The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-24
IGNORANCE OR MALICE.

Belle Harris, and which is being
followed in the case Of Nellis White
shows an inexcusable lack of knowl
edge of human nature on the part o.
the courts and their prosecutins
officers, OF it displays a degree OF
maliciouEnees that ought not to be
exhibited by persons entrusted with
the enforce ment Of The law. If the
courts and their officials are not
aware Of the fact that human ma.
ture is much the same whether in
Mormon or Gentle, polygamist OF
monOgamist, they have lived with.
out discovering what is plainly ap
parent to persons Of ordinary intel
ligence. Mormon human nature
being much like Gentle human ma.
ture, is it to he expected that
testimony against polygamous
husbands Will be obtained
froE1 the polygamous wives? Jails
are doubly terrible to the minds of
women, but they are not so dread
fol as the thought of betraying
thoss they love,and bringing trouble
upon those nearest and dearest to
them. Now and then a plural wife
may be induced to turn against her
husband, just SIS in monogamy there
VIII occasionally be found a wife
who will do what she can to in lure
her husband. We believe such inA
stances are more rare In poIyga my
than IN monogamy, for the reason
that in the former, besides the
wifely affection for the husband,
there enters religious sentiment
to restrain the woman. The Belle
Harris case Of last summer strik-
Ingly illustrated this. Belle
had separated fiom her husband
because of her inability to live
happily with him, and had procured
divorce. Under such cicum.
stances it is not to &c presumed that
her affection for him was very in
tense, to say the least; on the con-
trsry ons might suppose she would
not hesitate to annoy and punish
him for real or f0ncied causes of
grievance, yet when the opportunity
presented itself fer revenging her
self, her religious zcruples inter-
fered, and rather than cause him to
suffer, she endured weeks of humil>
iation, submitting to annoyance and
privation, and being deprived of her
liberty. The prison had its terrors, but
they were not SO awful as were the
terrors Of violating religious prin-
ciple. Belle Harris went out OF the
Penitentisry If not q heroine, at
least claiming and enjoying the
commentator not alone of her CO.
religionists, but of fair4minded, un-
prejudiced people generally, as
true woman. So it will be with the
girl Nellie White and all Others SIM
ilsrly treated.
Knowing that evidence cannot be
obtained in this manner, and fully
understanding that holding these
alleged plural wives as guilty Of
contempt, and committing them to
prison, will result only in the inhu-
man punishment of the women
themselves, we ask il it is right,
honorable, manly or just to
pursue this course? Does it not
smack more Of malice than of an
homes attempt to enforce law? Is
it not more vindictive than in the
line of honest prosecution? Even if
the evidence could be obtained by
this coercive means would there be
any honor or credit in thus obtain
iog the testimony? When the law
10 made to show malice and vindic-
tivensss, it becomes discreditable,
and those responsible fer the display
OF these passions are chargeable
with bringing courts and statutes
into contempt.
Tt is admitted that convictions foY
the offense sought to be established
in this case are difficult to bring
about; but the intelligent person,
Whatever may be his desires regard
ing the offense, and however snx-
ious he may be to have the law en-
forced, will say that it is better
that there never be conviction
than one should be brought about
by irregular methods, or by practices
that are unworthy the courts and
the laws officers.
For the sake Of decency and re-