| Show SEVERE aut cy ri aimse WORDS SALT sali LAKE CITY march 9 1887 4 editor deseret news I 1 see you have expressed your views in last monday evenings issue in te latigu to the passage of of the edmunds tucker bill without the presidents signature and I 1 think president cleveland eveland Ul Jl ought to feel very proud of having such an able a apologist 0 1 0 g as you have brov proved ad to be in defending e f e or at least excusing him in his non action bychich by which he be suffered that bill to become law your somewhat elaborate and ingenious reference to his trying bryin 9 position tion may show a worthy consideration on your part for his official sufferings in that trying ordeal which demanded ot of him the perform performance aDe ze of an ail official duty but siri sir your eyes eves must knot be closed your heart must not I 1 be to the fact that the duty he failed to perform on that occasion could not be done by another and tor for him to stand by and with placid indifference see the rights and liberties and even the aitt citizenship of many thousands of his bis country countrymen mem wrested from them when the stroke ot of his pen could have availed the evil and con consequent 11 e suffering was a crime 0 of f the highest order the president holds his position for the purpose and it is his sworn duty to see every citizen of the land protected in his cons constitutional titu dional rights either at home or abroad when the law provides for such protection and he is appealed to for that purpose now when be is appealed 0 to o by this ula unconstitutional cOnstitutional and infamous bill he prostitutes his bis office denies his bis oath and recklessly suffers the mass of the of a flourishing territory to be virtually dis franchised because they are unpopular and his popularity must be preserved atthe at the of al lothers if seeds Heeds be I 1 am willing to give ive him the benefit of all he be could legally claim and allow him the right of two witnesses at I 1 least e alst tobe to be a testimony against and it if in 14 his sound judgment of con law two provisions in that oil that were opposed to the constitutional rights of the people of utah he be was in afi duty bound to return it with his veto to the congress which passed it and I 1 venture to say that his own down conscience was convinced of this fact and that there is not a soun sound d constitutional lawyer in the land that cannot recognize in that bill most i flagrant t violations of the rights and liberties of american citizens in tile the possession of which they are guaranteed protection by the constitution the tact that two iwo great parties and even national clamor were pressing him is no apology or justifiable excuse lor foi his inaction that fact was a press ing demand for his bis prompt and ready action to defend the right and maintain and defend his dignified official position has it come to this that there is not one in the land that has the will and power to stay the tide that is surging against the bulwarks bulwa of our constitution threatening destruction to our entile political fabric the plea that he hb did not sign the bill makes ill none the liaos inexcusable he gave it his assent by silently suffering that to be which he was under the solemn obligation of an oath to prevent even what may be deemed a semiofficial semi official act may be admissible when no ID luj jury ary alt can result from it A As a in the caye case of jesus pleading with john to suffer him to be baptized but when anen the liberties and lives of the innocent are fit at stake inaction and silence are criminal in the extreme in him who has the power nover but will or courage coave it requires no apology disaster must follow such an offense fease of there can be no honorable release from the dobli existed cx istad sias of omission are at times as terri terribly blo in their consequences as those of commission the tender tenderheartedness hearted heartedness ness even of an all editor will not be able to induce me mercy rey to 0 rob justice in the day of swift an and d certain retribution As an american citizen who has honored his country at honie boirie aud and in foreign lands I 1 honor the sentiments of a former president that the government that will not nat or or cannot protect Us citizens in their rights at home or abroad is not worth detel defending iding what then shall be said of that man who at the head of this mighty republic can look quietly on and silently acquiesce in the of thousands ot of its citizens innocent of even the accusation cusa tion of crime by a despotic decree without judge or jury or the exercise of auy any judicial justification whatever w hat ever he might at least have done as much as pilate did and de dared himself innocent of the wrongs perpetrated I 1 in the discharge of his off leial duty duly it could be nothing to him whether the majority da the citizens of utah were were aws jews gentiles mormons cormons Mor mons mahomed ans catholics or protestants but bu t the simple question are tile the provisions ut of the bill entirely in harmony with wilh the constitution that conscientiously answered be maintained no sir air this whole matter was no Istir prise party arrangement sprung upon president cleveland in ili an unguarded moment he had ample time and opportunity to deliberate and arrive at conclusions he was petitioned entreated and his high prerogative was invoked imploring him to come to the rescue and avert the impending danger to act the part of a mam maa the pail of an overruling providence and power which he alone could exercise he failed the consequences of that failure will be t to 0 coming generations as the history of past struggles for freedom and liberty are to the present it was the writing of MENH TEXEL upon the wall that cannot be effaced S sap W A |
