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Show I Judges And Judges, Some days since Judge Humphrey, a United States Judge in Chicago, released a number of meat packers who were under indictment, on the ground that the real offender, if there was one, was the corporation, and that individual members could not be punished for the acts of the corporate cor-porate body. The above is not quite the legal phrasing, but it covers the idea. President Roosevelt Roose-velt was very angry when the decision was made, declaring that it was neutralizing the intention of an act of Congress. But, then, the President Is not a trained lawyer, and moreover it must be that he is not a regular subscriber of the Deseret News. Had he been he wpuld have seen the reverse of that proposition decided over and over again, with all the precision, if not the erudition, of a Marshall or a Jay. It is on fine points that our contemporary shows its Inherent strength For instance, the dominant creed in this region has certain beliefs and certain fundamental principles. prin-ciples. The rock on which it is founded is that one Joseph Smith was called in a vision to be the direct and only representative on earth of Omnipotence; Omnipo-tence; to be a king to rule here In God's stead; to found a kingdom to teach God's will to the people; peo-ple; and, being the king, like other kings to make no accounting to himself. Further, he was to be given revelations as often as any counsel from the skies was needed. He was to have two counsellors, for what purpose pur-pose it has never been made quite clear, for what should the agent of the Infinite, in daily commu-nication commu-nication with the Principal, need of counsellors? There were to be twelve others, to be called apostles, and while not individually potential, they combined were to be equal to the king. This, it is understood, was to make it possible for the twelve, in case the wires got crossed with the king some morning, and he" became daft or imbecile, to put him out. Besides these there were a dozen other kinds of priests provided for, but they are not essential to the business in hand. They altogether, wlta such followers as could be roped in, were to constitute con-stitute a church. Naturally, from the very first, the head of this system has had undisputed rule. He has named the political officials, he has dictated legislation, has run city councils, and wielded the will of the people without question to vote as he desired, to think as he desired, to do as he required. And the apostles, being second in power and in the line of succession, all liable at some time to be called to the chieftainship, have likewise directed under the president the running of things, including includ-ing primaries, conventions, elections, and with the president have managed to make of Utah a little corner lot of hell for well nigh sixty years. Well, this system has an organ which is not one of the least features of it, and about once a month for the past two score years has proved with a directness and precision which ought to excite the envy of Judge Humphrey, that the church interference in any of the purely worldly affairs of Utah was and is an infamous false- 3 hood, and that the proof is direct, because the creed and the holy literature of the system I makes no mention of any such thing. Judge I Humphrey's idea would be to quash the Indict- ' ments, but to hold the corporation through which these individuals act; but the News, In its higher ,Qf, court, insists that so sacred a thing as its church may never be disturbed by the foolish or wicked acts of mere individuals, unless the masses who adhere to the creed be called upon and with uplifted up-lifted hands decide that what the directors of the big corporation have done is right and for the best interests of the stockholders. If the president presi-dent was mad over Judge Humphrey's decision, it would be a joy to hear his picturesque language could he come here and watch things for about six months. |