The Hartford herald., 1879-01-22
TFrom our Regular Correspondent.

pOlNSamN, so OulOus 10 tue SHTistlau-
lied world, and particularly unac-
countable that the women of Utah
should defend a practice deemed es-
pecially degrading to their sex. Yet
mass meeting of Mormon women TO
the number of twelve hundred assem-
blcd in Salt Lake City recently, who
spoke and "resoluted" earnestly in fa-
vor Of plural marriage. 1t Is general
ly supposed that the Mormons do not
advance anything in defense of
polygamy but those who have visited
Utah know that they have fortified
themselves with quite an array of ar
guments. They have made them
selves believe that polygamy is not
only blessed thing morally but phys
icdlly, and claim that there is not a pros
tiiute, vagrant, a drunkard. or a
homeless child in Mormondom that
plural marriage is protection TO wo-
men from the brutali,ies of sensual
husbands. and from numerous ills To
which Gentiles are subject. But the
Christian world does not see the force
Of these arguments, and there is now a
reasonable prospect that this blot upon
fair Utah may be wiped out, and the
territory admitted 10 the sisterhood Of
States. 1t can never come in so long
as Mormonism remains in control.
The Rev. Talmage, that loose jointed
son of theological thunder, lately paid
Washington a visit. with the avowed
purpose of working up sensational ma
terial for his red hot style of gospel
elucidation. But judging from his
early departure. and the developments
generally, he did not find the National
Capital as bad as he thought it was.
Washington was not Sodom nor is il
Gomorrah, aud the parsons financial
agents went away unrewarded and
murmuring one TO the other. This
theological Akhoond of Smut, as the
Boston Pest wittiIy calls him, was dis
gusted TO find that Washington proper
WAS a good sort of place, and thai
Washington improper. was made up ot
Government officials, who come her,
to serve the public and remain tc
drink whisky, play cards, and cult
vate strange women. Leave the Gov
ernment out of Washington and the
wickedness would disappear. Wash
ington might also disappear, for it ha'
pleased our law givers to not only Civ,
us bad name morally, but to 81
down with immense weight upon ou
business enterprise.
The administration Of Justice in th,
District of Columbia is becoming a sc
rious matter. 1t seems impossible t,
punish capital crimes here. Two con
yictions for cold blooded murder hav,
been found within few months, ant
have resulted, not in the hanging q
, the murderers, but in new trials, an'
finally hung juries. The second cas-
occurred this week. A negro who
had been tampering with anothe
: mans wife concludes to pui the hu.
D band out of the way, and turning n
, his coat collar TO avoid recognition
! walks out in broad day light, meet
a him unawares and deliberately shoot
e him dead in the street. There wer
r no words, no quarrel and no provoca
s ton. He is tried and convicted. Hi
J. cousel obtain a ''new trial." fixes u
I a jury partly colorod and they dis'
gree, ten for conviction, two for equital
The same record has been made i
other cases, notably trial for one {
: the most heinous crimes on the calar
der. All this is the result of negr
a juries, and an insufferably weak c
i corrupt administration of the laws.
This week the Potter Committee ha
been getting in some solid work agaiI
and besides unearthing little more {
John Sherman's dirty work, have ha
witness who law the names forge
upon the Louisiana Electoral Cert
u ficates. This witness kept out of tt
'S way last spring when he was wante'
i but at last turned up. He was a
+ employee of Kellogg about the Sta
" House, and now charges the fogery
is dead man, ID. p. Blanchard, cleI
:. in the executive Office. There hi
L been, and still Is. strong suspicic
: that this witness, Kelley himself pc
. formed the job. though for all practic
ID purposes OF the enquiry it is imm
Is terial which one of the gang held Il
v pen. The deed is proven and CO
y fessed. And not only is the man &
1e whom the crime was committed no
h occupying the highest Office in the II
u public, but the man whom all Il
70 world will hold responsible-whom l
fair mind can acquit of the erin