Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-04-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.l

" "AShiNulONi ~ S'i apr l., 1000.
A step in the direction of squelching
polygamy In this country has been
taken by the Supreme Court of the
United States i'm the Clawson case,
wherein the court decides that the ex-
clusion of pOlygamists from the Jury
box is not only lawful but is absolutely
demanded, t. make the administration
of justice in Utah anything but legal
farce. To admit to the panel for the
trial of a prisoner charged with poly
gamy, a set of men who belive that the
crime committed is justified by Divine
decree, and that it is no offence at all,
is the highest absurdity and travesty
upon the system of trial by jury. This
man Clawson was convicted and SEN
fenced to the penitentiary for term of
four years, and the case came up before
the U. S. Supreme Court on appeal
based upon the assigned error ofeXclud-
ing polygamic jurors. The decision
paves the way for more convictions of
the same sort, but the Mormons declare
that the enforcement of the law against
tpolygamY shall be resisted even to a
resort to arms, because all such prosecu-
tors are nothing more nor less than an
infringementupon that religious liberty
which the Constitution guarantees to
all the citizens of the United States,
Utah included.
Now that the cancer that Gen. Grant
never had is expected to get well, it
may not be out of place to make re-
ference to the unbosOming of James d.
Fish, who promises to make a some
what protracted visit to a New York
penitentiary, for the hand he took in
| the downfall of the late Marine Bank.
Fish declares that Grant was privy to
every one of Wards rascally transac-
tions, because it was utterly impossible
for him to have been imposed upon in
the way that he pretends that he was,
for no man in his right mind could
have conceived the legitimacy of trans
actions upon which Ward made such
enormous returns where so small all
amount of capital was invested. Be-
sides this, did not Grant sign the guar
anty to the genuineness of Government
contracts? and did he not permit Ward
to use his name to accomplish success
fully many very infamous transactions,
even after the bank had demonstrated
its inability to keep its head above
water? When the excitement over
Gen. Grants illness dies out, Fish
promises to furnish some more interest
ing chapters concerning this great pub
lie crime.
The last Congress, under pressure OF
public sentiment that it could not
longer bear up against, passed an act
prohibiting the fencing in of the public
domain, and requiring the removal OF
all fences now existing that inclose the
lands belonging to the Government
Of course the law will not enforce itself
and therefore the same pressure that
bore upon Congress has now been trans.
ferred to the President, who has issued
his proclamation announcing that the
law must be enforced, and that al
persons, companies or corporations
who are maintaining fences upon the
public lands of the United States, mus,
remove them at once, in default o
which the President will take such
measures as shall be necessary under
the law to remove or destroy them
BY the fifth section of the law a sweep
ing authority is conferred upon th,
President, to employ both civil anC
military force sufficient to wipe out the
last vestige of these unlawful Enclosures
The people of the country will hal
with eminent satisfaction the tiding
that the executive has made up hi
mind to enforce the statute. PHoNo.