Show COMMENTS ON AMNESTY idaho statesman president harrison has issued a proclamation cla mation proclaiming laiming universal amnesty to those of the mormon people who have been liable to prosecution under the laws of congress or who have been under disabilities because of offenses off enies against those laws the proclamation is the legitimate fruit of the action of the mormon church and people in renouncing the obnoxious doctrine and relinquishing the practice complained of with those people the has no quarrel now that they have placed themselves in harmony with the law and the proclamation of the president may be regarded as the closing act of the long controversy that has been such a prominent feature in the history of the region in which the mormon people are settled the war Is over and the matchless industry of those who constitute the membership of the church which has its headquarters in salt lake will continue to contribute to the ing and prosperity of this intermountain inter mountain region without any disturbing conflicts between them and tho citizens of the section affected salt late tribune liberal we congratulate the latter day saints upon it and we believe that the confidence reposed in them by the president in granting the petition will not be abused we believe also that the pardon carries with it full restoration to citizenship it Is right and just said senator shoup and I 1 am gad the president has finally issued the proclamation my observation has convinced me that the mormon leaders spoke for their people and I 1 am sure that all interests will be conserved by this action As you know more than six months ago I 1 strongly urged mr biar bisou to take this action which he was delaying through doubt as to the form of the proclamation the amnesty issued seems to cover his objections and meets the situation senator dubois had not read the proclamation but when it was shown him said that meets the case I 1 am glad rison has finally come to the conclusion on the subject which I 1 and all other western republicans urged upon him last spring he fear then that prompt action might appear like a bid for votes the issue of amnesty after his defeat certainly removes that objection I 1 am certain that conditions have changed in utah and idaho and that the mormons should now be treated precisely like any other class of citizens their petition was eloquent and authoritative I 1 am much gratified that it lias been fully granted the country will cordially approve of the presidents action in the premises provo enquire republican commenting on the salt lake heralds remark that the amnesty proclamation is an inconsequential paper amnesty Is a general pardon and ii of no less importance alian the past presidential pardons to many prominent persons in utah among whom if 0 W penrose Pen roae another editor of the herald we wonder if he thought his pardon an inconsequential paper when it was received the general opinion of utah people at that time was that a pardon from the president was worth something and they rejoiced when such men as president joseph F smith was pardoned and thus permitted to openly labor among the now when no less Is done in the case of hundreds of other men this contemporary of ours says it Is inconsequential we ask the people of utah what they think had the amnesty come before election utah would have returned a republican delegate to congress instead of the democrat elected however amnesty insures a victory for the republicans next november when members of the thirty first legislature will be elected peoro dispatch democratic we hall with gratification the slight relief which the proclamation gives not so much because of its legal effects as because of the fact that our true condition has at last received official recognition and tends to remove any barrier that may exist to the accomplishment of statehood for we would suggest to whoever may have charge of a bill for an enabling act for the admission of utah the embodying within that act of pro visions that will permit all disfranchised persons who in fact have dissolved polygamous relations to exercise the right of franchise in voting upon the constitution for the new stat ewe care not how they may vote logon journal democratic just what practical benefit this long delayed amnesty cm be to the people we are lit a loss to understand it give the right to vote and only pardo ns those who dont need it |