The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-09-11
Salt Lake CITY Ia inst now in a

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leaders aud Mormon followers have
at last become greatly alarmed, and
with good reason, as to their ability
TO continue much longer under the
United States Government undis-
turbed in tho enjoyment Of their
criminal practices. Polygamy, even
in the religious guise assumed for IL
by the fathers Of the Mormon church,
is today as hideous and repugnant
to the moral and religious popula.
tion OF this country, as any Of the
crimes mentioned in our statute
books, and tho sooner the offenders
are brought to Justice the sooner
will the darkest blot upon Western
civilization be wiped away. That
the officers OF tho law are at last,
after many failures to convict ond
punish this peculiar class of crimi-
uals, in position to bring them TO
speedy justice admits of no doubt,
and hence the present unusual state
OF disturbance aud alarm in the
Mormon camp.
Old residents Of Salt Lako City
say that at no time since the coming
of Johnson's army to Utah, more
than twenty years ago, have the
leaders OF the Mormons felt that
they had so mech cause Of apprehen
sion as now. There have been times
Of great excitement there within the
last ten years, especially during the
time when Judge Mexican presided
ovor the Territorial Court, aud when
/ brigham Young was prisoner and
under indictment for numerous
crimes but neither Judge Nc.
Kenn's hostile rulings nor the Pro.
phet's arrest struck at the root of
the system OF polygamy. Tho Nor.
mons expected that the legal crusade
against them would bo brought to a
halt, as it was, by decree of the Su>
preme Court of the United States,
and they knew that as long az they
controlled the juries, or portion Of
them their leader could never be
convicted or punished They were
annoyed, exasperated, but they news
or felt tha. their institutions were 10
danger.
Several events have occurred with
in the past few months which have
shaken tho faith of the Mormon
leaders in tho security of their sys>
tom Until recently every attempt
to punish n Mormon for the practice
of polygamy through prosecutions
in the courts failed, either because
the prosecuting officer found it i'm
possible to procure legal evidence of
the crime or because Mormons on
the juries refused to vote for con-
viction. The success OF the Gov
ernment in the Reynolds case sur.
prised the Mormons. but it caused
no alarm amongst them. because
they firmly believed that the law
against polygamy was unconstitu.
tional, aud would be so declared by
the Supreme Court. The decision
OF that tribunal against them was
like a thuuderbolt IL struck away
one Of the main cornrr-stOnes of
their confidence, and placed every
polygamist in Ctnh and adjoining
Territories in the attitude OF erin.
inal. Before, they supposed that
they wero trampliug upon law
that was null and void because un-
constitutional. Now they can no
longer excuse themselves on that
ground,
l don't suppose any true Nor.
mon would be deferred from con-
tracing plural marriages because
they are forbidden by valid law Of
the United States. Three years ngo
il would have been just as impossi
bic to convict polygamist after
such q decision Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States as that
in the Reynolds case as before il.
A part Of every jury wero necessar>
lily .Rormons. and they would never
vote TO punish man for n crime Of
which they themselves were guilty
and which they did not admit TO be
n crime at all But since then there
has been a change in the Territorial
law relating to Jurors that is quite
rs important rs the late decision of
the Supreme Court. The Mormon
Legislature Of Utah enacted the code
of criminal procedure OF California
not knowing that it contained q pro-
vision for tho appoint of triers to de.
termine whether Juror is qualified
or not to serve in the trial Of Civ
en- case. This puts i. into the power
of the prosecuting attorney to weed
ont all Mormons from q jury about
to try n man indicted for polygamy,
and 10 secure twelve men who will
bring in verdict in accordance with
the evidence. This law WAS enforc.
cd in the Mics case, md even Mor
mon lawyers appointed by tho Judge
as triers were obliged 10 reject
Mormon jurors, and Miles was con-
vic,e1. This law cannot be repeal
Cd by the Mormon Legislature. be
cause, the Governor has an abso-
lutte veto power aud will never sign
a bill for that purpose.
No wonder then that Mormon
leaders, who for thirty years past
have openly defei the Inv, anl ri.
diculed the idea Of ever bein, pm
ished for or arrested in their crimi-
nal practices, have at length become