The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20

SAINTS, WHILE THE SINNERS ARE
PROTECTED AND ENCOURAGED.
There being mucl interest felt in the
affairs of Utah. aud the public mind
being much in the dark in relation
thereto, vertured to drive out to ask
Judge Black for some reliable in.orma-
ton, as he is known to be the legal
adviser of that people. found him as
usual surrounded with visitors and
friends Of his family, enjoying the com
forts and beauties OF Brockie with q
keen delight
Il have called" said l, "to ask for
Tur Pass"
YES" said Judge Black, 81 know
you very well, l have seen you before" "
Judge, replied, | have no right to
interroga,e you about your private or
professional affairs, but this Utah mat
ter in which you are engaged, and
your views upon it, cannot be and
ought not to be a secret from the pub
lic.'
To this he assented in somewhat
reluctant way, but seemed disinclined
to converse upon the subject. lie got
excited, however, when | showed him
some recent dispatches and newspaper
paragraphs in relation to the situation
in Utah. He said that they were full
of falsehoods and ignorant conjectures.
| When in the course of the conversation
| asked him if he thought the E'munds
law against polygamy void, he said:
81 do not say that the Edmunds law
is unconstitutional, because it defines
and Furnishes polygan,y as crime.
The Mormons think polygamy allowed
by divine authority, and believe it in
some cases to be required as religious
duty, but if the civil government be of
opinion that it is injurious to society,
the conflict must be decided by the
authorities of the State, not by the
DEGREES of church. Congress and the
Supreme Court have determined it.
The Edmunds bill Furnishes it as a civil
offense by heavy fine and long i'm
prisonment in the penteutiary, and
superadds to that the Infamous and de-
grading penalty of disfranchisement,
total incapacity to vote or hold office
under the Territorial government in
Utah, or under the United States, any
where. You may call that cruel if you
please. No one, | think, will deny that
there is some ground of complaint
against it on that score. But that does
not effect the validity of the law. Con.
gress having jurisdiction over them, it
can punish the offense by hanging or
shooting the delinquent, just as certain
ly as it can fine sixpence apiece. Heavy
as is the hand that i. laid upon them,
they must submit until it is lifted"
THE REAL TROUBLE IN UTAH.
.'Then your appeal will be to Con
gress for mitigation of the law?"
mo such thing" said Judge Black
'If we could show tl,at this law is un
Just, even savage ii its character, il
would be mere folly to do so with the
expectation of moving Congress to pity
That illustrious body, backed by the
political piety of the country, would be
more likely to increase the punishment
than to diminish it; and might find
polygamists condemned to be shot OF
strangled instead of the civil death
which they must suffer under the pres
ent law.
mo, l will have nothing to do with
an appeal for mere mercy. 1t is nc
use l might as well argue constitutional
law with Grant, or quote scripture tc
Ingersoll."
"Then how, or in what manner, will
you oppose the law and save the Nor
mons from its operations?"
Judge Black: II won't oppose the
law at all, and | do not expect or de
sire to save the Mormons from its op
erations.'
THAT being the state of the case
do not see where the trouble is.
Judge Black: II will tell you. Com
missioners under the Edmunds law
were appointed by the President to g
into the Territory, take charge OF the
elections and act as a returning board
| All election and all registering officers
were removed by the act of Congress
with proviso that their places SHOULD
be filed by appointees of the commits
sioners, Five gentlemen of very goo(
character, accepted the appointments
took the oath of Office and drew tn,
pay, But they did not go to the Ter
ritory or make any appointments unit
| it was too late to hold the annual elec
ton for territorial officers, fixed by Law
for the first Monday in August, and 81
that election fell through. 1t was
shameful dereliction of duty and Nigh
have had serious consequences eXcep
for the wise provisions of the law
which declared that all officers shoul,
hold their places until their successor
were duly elected and qualified. For thi
reason the default of the commissio on
ers did not produce any dislocation i
the machinery of the Territorial gov
ernment. The local affairs of the pee
Pile have continued to be conducted b
agents and officers of their own choice
unless a revolution has taken plac
since my last advices, But an electo
is to take place in No 'ember for
delegate to Congress, and the commi'
sioners are making their preparation
to exclude large classes of legal voter
from the polls, whereby it may happe
that a small and dishonest faction Qc,
than one fifteenth of the whole populi
non) will send delegate to misrepr,
sent the people and do all he can t
injure, destroy and slander then
Those commissioners have of their ow
motion, without authority of any Law
and in the teeth of the Constitution
established an inquis''ion into the Iii
of every man aud very woman fC
twenty yeals back, and devised te
oath to try them. All who decline
swear that they have not married
co. habted with more than one woma
at any time in the course of the la
twenty years are pronounced guilty
polygamy and fol thwith punished f,
. the crime by disfranchisement,"
THE CORRUPTION OF THE LAW.
"Does the Edmunds act direct this
Judge Black; "No, there is nothr
| like IL in the act of Eonurasa- mot