The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-02
THE MONEY IN IT.
The Spotter Fund that the
Commission Wants.

aOmmending the appropriation OF
funds to be used as rewards for IN
forming sgAin,t p0lygamists, and
the editor jub;lantiy says "with a
fund that might be used to this end,
practical suits would be reason
ably assured, or the money could be
used to achieve success, by paying
it out onlv in caees where the United
States Attorney would certify that
sufficient evidence had been brought
forward to fairly justify a convic-
ton, and if the money could be
available to give rewards to thOse
who were willing to tell what they
know, there would be no doubt that
the harvest of criminals would be
exceedingly large, and no long time
would eiapse in bringing about the
desirable change either. Whereas
the Mormon people are nov unWll-
ling to tell what they know about
polygamy cases, If there was money
in it they would tell plenty, and
there would be a new face put on
the matter altogether. If the gov
eminent should offer a reward,
enough TO make it an object, for the
conviction of pojygamists in Utah,
the whole business OF law breaking
would soon be driven out Of fashion,
for it would be impossible to keep
the secret. Money would bring
them out, and the foes Of every law
breaker would be those OF his own
household. Substantial rewards
would bring out the evidence. and
polygsmy would have to be given
up"
OF course, end every dirty lOafer
Of the Liberal party, who has no
other means OF support, would turn
"spotter" in the interest Of s'public
morality" Such a law would be
the means of robbing Uncle Sam, to
an extent, and in a manner, which
have long been prayed for by some
of the "real Americana" of Utah.
"If the money could be available to
give rewards TO those who were
willing to tell what they know" the
necessary "funds" for whisky might
be supplied to many a brave pa riot
who now has TO "bum" for bis
drinks. "Funds!" "fUnds ,w
fund. I,I' The Tribune ed tor seems
to think that the Mormon people
are getting almost a. badly dem0r>
allied as She average Of his class, for
ne says that "wberes5 the Mormon
people are now unwilling to tie /
what they know about p0lygamy
cases, if taere was money in it they
would tell plenty" OIL what WI =
dom fer such small salary.
la view Of the fact that ths prop
OsitiCn has been made to employ
spies TO ferret out the pTivacies OF
Mormon families, it becomes necess
sary, for the purposes OF equal rights
and privileges in this republican
form OF gOVernE ent, that some pro-
visions should be made in regard to
the non Mormon families. Their
pTivacies should lot be neglected,
81 they are entitled to just as msny
PRIVILEGES SIS the favored Mormons.
Therefore, would respectfully re-
c0mmend' that ''fund" be created
by the Mormon p0lygamiets of Utah,
for the purpose OF procuring evid>
ence against non Mormon p0lyg-
amists. With money in it there
would be no doubt that the harvest
of criminals would be exc edingIy
large" AS in tae case Of tbs Nor
mon p0lygamist, "the foes OF every
law-breaker would be those OF his
own household" and there would be
such run of bufinees in the divorce
cjurts Of Utah as would make some
cody rich.
There can be no doubt about toe
propriety Of doing this thing fairly,
if it is to be done at all, and rs the
government in all probability will
make no provision Tor the spying
upon nom Mormons, it becomes q
matter of duty that they should be
attended to by some les partial body
OF men than The Edmunds commits
sion.
II the Mormon people, who pre-
tend to be religious and God-fear-
ing community can be induced to
tell what they know about polygamy
cases, because there is money in
it," surely the gamblers and pfosti-
tutes OF the Territory may be "per-
suaded" to reveal the secrets of
their establishments, if the s'Mor-
mons" should offer reward enough
to make it an OBJECT.
1t may be objected, that If the
evidence were obtained, the courts
being packed against the Mormons,
there would be no chance of q fair
trial, and then it would be discover
ed that the "fund" had been paid
out for nothing. There is simple
remedy for that. The cases might
be trie / in the columns of the 1Ti-
blLl1e, the same as the Mormon cases
are; or, failing in that, the trial
might be held in the DeSeret Net0s,
or The HERALD. Your reporter
can be prosecuting attOrr ey, and
you can be judge; you will need no
defense. The case would be set
tied when the evidence procured by
the "fund" lad been laid before the
public.
Some OF these cases of course
might be Compromised" whsre
there was more money in 1t one
way than the other, but for gen.
eTsl uses, especially in the case Oh
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