Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-13
CAN THE LAW BE ENFORCED?

polvgamists have not ceased their prac
tices and defiance of the law, but thu
first thing to demonstrate to any per
son, or number OF persons, IS ina
the law can be enforced at all, and az
they see it being enforced in one case
and then in another and still another
those upon whom the law has not yei
laid its heavy hand will pause, and begin
to think that perhaps there is something
in the law although they have long held
it in contempt and been in the habit o.
thinking it merely an expression o
hatred put into print. 1t is said that only
about half a dozen men have SO lar been
convicted and placed in confinement,
and it is triumphantly asked If any
polygamy has been suppressed. Yes,
at least six cases, and those six cases
have nearly scared the life out OF some
thousands. May be the six men who
have suffered punishment for violating
the law against polygamy and unlawful
cohabitation, are still saying that they
will never surrender, but those six men
should remember that there is no neces-
sity for their surrendering, as they are
already in durance vile. 1t may be that
those who have preferred to defy the law
and 90 to prison will never conform to the
law, but so often as they violate it, just
so often will they be punished for so
doing.
The church papers and people lay great
stress on the idea that no law can be sue
cessfully enforced where the community
is against its enforcement. No doubt
such feeling in a community tends to
hinder rigid enforcement of the law,
but the church papers and people of Utah
seem to overlook the fact that there is
within the United States very large
community who are in favor of an en-
forcement of the law, and that the Off
GERS who are here trying to enforce the
law represent the legal expression
of that community's sentiment.
Suppose it is conceded that the
prosecutions for polygamy and un-
lawful cohabitation have not as yet
succeeded in totally, or to any great ex-
tent, suppressing polygamy, is that any
reason why the Government should de-
sist in its endeavor to enforce the law?
Mingling with these six men are some
hundred other persons who have been
convicted of other violations of the law,
and still men violate the same laws for
which those hundred men are confined,
but is that any reason why there should
be no effort made to bring to punishment
those who violate those same laws? The
very fact that men persist in doing as
they choose in defiance of the law, is
strong reason why more strenuous effort
to enforce the law should be made.
Ii the conviction and imprisonment of
six men is so Insignificant matter, why
were mass meetings called in every Stake
throughout Utah to exercise the consti-
tutional right of petition, and draw up
Declaration of Grievances and Protest,
and send the Delegate from the
Territory, one apostle and one
counsellor to the presiding bishop of the
Church to Washington with it? If these
convictions are so insignificant and are
having no influence upon the suppress
sion of polygamy, was it not somewhat
bombastic at least for the Declaration to
declare in the very outset that "a condi-
ton of affairs imperilling the vital inter
ests of the vast majority of the people of
Utah and their co-religionists in the
nelghboring States and Territories, i'm
pels us, their representatives, to address
you. Our rights as American citizens are
trampled upon, and believing it our inn
perative duty, in the presence of such a
danger, to protest against the gigantic
evil which threatens, not only our liber-
ties but the liberties of every freeman,
we, in mass meeting assembled, in the
name of freedom, justice and humanity,
make this appeal for relief and protec
lion ~ Now this was sent Ito the world
before three of the six men had been
and yet it is said that no
progress is being made in the suppression ,
If polygamy -..-
The people of Utah have set up a unit l
'f the State which the State saws shall .
lot be, and when the State undertakes to
lssert its rights, the people of Utah APP
zeal to the State for relief and protection :,
'galnst the enforcement of the very laws |,
nd regulations which that people have
nacted for the preservation of their own
olitical existence. 1t is a rule of law
nat he who seeks equity must do equity, ,
nd would it not be as well for the people !,
Utah to obey the laws of those TO
HON they appeal for relief and pro- "
ection before making their appeal? The :,
eople Of Utah have long nourished the y, n
lea that they had special mission to do =
they choose, and that God created the +
'nited States to protect them in their - :,
ght whether the United States liked it = =
not. The United States are no longer y
llllng to submit to such an arrangement
nd they have not been notified bv Cod
lat it is to continue any longer, b,
Id so it has at last come down nf ~:
the simple question of which is lie,
e greater in the United States nj
e United States or a small part of 81, ta
EN-. But the interest which the IN
urch papers here take in the expense m
lich the enforcement of the laws is to III
Government, is truly wonderful. az az