Show A remarkable CHARGE in one respect it was a peculiar charge which judge anderson gave to the grand j jury u ry of the second district court at beaver last week as published in this issue leaving out the special remarks of his honor in reference to offenses under the edmunds act and its supplement pl ement his charge is excellent and worthy of af all commendation and we do nottage not take exceptions to his endeavors to direct special attention to the offenses here alluded to it must be understood and should be conceded that the government has engaged in the work of trying to suppress those practices against which the laws referred to were framed the judges are not to be fairly censured for making reason able specialties of these in their instructions chions to grand j juries u ries but what surprises us is that judge anderson should desire the inquisitors inqui at beaver to accept in those cues cases old stale accusations that have been raked up so that the grand jury and the court may ally be madette madec ma dethe the instruments for wreak ing the revenge and spite of private parties upon their neighbors in all other oases cases the judge warns the grand jury against receiving accusations cusat ions of th this Is kind hind made to put a person who has committed a technical anwon of the law to expense and trouble in defending himself against the charge he says to the grand jury after pointing out the evil here described you should carefully scan the motives of those seeking seeding to have indictments diot ments found for minor offenses and wherever you find that ehg prosecution is prompted by malice and ill will aud and no good purpose willbe served by pressing the ac WOW you should refuse to indict especially if the accusation is au an old one and has ben bea n ignored by former grand juries but tie he adds I 1 1 I do not give you these instructions with reference to the law against bigamy polygamy unlawful cohabitation and adultery but with regard to these crimes you cannot be too diligent in your investigations and should indict in all cases where there is a reasonable chance for conviction Is not this very remarkable language there is no need to scan the motives of those these who rake up old stale accusations in order to annoy wreak vengeance and d malice upon and otherwise injure their neighbors if the charges are alleged infractions of the law relating to the offenses named even if no good purpose can be effected by pressing the accused or if the accusation is an old one or has been ignored by former grand juries the charges are to be entertained and indictments round found in all cases where there is a reasonable for conviction whether his honor knows it or not the reasonable chance for convicting a mormon accused of violating a special act of congress and indicted vakis turns chiefly upon the will of the prosecutor juries usually are expect expected id to convict in this elms class of casina cases id and they so 80 understand it the fact too is ia well known that nun ibers of condic eions have bet been n had through in formati format loil onor or mccre suspicions furnished to grana J juries from malice abdill and ift willand will and that the accused had bad only technically tOMal cally violated the law and often have plead guilty simply to save their families the humiliation of being dragged into court and questioned upon private relations of the most delicate character his honor may not have meant all that his language implies but as it stands in his charge as reported to the press it is an open invitation to throw aside the safeguards and limitations which are placed around persons accused of other offenses and expose suspects under the edmunds law to prosecution and which would not be permitted in other cases and this we respectfully submit is not executing the laws as in other parts of the united states which has been demanded by the public and declared to be the policy of the national government zeal may be proper under the circumstances in this particular direction but such as aa this implies does not comport with that unswerving impartiality which is considered to be the glory of both english and american jurisprudence |