| Show SURRENDER OF APOSTLE GEORGE Q CANNON THE voluntary surrender of apostle george Q cannon and before judge sanford in third district court this morning will occasion much surprise not only in utah but throughout the country many newspapers ave echoed the foolish story manufactured by a topeka kansas reporter that the gentleman had gone to mexico with his family they will have to admit that their news was wrong and their comments super flu fla ous mr cannon has not given the slightest foundation for the rumor it is well known that the gentleman has been tor for a long time in retirement and that he be could not be found w when elien diligently hunted for by the officers of the law that he should now step forth in the light of day and submit saam it to trial on the charges preferred against him hims will swill cause consider considerable alile comment and many inquiries will be mado made as to the reason being familiar with many facts in the history ot case we speak wito 2 confidence concerning it when brother cannon was arrested about a year and a half ago there was such a strong feeling against him on the part of our oar opponents here that too geoe gent ral impression was he be could not obtain a lair fair trial he was quite willing however to take the risk but was vig dis from doing so by friends whose ise opinion was entitled to 10 the grav gravvat t consideration and respect at that time the reverse of vie tile established rule of jurisprudence that an accused person is to de be considered innocent until he is proven guilty seemed to prevail in the courts in all cases relating to polygamy my the presumption was that thai the defendant was guilty and he was required to prove his innocence there was a disposition on toe part of those these charged with the execution eNe cution of trie thelah slaw not only to push it to the titi utmost limit of its ita letter but to bo exceed its provisions and punish an offender several times for the same of fence the segregation system wea invented to effect this and was the practice in the courts until set aside kiy W the supreme court of the united states what could be expected blazac by as ac aused person from officials who open ly declared their vexation thiva the law did not inflict greater penalties a polygamist and who expressed their intention to multiply the punishments provided provided by statute in the case of mother brother george Q cannon it was reported and generally believed that extreme measures would be resorted zo to the boast was made that he would be kept in ia prison for the term ot of his natural life the enemies of the church were more than ordina ordinarily rUy bitter his position as one of the first presidency was cited against haia it is well known that prominent elders in the church were special objects of at and that unusual efforts were made to entrap and punish them and that their ecclesiastical importance reu rendered dered them more liable than others to the vengeance of the 0 officers of the Is law w the employment of the military at the time ot his arrest ar restad wad their custody of mr cannon wuen when he was only charged with witha a civil offense and that of minor importance was proof of the animus against him the excessive bonds Oem demanded in brother Ca cannons case caa eave gave strong color to the prevalent as to the intentions of the prosecution the sums demanded amounted in the aggregate to and this for a simple simpie misdemeanor and when the utmost penalties that could be legally imposed were re six mouths months imprisonment and a ne fine ot of brother cannon yielded to the counsels of his bis friends and did not appear for trial he has since kept in seclusion he now comes to the front of his own volition for several reasons he has always been ready to meet the issue if there was a probability oi bf a fair trial with a packed arya prejudiced court and aad a vindictive prose eating officer this was out of the quest question there is now a of public officials the fair presumption is that the new chief justice will administer J the law as he finds it and in thoi the spirit of justice and that vengeance will be eliminated f from rom tho prosecution brother cannon preferred not to wait to see what would be the course ot of the new incumbent of the bench in this judicial district he desired to he be the first to take the risk Every everybody hody acquainted with him knows that he is no coward his personal courage has been established beyond question ou on many occasions he has come to the front boldly presuming that he would receive fair treatment under the liw and that his position in the church charell would cut no figure in his prosecution another consideration moved him aim to this step he thought that perhaps when his case was disposed of there I 1 night might be less disposition to severity against his brethren who have not been so much sought after as himself he earnestly desired that they might be liberated from the bondage that has kept them from 1 liberty lbert yand and usefulness and has been willing to do anything that was possible to acco accomplish lish that end in surre surrendering to the law he be lias bas made no sacrifice of principle this should be distinctly understood lie ile meets the consequences of his own ants and would have done so before but for the reasons we have mentioned when the first proposition was made for a test case to t determine the constitutionality of the law of 1802 1862 he was willing and offered to stand in the gal and would have done so but for t the he fact that the statute of limitations barred action against him tor for polygamy g am in stepping forward today to day brother cannon took considerable risk but bat the results shows that his bis judgment was sound the first to test whether fair treatment of offenders against toe anti polygamy laws would be accorded under the new judicial re regime gim I 1 he has demonstrated that h his S ex expectations were correct ills sentence severe as it la im indicates that the laws of congress applicable in this territory are to be administered rd as ai other laws are in the differ mut and territories of the union this 14 all we have asked for since th thin lo 10 anti polygamy crusade commenced lies hect for the law and its duly appointed officers is far more likely to he be maintained bained when it is fairly executed tao when there is good ground tor for the charge that its powers arc map the vehicle tor for special vengeance the votaries vot aries of a creed apostle george Q catmen cannon bas long been a respected and hon honored orect fi ervant of the people in his bis high calling als a one of the heads beads of the church lie h has s been ever diligent faithful auri and eminent As delegate in congress for this 1 territory he was elected five times and not only labored forthe lor the interests ot of utan utah with uncommon ability and success but gained for himself a deserved and enviable reputation among the statesmen of the nation and all who became acquainted with him and their regard continues to the dav he now suffers for far a principle lie he has strong convictions and ad has given evidence of his faith by his bis works ile he will have the prayers of the latter day saints for his bis preservation and return in peace inace and it is to be hoped that even aga a enemies will be satisfied with his of the situation and his bis to abide by the decision of an unbiased court ourt when honorable men go to prison tor for a principle principe surely the lust just will recognize ane difference between beleen them and the essentially and those who are charged with the of the law unless strongly biased by hostility to that principle and thaw choju who adhere to it will rather be lenient ap persons whom they regard as mistaken than pursue them wito with greater determination mi and severity titia Is common agrain against st pronounced malefactors we extend our sympathy to brother george Q cannon and with a host of his bis friends invoke upon him the bless jugs of heaven and hope that he will cloap forth from captivity to renewed use blaess and the kull ull enjoyment of life aalde liberty |
