Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-01-31

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anybody Of bigamy in Utah failed, from the
difficulty of securing convictions from Nor
mon juries. The passage by Congress,
something over four years ago, OF law
prescribing new method of impanciling
juries in that territory. obviated this dlihcul-
ty, to some extent and new attempt was
made to enforce the anti-polygamy law. a
Mormon named George Reynolds and several
others we're indicted; but as the Mormon
priests and witnesses always ieign ignorance
when placed on the stand. no legal evidence
could be secured, except in the case OF Rey-
nolds, and in that only by stratagem. The
United States Marshal captured Mrs. Rey-
nolds No. . on the street one day during the
trial, before she rad been ''counseled, and
when put under oath she innOcently blurted
out the whole story Of her marriage, and
pointed to Apostle Wells as the one who
performed the ceremony. Reynolds was
convicted. The case was appealed to :he
Supreme Court of the territory, and again
the verdict was guilty; it then went up to
the United States Supreme Court, where
after two years delay decision has been
reached sustaining the verdict of the lower
court. Reynolds will accept his punishment,
as an unrepentant martyr; and the Nor
mons generally, if more prosecution follows,
will take the role of saints prosecuted for
conscience sake. The preaching at the
Mormon meeting houses the Sunday alter
the Reynold. decision was universally de-
fant. The little episode, however, of an
indiscreet sister who clapped her hands for
gladness as she learned Of the decision doubt
less expressed the Utmost sentiment OF the
better class of Mormon women. The
Deserd Ne,cs says The issue is between
the Supreme Being and those who venture,
ignorantly or otherwise, to oppose His pur-
pose and designs. Daniel was apparently
at issue with Darius. But the conflict
really was between the King of Kings and
those who sought to establish human de-
crees above divine commands. History has
recorded the result" The same paper
characterizes the distinguished jurists who
rendered the obnoxious decision as cloudy
minded and "feeble in understanding
and declares that they rendered their judg-
ment under popular pressure.
The saints appear to have been apprcheI-
sive of the character Of the decision. and
have industriously occupied the days OF
grace in marrying and giving in marriage.
The prevalent notion has been that in case
of an adverse decision lis application would
not be retroactive but simply confined to
future offences. One of the arguments
of the Mormon lobby now in Wash
ington is that, should the law be enforced,
some GO 900 women would be left without
legal husbands, and that many times that
number Of children would be declared illegit
innate. That this woul1 be a hardship is
undeniable. To lessen it as much as posi-
bic, Senator Ghristiancy has reported bill
which provides for certain exemptions under
the statute against bigamy, legitimizes
children born Of parents living in polygamy,
and gives the power of granting amnesty for
past offences against the law prohibiting
plural marriages. The bill also provides
for the absolute exclusion of polygamyists
from the juries in trial for bigamy. With
this law added to the existing statutes there
would seem to be no good reason why the
process Of wiping out the Mormon "relic Of
barbarism" should not go on with effective
ness and despatch.