Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-09
UTAH IN THE MESSAGE.

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President says he shall be glad to approve
such further discreet legislation as viii
rid the country of polygamy. Wha
would constitute discreet legislation, az
understood by the President, can only bt
known when bills affecting Utah are sub
mitted to the President for his signature
and he approves or disapproves them.
The man who is in the midst OF the
fight does not see SO clearly how it il
going as one who watches it from afar
So it is with people in Utah, and all par
ties engaged in the conflict in Utah have
their eyes more or less clouded by pas
sion and prejudice. But there is some
chance to estimate how goes the bat
tie even in Utah. Look at the field
look at the parties and their respective
positions. Every stand that the Gov
ernment has taken in regard to the
enforcement of the Edmunds law and the
suppression of polygamy has been main
tanned. Not so with those who have
been violating the Edmunds law. From
bold and open defiance OF Congress
and the laws of the land they went to the
President with muling, puking petition,
and the pretensions of divine right sank
into an Insignificant request for an impair
| tial enforcement of the laws. 1t has been
clearly demonstrated that men can be
convicted under the Edmunds law, for
men are now suffering imprisonment for
violating that law That the evidence in
these cases is difficult to obtain is true.
1t is difficult to obtain because of the gen.
eral sympathy which violators of the Ed
munds law receive from the great major
ity of the people of Utah. So long as
this sympathy exists it will always be
more or less difficult to obtain evidence
in prosecutions for polygamy or unlawful
cohabitation; and this will be the case,
no matter what laws may be enacted for
the suppression of polygamy.
Many radical measures have been advo-
Gated for the solution of the Utah question.
Within week martial law has been ad-
vocated for Utah, but martial law would
in nowise solve the Utah question.
Martial law would prevent any organized
outbreak, but we do not think there is
any danger of such an outbreak. Neither
would martial law make the lives of the
citizens secure from the attack of the
assassin. On the contrary, martial law
would be an invitation to the assassin.
The enactment of any of the recommen-
dations of the Utah Commission would
not be solution of the question, because
the adverse conditions which exist in
Utah to-day would continue after there
had been a complete revolution in politi-
cal affairs. That which all who have
any sincere desire to see the Territory
happy and prosperous and in harmony
with the rest of the country wish to see,
is the removal of the adverse conditions
with which the Territory is troubled. To
martial law or to institute a
Legislative Commission would not be
lpso facto a solution OF the Utah question.
The question whether the one or the
other of these radical remedies would !
hasten the solution of the pro blem, |
and bring about that condition of things
which all lovers of the country |
50 ardently desire, still remains.
Are not these radical remedies more liza
Die to delay the day of Utah's redemp-
ion than to hasten it? 1t is this appre-
nension, this well-founded apprehension,
which makes so many hesitate to give
my countenance to such remedies, as
veil as their dislike to such a radical
departure from the true principles of re-
publican government
We believe the solution is now going
N, but that it may finally be accom-
'lished there should be, as the President
avs. "no relaxation in the firm but inst
xecution of the laws now in operation"
my such relaxation at the present or at ,
ny future time, would be looked upon by
ne violators of the Edmunds law as an ,
and invitation to a further !
iolation of the law. The evil under {
'hich Utah suffers is already great, and t
IL efforts of the Government should be i!
make it less, while everything which
'ould in any way give the violators of
ne law hope or encouragement should be
voided. =