New-York tribune., 1881-12-27

| To me EditOr Of The Trt6 6nne
! SIR: My recent communication to you, sug
gesting of the obstacles TO the suppression OF
polygamy having elected much more comment from
the press than expected the hope is encouraged that
the subject is receiving such attention as VIII hSte ING
longdelayed relief OF the comments coming uher my
notice nearly all urge remedial legislation LII
euactng laws for the eradication OF poygamy thrSo
points should be kept in view First theyehouiu 10 ~
sweeping that faure cannot result second they must
be suoh that Injustice will not follow and third IL
useless to require OF offenders the performance OF suc
acts as would tend to their detection, for they WI" ho'
perform them, as, for instance, taking out cehse W
marry or the recording, in public records Oh pops
anous marriages. We must not forget that II Is arsey
the fault Of the Government that the wrong now eAsS
In s infancy the voice of authority, positively uttered
would have sent it into exile; but never until 1eo2 was
even feeble law enacted against IT, since theh IL ha
staked into the hall OF Congress and maintained sen
there for years Through the apathy OF the doVerheh
thousands Of innocent children are the offspring OF the
system and many deluded people have adopted II az
part of their fei.au which they firmly believe all lhe
relations Of their lives GTe ntertwined with u inc
cords must not be severed by blunt S2e but seVereu
they must be- Experimenting by Inefficient nav vi!
eradicate the dceprOOted evil AZ well Try 10 uFo"
duck by throwing water drop by drop, upon lts pach
IL has been proposed that the government OF the le
ritory be inused to the control Of an appointed com
mission given almost absolute powers This does not
seem TO me ludcious; it is not in harmony WIN the
framework of our Institutions It is not repuDhcah-
reasopa admit not sufficient for the rejection OF the
plan IL il will succeed and better can De piOpOSeu
II the members Of the Commission should always be
wise aud Just, as o temporary government Only htue
objection might be urged. suppose they should not be-
il any argument required 20 show the injustice ana
wrong that would likely result The history of man
In evidence that arbitrary power is more often aDnsed
than wisely used. Americans are only men am hot
willing here OF elsewhere. 90 submit my interests
to such a government ask no law for the Mormon
am unwilling to have myself Is there better plan
Let Us examine.
First-Make tho living in and practice of poygamy
as well as the marrying into it, the law now s an Of
fence. Experience has shown 1t almost impossible to
prove the marriage ceremony, but that 1t would not De
as difficult to show the practice OF pOiygamy, which
continuing from day to day. does not demand ar
gument.
Sccond-Repeal the statute of limitations entirely. As
the law now is the offender cOnceals the fact OF the
marriage three years. and he Is then forever free
but If he is made, during his lifetime, TO conceal his
crime, and thus be the alert the situation would
be that few who now reckessly violate the
law would take the risk OF the punishment almost sure
sometime, to come.
TArd-Makc any wife woman, regardless OF her re-
ntons the defendant competent witness Il Is read
y admitted that in many cases such wives would be un-
willing witnesses, for they believing In polygdmy az
part OF their religion, willing to shield Its practice
But it would bo a most uneasy position for these much
married men their wives could be forced into the wit
ness box, and some would 20 willingly
Fourth Create quasi divorce law by which the Dolyg
aInous wife may apply to the Courts Tor sIcI por-
tion Of tie husbands property as she and her children
would bear in 10 the wnoo number OF his wives
and children A. tie law now IS, polygamons wife
and children have standing in Court The so-cailcd
husband may turn thcm homeless and penn.lcss into
the street aud the law cannot stny his rade hand
such poger in him. doubt, induces IN them the DE
amount os mcokucss and obedience; bat with such
law I predict that these quiet. peac iul po.yumous
households tL,r masters 800 much o.. would have
KIND of muyr very -l-yg tive o. hornets nests, lead
ng however, 20 the freedom Of many cnsayed women
Would there Doe any injustice in such Hw' On the |
contrary, what equitable and Ucrciful statute
could p, ca.y;cIl These the fathers OF these
clIdrcn they have Taught these women their base re
hgon the two are Ihe 'A,E"nE ana 'aDos' %I 'Ieif
biaWrr-- the Wcu are rA ny f'-p"a'l'r, ih'E ltt
-,fr1p: women art Only persuaded; The children
a ilr innocent results no other lass {, passed, this
should De- u "u' as "h "'i ' puit ''3 .l j"5,,1
Uul % would prove sword oi bHuac. o many. MAlle
cca already barred by st1utr there j, no reason why
tn snou.d not apply to AL existing or future cases
bcrtryrL il or advocated polygamy. and ha5 not re-
prnted. from either voting OF h'ti1E once; and tAiS
Wnati Di-flaucb.sc them Certainly; way not En-
fiIcDls,urnt i, ouIya privilege conferred by Govern
m,nt Upon whom I- c'tizeu3 wEo support II and !
