other deais means to obtain a thorough investigation of their grievances grievance si but in n lieu of an investigating committee the territory has been burdened with a board of commissioners who extended their powers be beyond 10 d the limits of t the he law I 1 which aich gave them their legal existence until the people eo e have ave becu been acu ecu deprived of nearly all t the e rights w which ich they had left the 1 law affa framed e with ith the least regard to the constitution except perhaps the anti antl le law of 1862 of any on the statute books of our country has been even rendered ex post facto by the strained rulings and oue one sided constructions of this board several thousand persons have many of them simply on suspicion been dis franchised without any conviction or even trial and some who had never violated any law who had grown grey before th the passage of even the law of 62 have suffered the penalties of the unconstitutional act of 1882 penalties unheard of before and totally unsuspected at the time that they ev assumed the responsibilities for which they are today to day d dis franchised and placed in jeopardy have been inflicted in arizona it is even worse than in utah for the judges overstepping the requirements of law have pending appeal sent men to the detroit U S prison for polygamy which had beon barred by limitation polygamy for or over twenty years and ana in some caes cacs I 1 am informed the alleged offense offence had been committed in another territory altogether outside the ju jurisdiction riad 11 of the courts court which tried the cases such illegal proceedings and unmitigated abed blunders committed by men clad F in the ermine of judicial power cannot have a very salutary tendency in removing the so called delusion from the minds of those whom the government claims a desire to reform loyalty te to GREAT greay principles however is not affected by the outrages of men and the fundamental principles of the american constitution have a firm hold upon the hearts of the people notwithstanding these hard and unseemly experiences it is to be hoped that the grand old party which now its the reins of government will be inspired with the same noble sentiments for which our fathers fought and which gave columbia her greatness and her strength let religious us liberty stand upon the same ground with the liberties of the people in other respects and when it is found necessary to retire retire the clergy from the field of religious discussion and call upon the legal mind to reason with the dissen popular sentiment let the t he lawyer not violate his own principles or those of the constitution norun nor under color of law do unlawful deeds but let the law be enforced in the spirit of a just administration for the public good and not for private ends or political lavor tavor DEMOCRAT |