Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-22
RE MORMON sarrATIes.
rCorrssoons<nee Pioneer Prsss- !

di.c7sirs roosctlou g. tocchiDg Ctsn
Outrageous CSsnse against good moral
and d-ceuev, or else Of feeble aud spas
medic attempts sblsa cane 20 no hing
IL is refreshing exo-edinGsy 70 take not
Of a period 10 waich marked u ozre-'
and solid gains are the incidents Of Gel
ui9h every day. Up 20 le1& nsitnsI
conxieiion nor indictment for polyssr1I
zss possible. Not until 1881 sas Il mad
legal TO rejsct all jurors Who either II
,teorT or pracfie= nsi1 70 tie revela
ton q 1873. In 1873 the ruling 10
made. which nos IL fixed beyond casli
IhAs the fac; Of ceremony might b
inferred from the conduct Of the parties
their sdmlsssos-, etc Moreover, by &c;
latest rallug. the period d1r,s2 zalc
ste las has been held in contempt nal
De- divided. AZ tue Grand Jury may elect
INTO years. months, weeks or even days
and for each section a CON lete Indict
neus bay be returned Oae SAINT Of
aseh degree under this ruling has thre.
Ipdictm- hts upon his shoulders Ana
~ more, as II the bitter cup was no
vet full. OF late years 1t has been al
loved to Ugah criminals to dress IN al
points after toe manner OF good cltizsDs
Dot not long since the iron rule VAS laid
down by tee Marshal that all evil dssrs
committed TO bis ksepInR shall be dols
and closely cropped as to hair and beard
and shall don tse regulation prison sarb
decorated With stripes, though without
stars. What humiliation for prophets
sesrs. apostles and the elite Of mankind
The RESULT.
With such repeated amendments 10
the lsv. and 50 b sensible and search
ing rulings to match, II Is not strange
that convictions are easIer to get and
are rapidly increasing. In the three
Territories most infected with polyga-
nous Law breakers, not less than 10 are
already reaping their deserts. of whom
30 are found IN toe Salt Lake prison.
Besides these, at least half a. many
more are under indictment and sure 70
follow 10 due season, while half dozen
grand jaries are in full pursuit of host
besides. With 400 good cases to inves-
tigate there will be no lack of material
for prosecutions for years to come
Nor. though judge and juries deal never
80 severely, is there q ghost of chance
that injustice will be done to any. Nor
"a the spect scie of sanity offenders
going by squads to the peaitentiary,
With none TO deliver, with
out tremendous effect upon all
who are liasle under sns Law TO the
same fate. Al first, having lived long
IN safety, seen many attempts againsi
Zou come to na1ght, and sure that
this onset would end like the others, in
failure, and be over in brief season,
scores and hundreds took to flight and
to concesiment. Others, recalling how
all sufficient. from the beginning and
all through the Brigham regime, tricks,
bubbles and stout swearing to false
hood had been, had confident recourse
to the same decidedly carnal weapons
bot soon found 10 their am cement and
dismsy that those halcyon days for The
Mormon Israel we're over, and that such
helps were futile IN tue presence of
d cksen and Zlne. In spite Of limit
less perjury, cJnviction vsold befall the
guilty. SO that in these later weeks II
- becoming quite the thing to take
no pains to shun the marsnsls, to meet
them oblieinaly half way With evidence
and not even to plead not guilty and
iasist q on trial, but freely to confess
t. violations of Federal law.
BISHOP sHARP's EXAMPLE.
Bot right here the path divides, anC
while some go further and heartily &C.
cept the hard situation and promise Il
hsnceforth live within the law, the mo.
as yet simply bend ths neck and recei, {
the penalty under prstest-openly de
fend their conduct aud will make q
pledges. OF the first class, IL must b,
confessed that the bulk do themselvei
no great credit, being simply cowardly
or Otherwise base hearted, or have L;
sort of love or zeal for Mormonism. d
few like Arnold or Bishop Shary
much better things may and should b.
said. They were in sore perplexity
Loving the Church on the whole, ane
wishing not to forsske or turn agains
it, they also pos essed the instincts o
good citizens, had come to feel TIA
polyRsmy Was st least a mistake or al
anachronism, and the law of the laHC
made an honest but fruitlsss at
tempt to break neither with tn,
civil nor tse ecclesiastical power
that be. He married his wivtl
$50 be affirns) in all good faith. spt
verify believing it was ia~ full, and, in
deed, the will of Ged. The statute j.
harsh, bat be will obey, living, however
ander all the civil disabilities imposed
upon polygamists until Previdenc,
brings 10 more liberal legislation" Blu
there is slight hope st present tia
many good Mormons will undertake tC
hold any such middle course. By lon
teaching and exhortation the obnoxioul
doctrine and practice have become s,
inRrained in the latter day mind, hear
aud even conscience, 80 much Scrlpiur,
precedent, has been urged, in 90 man,
ways eternal exaitstisn and even we'll
being have been closely bound up viii
Il, and 50 fully determined withal ar,
the leaders that IL shall be made th,
prime test of loyalty to the priesthoo
and the thsocraoy, that II Is diff
icult 10 see bow any sincere saint CAL
do other than caooss the, ful
pains al I penalties of the Law. 1t is a
kood as certain that the Nation Ia calle,
to face the problem of how to comps
10000 to eschev and abstain from
line of conduct which to large proper
ton 70 made not only allowable bu
obligatory and necessary By direc
divine command. They really reear.
IL as an essential part of their religion
and the penalty for rejection is nothibl
less than the wrath of the Nest Higl
and eternal perdition. Bishops Claw
con and john Nicholson are mac.
more likely 10 have BY far the larges
following. Without bluster, and wit!
demsenor calm and manful, they fac
the Judge and solemniy declare: ''
must at all hazards be true 10 my re
lieiou. | cannot aferd to purchas,
liberty at the fearful price Of apostacy.
srIrF-sEckKD APOSTLE.
Meantime the II rmon priests an,
press overflow With an abundance O
strong doctrine, and sxhort to patien
and steadfast endurance. For exam ole
and 90 show Of What strange stuff Nor.
mons are made. qaoth Apostle Johr
Henry Smith the other day:
"l desire TO bear my testin ony TO th,
truth OF the mission of Joseph Smith
OF Brigham Yoana and of John Tay Ior
to the truth Of the mission of the Lat
ter day Saints in the preaching Of ID,
gospel 10 the world. l bear nv testi
mony, and do know that God bas re-
ssored his work With all its rights, priv
ileees and powers. that IL has come q
stay. and that nothing can retard il,
progress. for God has deereed that II
shall copo7er the earth. This Ia his de
cree, and bear witness that this 10 true
and | lie net. as | expect to meet nv