obey - laws itl- no, for rn ne' il Is NOT for those
some pretended rclsi1ua tenet VINO nrr poygami,t.
Thc are tac men who hoid thia Government inferior
to their Church. lis laws subordinate % their revrs-
tou- men Who boldly violate instead o5 obey lle laws.
what Is there wrong IN declaring mat Sui -'al neither
the rulers make them but oi Just such arr the
49,, ",ai and Mi iiopopau..., \, are tlbog-rd 10 hl,k
s,as I is The policy " th" Church 10 force pllygamy
SUCCESS. oHrll position caste ia Mormon ,ircl"s must
embrace po EJmy. /. It surprising that through tue
me ~5-gh IS '' M t ,i 5taI cn3 U 5o5 n3 m
b'',' ~ n , g ~, j. l. sf-.c.el l. n p-Irfrf
SrcIl the rrsurl II H. clear that the y6uuc mon who
are now dependent upon thc Church VIII not only ue
free put encouraged to sustain the laws They and the
management OF civil Affairs than So many Cln1mcu,
would at once form and build up party that would
TOO, without barshhcss ior tuc i'unS mormon yeAcAt
lilc di,i rccin with their fathers, would s'ii protect
them from injustice were others disposed TO mete 1t out
"Tr,c suggestions are also nm an argument against
C,,ntui t-luu, which, absorbing the Frurnt OF
ahair-, would leave t.r elements above named Wl'out
active interest or pTd' III '"t 'ug'e"eht o' tAr AVS
aul rather tend to array many or them aaGn t Le,
them make the laws, and they will see that tHav are
obcycd Dl,franchNemehi al'ne W"ull, IN my "phou'
lroyr the all consuming fire O this evil D'ranchiso
- th. contrary notwithstanding. Female suffrage m.Sat
prove q good Thing elsewhere, but mere 1t is deu-on
YOU diaruuchisc the latter do the -alnc with his auto
rms letter does not suggest all the remedies. ROT
m0Iey OF The reasons that might be assigned IN ncr sup
p1rt M that has been said i5 but meagre presentation
OF the subject 70 show it fully in al ia aspects thai It
might he understood by the nonresident OF Cal, would
rrItire a yolime. All tho defamation we have
heard 80 much of, that this is grave question: that
cannot pe solved believe to be mere Jolly II can be
settled and sometime W i be Ii might have been dis
pCsed Of moro easily years since than now, ana
easily now than may be hereafter The President has,
in ms recent Message to Congress, spoken in
tain True Oi his predecessors have done
kewse, but now the public press, the pulp sccietes,
and the rcg people asking, IN tones why this
thiu continues the land, and dennndiug its
eradication. While the Congressional has been deaf
to our appeals may hope that il viii hearAcn their
demands. JAMES III. BEATTY.
salt Lake City, Dec. l3, 1881.
GRAND JURIES AND INFORMATIONp