| Show PROSPECTS OP OF JUSTICE THE following special dispatch from washington appears iu in the delver dei ver tribune republican of september the president had before him hlin today to day the case of the three mormon bishops who were convicted some eighteen months ago iu in arizona of unlawful ful cohabitation and who are now serving a sent sentence ot three years tears at hard labor in the detroit penitentiary and a fine of 5 each it seems seema that these bishops could not be convicted of polygamy under the edmunds law and tience nence they were tried under a terri statute against unlawful cocab citation bation the extent of the punishment lor for which is six months imprisonment and a fine of the attorney atto rucy general has examined into into the facts aud and the law and he has recommended their pardon the president under these circumstances es will doubtless exercise the tae executive ve clemency 11 the cases referred to in this dispatch are those of elders tenney christoph phermon ersson and kempe whose unjust incarceration iu in tue the detroit house of correction was brought about through spite and the wilful perversion per erston of jaw aw in judge sumner howards court in arizona they had bupt committed the offense of polygamy is as benned denned in the edmunds act for this was demonstrated by the evidence even unlawful cohabitation was only proven aga against inist them constructively but the law of congress and a statute ot of the territory were so thoroughly mixed and mingled ining led together that tile the penalties 4 of the lormer former and the definitions of the latter were made to do united duty defendants were convicted of the lesser offense and sentenced to tue the greater cater punishment having oay been technically guilty 01 ol unlawful cohabitation haw tation they were sentenced for polygamy tenness Ten plural marriage occur occurred fifteen years and kempes kempe s twenty years before indictment and both were barred by the statute of limitations their sentences were an outrage on law as well as justice and will aland to the everlasting infamy of all parties who were canceri concerned led in the piracy to cinch the mor mona 11 there never was a stronger call for official clemency than the ease case of those brethren they have served more than eigl eighteen iteen MOU lu in a prison conducted on the hard labor and silent system over a year wore more than their alleged offense could justify as to time aua anu the whole ot of it fuore than the law prescribes in degree lor for there is no b hard ard labor in the lawful pe penalty halty clemency is the only resource dow BOW but it is an improper term t tu t use in relation to chose brethren all that is assed for them thein it is a small modicum of justice us t ice they have no business tp be they fare are and the facts presented to the president which are not disputed and are undeniable leave no room lor for justice to refuse the application we hope that the next I 1 news concerning our friends who have been the victims of spleen and bigotry of 01 shameful perversion of the law an and d of prof prostitution of judicial power aul wul be of their freedom abild ovation to home and friends their persecutors are in the hands bands of him who will ren der a just judgment judg menN and who will reward every man accor according to hm his works |
