The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-04-12
ONLY A SUGGESTION.

A suggestion is made in another place
Ia this mornings HERALD, that " bu-
reau of information " be created, the
object of which shall be to obtain evi-
dence against those persons who violate
the Edmunds law outside the marriage
relation; that is to say, nom Mormon.
OF course it is only a suggestion, and
will not, be acted upon by any of those
persons who could make such informa-
ton and evidence effective. The Dis
trict Attorney and the Marshal and
deputies are the ones whose duty it is to
get the testimony and bring the guilty
parties to trial, but no one will be so
verdant as to expect that any
of these officials will bother himself or
his friends about little matter involv-
ing simple immortality among non
Mormon men. It must be confessed,
also, that the Edmunds law never con-
templated any such application as is
here proposed. 1t was aimed at the
Mormons and their plural wife system,
and if it should hit anywhere else, it
would be an accident that the prosecut-
ors were unable to guard against.
All the same, one section of the law
does apply to many who are not Nor
mons. and to some who are among the
most pronounced anti-Mormons. There
arein the city several houses of prostitu-
ton, all of which are almost exclusively
patronized and maintained by non-Moc
mons. The worst enemies to the Nor
mons will admit that if the Mormon
Church learns that one of its members
frequents these places he is Immediately
disfellowshipped and communicated.
The men who patronize the lewd
women are in point of fact, as guilty of
violating the Edmunds law as are the
Mormons who live with their wives,
and are really more deserving Of pun
ishment for immortality. Whatever
may be said OF the Mornon's polygamy,
there is no doubt that the Gentile's
is worse. and if it is in the
interest of private and public
morality that the law is being enforced
there can be no excuse for allowing the
non-Mormon polygamist outside the
marriage relation to go undisturbed,
while'the Mormon, pelygamist in the
marriage relation is hunted and pros
ecuted with vigor and vindietiveness.
It would be less difficult to obtain con-
yicting evidence against the frequenters
of houses of prostitution than the officers
find it TO obtain good and sufficient tes-
timony against Mornons. The courts
here hold that if a Mormon has two
wives and visits them the pre-
sumption is that he violates
the law; the presumption of
guilt Is certainly stronger in the case
of man who goes to house of prosti-
tuition. If search warrants can be
made serviceable in enabling officers to
i go through private residences at all
times of the day and night, they ought
to be Just as effective in letting the
Deputies into houses of ill-fame, where
there would be found abundant pre-
sumPtive evidence ofigUilt; if the officers
are Justified in prowling about the
homes of private citizens. peering into
windows and looking through key-holes,
wouldn't they be equally justified in
'spotting" the men who enter the
abodes OF fallen women?
If Mr.. Dickson and Mr.. Ireland were
70 be as Industrious in bringing nom
Mormons to justice for violating Sec
ton Of the Edmunds act as they have
been in hunking Mormons, they would
DO the community more real service in
the interest of morality.