Show AMNESTY AND PARDON I The overruling band hand of God in the destinies and experiences experience of His Hia Saints has been seen and realized times timea with with- without without out ut number In the brief but event event- eventful eventful ful tul history of this Church Espe Espe- Especially during the last few tew years have these manifestations of His power compassion cone passion and mercy meroy been multiplied in our behalf The manner in which the calm olm has been made to succeed the storm has bas been marvel marvelous in our eyes Bye and the promptness and completeness with which bitterness has been supplanted by friendship and has bas been evi evi- evidence evidence animosity by charity an dence Jence to all aU who see by the eye of faith that divinity has shaped our ends and that poor finite man is but butan butan butan an agent and a means meaDS in io carrying out the plans of Omnipotence Quite in line with this marvelous change referred to and as another glowing instance of the tender solicitude solicitude tude and love JOVe of ot Him whon the Saints have bave elected to serve Is la the late lale procla procla- proclamation proclamation proclamation mation of ot the President of ot the United States granting amnesty pardon and tb restoration of ot civil rights righta to all who may have come under the he legal ban imposed by well known well congressional enactments enactment against the practice of ot plural marriage provIded they have compiled complied with the terms of the he proclamation on the same subject nearly two years ago by the preceding President Mr Cleveland takes up the matter of pardon where Mr Harrison Harrlson laid It down and carries it to the utmost limit of his executive powers Previous COD cou- con conviction and punishment under the laws alluded to are no longer under the terms of his hie proclamation a bareither bar either elt ber to the suffrage or to the holding of office O 0 course the special reference in the registration oath tb to the two law laws I of Congress on the be be subject of polygamy and unlawful cohabitation is not expunged expunged- it could not be save by the repeal of the laws themselves w which is a matter entirely out outside the pr prerogative of the President While those laws are in force it is equally evident that no proclamation can ean legalize the practice of polygamy or Of unlawful cohabitation even where the prohibited relations had bad been beeD pre pre- previously previously entered Into But every every- everything thing else toward oward removing the dis- dis disabilities dis disabilities abilities thereby Incurred and toward restoring and re establishing the rights and aDd privileges of citizenship as a well as 81 exemption exemption from prosecution is hi by this thle proclamation decisively and unreservedly unreservedly edly one The construction placed upon its terms by the Utah CommissIon ie la proof that we do not exaggerate the extort t of it that body has ordered stricken from the lel registration oath the clause which reads Anal And AnO 1 I further swear that I Iam Iam am not a bigamist or poly polygamist and that I have not been convicted ot of any aDY crime erime under the not act ot of Congress entitled an act etc It deserves to be said In this tion that it Is within public memory that there have been registration oaths presented in which there was no reference to conviction whatever and instances might be cited where no longer who actually bad been convicted were assured that they could safely take the oath and were solicited to do so While there thereto to toe foie to e there seems in the latest oath to have been this much doubt as lo to the scope of President Harrisons Harrison's amnesty all such doubt will be removed by the explicit terms of President Cleveland Cleveland's I document There of course reo re- remains re remains I mains the clause clauRe in which the applicant for or registration pr to support and aud faithfully obey tb the Von Con Constitution and laws of the United States especially the laws in refer reter- reference reference ence to bile bigamy amy and for other purposes etc but as above stated those laws r require quire that such an oath be taken and only by their repeal can it be expunged from registrations conducted under them That this Important proceeding in ID inthe inthe the healing of ot recent wounds will be hailed bailed with Joy and gratitude by the Mormon people and by their friends scarcely need be reiterated Their thanks were due doe and were expressed to President Harrison whose proclamation proclamation tion ato ata at a time when it required cour cour- courage courage courage age to issue it has bas been alluded to Their thanks are due now to President Cleveland and those hose whose whole kindly advice in this matter be he has bas accepted The pre was no doubt easy to grant for there could nave have bee been found few lew to oppose It But the not notis actis is 18 none the less appreciated nor the less friendly on that account and it re reflects high credit upon every one ODe w who bo had bad a apart apart apart part in it Above all should the Saints address their thanksgivings and sup sup- supplication supplications supplications to Him Hloi who moves and directs mens men's minds and controls control all things as to Him good The answering of two questions from froma a Mill Creek correspondent 1 is now made easy euy He writes writer Please answer through the NEWS for forthe forthe forthe the benefit of your readers the following two questions The 1st-The 1st The Cop Copper er does act act does it save a aman's amans aman's mans mana franchi franchise e For 2nd-For 2nd For committing a misdemeanor and being proven guilty does a man lose 1088 his bis franchise Cohabitation Is a misdemeanor many have been sent to the penitentiary for it they have behaved themselves and for their good conduct their sentence has bas been shortened they condoned condoned they did not serve their full tull time of sentence If there are such who are not cohabiting with any but their lawful wife today can they register and vote Our correspondent correspondent also allo asks concern concern- concerning concerning ing the status of a man who was con oon convicted of ot polygamy aud and served three years yeara of ot his bis term being pardoned before the term expired The an answer to this is la that such pardon carried wit with It the restoration of civil rights and such person provi ed ed be he could sub sub- subscribe subscribe scribe to the other portions of the oath a was entitled to register and an vote As AI to the q questions above boye quoted t the be answer er toI to I the ft first fir t one ODe to lie e not act of t itself carries w with it U DO ao n restoration of rights its benefits ar arp accorded as a a reward of ot good cone conduct b In prison and a mans man's legal BLat stages upon completing a term shortened by bya bya a few months montha under the provisions of the copper Rot pct would be precisely the thelast same as it if he be had served to the very last hour bour the term to which he ha l been sentenced As to the second question the terms term of the laws Jaws relating to polygamy and unlawful cob cohabitation forbade the to those guilty of ot those ot of of-ensee of tenses and President Harrisons Harrison's proclamation intended of amnesty while In- In in intended tended tended to favor those who were will will- willIng willing willing ing to apply for it and who had not been guilty of the offenses named since a Ii date two years and two months previous was held beld by many to offer no restoration to those who bad had been con con- v voted though as we have bave above shown the Utah Commission of ot that time seemed to hold a contrary view President Cleveland Cleveland's proclamation ot of yesterday expressly Includes restores all the rights they have lost by reason of ot such conviction and there would seem to be room for tor no further cavil about it |