Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-07
OUR DELEGATE ON THE SITUA
TION.


Congress, has been preaching at th'
semi-annual conference at Logan. Hi
subject was the present condition of The
Territory. The report of what he sale
upon which we rely is the one published
in the Herald, Mr. Gaines own paper
1t should be remembered that Mr.. Caint
is member of Congress, and before al
others should be acquainted with the
laws of Congress, their validity, and the
purposes for which they were passed
"Much was being said of our present per-
secutions; but although the imprison-
ments our brethren were undergoing
might be unpleasant, the result
would be glorious to them" To what
prosecutions did Mr.. Caine refer? Did he
refer to the prosecutions under the Ed
munds Act? Mr.. Caine well knows, as
knows every man in the Territory, that
there is not a single man in Utah who is
suffering Imprisonment who is not under
going such Imprisonment for the violation
of some law Ii Mr. Caine refers to those
who are suffering imprisonment for vio-
lating the Edmunds law, he must mean
that the enforcement of a valid law of
Congress is persecution; his remark can
mean nothing else. Those men have
violated a law of the United States and
are suffering the consequences; but Mr.
Caine says that in consequence of such
violation of a national law and imprison-
ment therefor, ''they will receive the re-
ward Of their well doing, just as their
prosecutors will receive the reward of their
evil doing" According to Mr.. Caine,
then, the violation of a valid law
of Congress is "well doing" and the vio-
lators OF the law are to receive reward
for such violation. This is notall, though.
The officers of the Government who are
enforcing this law of Congress "will re-
ceive the reward Of their evil doing" 1t
is an "evil doing" according to Mr.. Caine,
for an officer of the Government to en-
force the law even when he has sworn to
do that very same thing. Ii it is right
eous thing to break the law, it must neces-
sarily be an unrighteous thing to enforce
law. Mr.. Caine, the Delegate to Con-
gress from Utah Territory, is preaching at
Logan the very doctrine that we said last
Friday the people of Utah wish to es-
tablish here Last Friday we said: ssThe
people of Utah desire to make lawlessness
law and law lawlessness." 1t is, in effect.
what Mr. Caine said yesterday, for how
else can his remark that those who are
suffering imprisonment "will receive the
reward of their well doing" be con-
strued? 1t was very kind of Mr.. Caine
to say, concerning the Government
officials, ''we can afford to feel mercifullv
towards them, and instead of wasting
anathemas upon their heads, leave them
to the care of God, who deals with all
men according to their deeds" This
was an exceedingly wise thing to do, es-
pecially as Mr.. Caine and those of his be-
lief are not quite prepared to deal with
their prosecutors, who happen to be the
officers of the law. 1t is a consolation to
know the principles of ''our Government
were great and allwise :" but it is great
sorrow to know that lit is the administra-
ton of the laws by corrupt and preiudiced
men which is at fault" ''But they will
some day be called upon to account for |
their administration of this Govern
ment." Yes, in about three years. These
corrupt and prejudiced men should turn
their eyes to the administration of things
in this Territory. If they will but look
at the administration of affairs in this
county they will find such administration
a pure and spotless thing, filled with vir-
tue and clothed in beauty. In the ad-
ministration OF political affairs in
Utah, we only know of corrup-
ton and wickedness through reading of
the wicked ways of the world.
1t is impossible to comprehend how a
man can be so blind as not to see how
and why it is that those who are in prison
Tor breaking the laws are being perse-
cuted. 1t is perfectly plain to anyone
who is not filled with prejudice and error.
1t is thus: ''The principles of our Gov
ernment were great and all-wise. 1t is
the administration of the laws by corrupt
and prejudiced men which is at fault; but
they will be called upon to account for
their administration of this Government.
You see the Government and the laws
made by Congress are all right, but it is
the enforcement OF the laws that is all
wrong. We trust that Mr. Caine will
make this fact clear to the minds of Con-
gressmen and Senators when he returns
to Washington. The Peoples party
should have MIR. Caine's remarks at the
fifty-fifth semi-annual conference printed
IN pamphlet form and distributed at
Washington as a campaign document. If ]
the Government officials who are enforc-
ing the laws in Utah are corrupt {
men, they should be removed: and {
+ is the duty of Mr.. Caine.
rs the Delegate from this Territory '
o Congress, TO expose the corr upton |
'f Federal officials in this Territory, and '
obtain their removal. Why did not MIR. S
Jaine denounce the policy of enacting l
he Edmunds law instead of -denouncing c
ts enforcement? Mr.. Caine has ample v
in Washington to expose the t
of such laws and their .
Injustice and harshness before they are C
enacted, and why does he not do ito Ii a
he House and Senate are SO corrupt and il
'rejudiced, why don't he wait upon the t