| Show disgraceful CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN UTAH THE people of utah are well aware that the administration and the country are much exercised over the enforcement of the edmunds law and that many persons are so infatuated that they imagine this one of the most important of national questions while it is really not to be compared in mag include with actual evils that attract but little attention it is granted that the president the congress and the prominent men of the nation intend to push this matter to extremes and that they are not over particular as to the i Hanner of its accomplishment but we do not believe that the leading minds of the country would eu endorse the proceedings of the officers and the courts in utah if these irregularities lari ties and excesses were properly understood der stood aney would not sanction the prostitution of the law which disgraces its present administration in utah it is not necessary to its execution that the whole territory should ibe be made a field for the ravages of a gang gauron of spies delatore dela tors and process servers exercising power to summon and arrest whom they please on bare suspicion and to persecute ers ecate harass and annoy citizens of of a certain class they would not countenance the vindictive course of prosecuting officials who single out victims of their displeasure and put pat them to no end of trouble expense and mortification without any reasonable ground for beual proceedings they would not agree with the protection afforded to dier libertines tines while the courts wreak vengeance upon honored citizens because diey will no not make aises they would not approve of the illegal compulsion exercised towards lawful wives to force from them testimony against their husbands they would not countenance the indiscriminate arrest of women and girls under toe the pretext that they might know something of the whereabouts of witnesses who cannot be found nor the browbeating brow beating beatin 11 and intimidation to which those ladies are subjected ia order to extort information concerning status and private relations while pretending to us use e them as witnesses against others they would not favor the prosecution of respected citizens because of their ecclesiastical standing who have not really violated the law they would not support the bigoted rampant and Tu rapacious crusade now in progress ogress to break up homes improver impoverish progress fr sh la families milies aad spread distress and anguish for the enrichment of officials who revel in to fees and the loy joy of a clique of schemers seb emers who lust tor for political control and openings for plunder theraid the raid made upon the family of mayor Armstrong illustrates the malice and excess indulged in towards mor rions mons selected as objects of official vengeance his family and all associated with them that violent hands could be laid upon nave been forced before the grand jury to be plied with the prurient questions which are commonly put to enforced witnesses with toe the view to ta fasten upon something that would excuse an indictment against him tor for polygamy it was all in vain there was nothing in it except the malignant desire to enmesh him in the toils of the law under such proceedings ce edings no flo Mor mormon family Is safe f from rom intrusion and insolent and shameful interrogation as well as expense the violent interruption of family affairs and the disturbance of the household peace but why was mayor armstrong picked out as an object of this malevolence everybody who knows the facts Uel believes ieves that it was in retaliation for his well known efforts in aid of the exposure and prosecution of the lecherous frequenters of vile houses some of whom were officials of the court wherein his overthrow has been beau attempted he sought to suppress flagrant immorality and d therefore he must be punished if possible Is not this a lovely state of affairs if it i could only be clearly understood by the national authorities is it to be supposed that it would be sustained we think not there are parties here who could present the facts in a way that would bring about a chaug change e rave have they the moral courage to do it what mormons cormons Mor mons say in the present intemperate condit condition on of the public mind county counts for little there lare iare decent non here who deplore the wrongs which innocent people are suffering and who could exercise an influence ce if they would to rectify these evils we neither expect nor ask any one to do anything in the way of obstructing ting the fair enforcement of any law of course we view the law under which these extreme proceedings are conducted as oppressive partial and unjust but we understand that it has to ue be enforced what we now desire is to havi have something done to clothe execution with a little decency to keep the officers who are engaged in the work within legal leeal bounds to stop turning prosecution into persecution to relieve families and citizens who are not accused of crime from the raids of ruffians who have no sense ot of propriety or regard for private rights to make the law something higher than a vehicle by which spite and revenge can be wreaked wrecked upon one class of the community while vice and villainy go unpunished and unchecked in another this 1 ought to be done and gentlemen who would aid in effecting it would do themselves a service as resident citizens by helping to settle the agitation that injures business and promotes unhealthy sensations while they would benefit the whole community and yet do nothing to hinder the proper administration of the law the condition of judicial affairs in utah is a disgrace to a free country and when the details are re recorded crded will make the darkest page of the history of this nation while the names of its chief promoters will be held up in f future times tor for universal execration |
