The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-20
THE moRmoSs pANlc-srRUcK.
@lhorouch Fright OF the Po1ygamists--A Great
asensatlon and Stampede of the Priesthood.

sensation anti stampede of the Priesthood.
salt Lake Letter in Boston Advertiser
Though the readers of the Advertiser have
been Informed of the fact that no less than nine
polyearnous law breakers within few months
have been sent by the federal judges to ponder
behind the prison bars upon the earthly ills con-
sequent upon the practice of celestial marriage
Ut may be that they have slight idea or the pro-
found sensation produced by this stunning
succession of hard judicial blows dealt at
obnoxious institution which, for o third OF a
century, had been suffered TO spread
and strengthen ITSELF with no weapons
words. But the evidence is abundant. and pat
ent to the very senses that not since the descent
OF Echo canon, by Johnsons army, in 1858, have
the spirits Of Morrnondom been so depressed, or
anticipationS Of disaster and woe to the Utah ls
rael been so general and so gloomy Though as
recently as the autumn of last year all was blus
ter and brayado, and impudent defiance to the
FEDERAL officials and the will of the Nation, and
the taunt was continual: What are you going
to do about it'll and IF we are such criminals,
why don't you proceed against us with indict-
ments and convictions9' the tone is altogether
changed Weakness and modesty. pious protest
aud profession of vrtuous and patriotic intention
shape the utterances of all church orators and
editors And what is much moro significant,
Wholesale stampede of eminent apostles and
prophets has been going on for weeks two hun
dred Salt Lake elders OF high degree, and prob
ably many more from other towns have fled
the scene in mortal fear of Iron the deputy
n.arshas, and, in conceaiment or ION missions"
In the East or over sea, await the end of the
present stress and the dawn of days in which
grand iurieS will be more considerable of the
feelings of such as endeayor to live their re-
1igion' in patriarckai marital relations John
Taylor aud his counsellors, Cannon and Joseph
II. Smith, are each and all among the missing,
with not less than ten out of twelve apostles,
while credible report has it that Penrose valiant
manager in chief of the church paper, in his
panic terror and fight, had recourse to sunbon-
net, veil and petticoats.
Last fall Judge Zane entered the Territory to
take up the duties Of Chief justice, and was fol
SDwed soon after by Mr. Dickson, just appointed
district attorney. Nor was it long before
Dracticed or believed in sealing more wives than
one, which also presently brought in divers in
dietments for violation of the marital law. And
what iutter through all these valleys! But
then, che old and snre method Of lying without
measure would not fail; and there was no danger
of conviction. Alas! could it BET "A verdict of
guilty was duly returned, and by the confession
IF second wife. Also, in spite of all quib-
bles, sentence was passed, and the elder
was actually sent to felon's cell!
Eheul And further and worse. Within a
week another saint followed, and after third,
uRile- the terrible marshas held yet others in
grip Nor is this by any means the bottom of
the bitter cup. For just now comes doleful in
teigence that in Idaho as we'll the circuit
courts are grinding at the same grist, and at
least one poor wight, who had married not
Then 6nally horror upon horror! in Arizona not
less than Ave of the faithful in single batch,
and three of them bishops, have been torn from
the embrace of each one of several wives and
consigned TO dungeons
Tho question remains, what is to be the re-
motor outcome of the activity of the courtsf The
leaders have all fed; the scity and the tabor
nacle mourn their absence. Is their departure
final or when and how are they to returns
They hope that in some way the storm
viii soon blow over and that fair skies will
presently reappear. And the ground Of
their hope is twofold First, they look to the Su-
pFeme Court for relief in the shape of decisions
which shall overrule some made by Judge Zane
relating to open venire, granting of bail while
appeals are pending etc. Until this Chief1justice
took his seat, through scores of expedients they
could stave off indefinitely or nulify the law so
that they had no fear OF harm, but late de-
cisions were so prompt vigorous and to the
point that they hope of relief this side of
the Potomac. Then, secondly, since they cheered
so Justify for Cleveland, they gaze from con-
cealment and exile longingly, and not without
expectation that the incoming President and his
barty may devise some measures of relief. And,
in particular, their faith. of late so sorely tried,
fastens on the prospects of removals in store
Cor divers troublesome and overzealouS federal
officials With three such stanch and in.
corruptible and able as Murray, Zane
and Dickson at the head of affairs and in per-
feet sympathy and vigorous cooperation. the
outlook for such law breakers is most gloomy
and tempestaous But if one or more of them
eau be replaced by Democrats there is good
chance that the old days of peace and plenty to
polygamists may return And right here is the
present peril, and one most grave 1t is. Never
before was the government so we'll represented
aud so faithfully served as now, in all the chief
places of the Territory. Nothing better is need
cd ror could well be imagined. Incompetent
and unworthy administrators of the national
law have, from the first, been the chief him
drance in the management of Utah affairs,
worse, even than the bitterest opposition of the
Mormon Church Nor could Mr.. Cleveland do a
wiser thing than to let our executive and judici-
AIRY altogether alone for year. at least.
Tho conviction here is universal, it is shared
by all the best informed, nor do the Mormon
chiefs deny that it is well founded, that never
was the prospect brighter than now that the
national win at length is to be obeyed. The
enemy is humbled and thoroughly frightened,
begins to think of asking for quarter, or even of
surrender. Such terrible pressure cannot be en-
dured more than few months longer If the
courts continue their operations and few more
proud polygansts lodged in the peniten-
Eary, and the indications are strong that still
other prosecutions will follow as long as resist
ance and rebellion continue this year of
grace will scarcely end without witnessing
one or both of these results The Sonora
or some similar scheme will be set
on foot and pushed forward whereby such as
will and must order their conduct after the reve-
lation of l843 may retire from these scenes of
asxife, ana in some sunny land far from the
jurisdiction of the United States courts may
marry ana be gwen In marriage to the full limit
OF conscience or hearts desire. There seems to
be slight ground for doubt that for months the
theoretic eye has been fixed on the fertile and
we'll watered fields of the Yaquis, which face the
Gulf Of California and that they have at least
opened negotiations for the purchase there of a
paradise for polygamists Shonld all SUCH and
with them all others most rabid and fanatical
be thus shipped and coonized beyond the Mexi
can border it would be WE'LL nor would the Judi
ciOus grieye. ----------s
But more not Mormon leader proposes to
night. or bleed, or ever to smart much for his re-
ligion And just as soon as it becomes evident
that Dickson and Zane to go on and be un-
molested, and that the edict has been registered
that polygamy mus go, and 60 now there is no