The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-03
TIME TO HALT.

II cemlnon rumor may be relied
upon, and in this instance there i.
abundance of invisible evidence of its
correctness, a score or more of promi
nent citizens are in hiding from the
Officersof the law. They have in one
way or anetgaer received information OF
warning, Tat they we're wanted" by
the courts, and profeing by the knowl-
edge have taken thenow famous Under
ground galway for places unfrequented
by deputy marslsals and which are
hidden from the eyes of lvnx-eyed
detectives These men are said to be
polygamists; at least that is the charge
preferred against them and to answer
which their presence in court is desired.
We know many OF the gentlemen who
are not exposing themselves to the
gaze of deputies and prosecutors any
more than is'absolutely necessary, and
We know also that whether or not they
are polygasnists their prosecution and
punishment at this time would be
cruelty end hardship that this
great gogernment ought not to
inffict. Their punishment would be
harsh ard wicked, and what is more, it
wOuldnCt be in the interest of coed law,
of good naorals or of justice; it would be
against all these. and opposed to the
peace end well-being of society.
But what The HERALD wants to i'm
press UPON those who are SO active in.
the matter of prosecuting pelygamists,
is thatO large majority of the men who
have deem bounded into retirement.
have not fed to escape the legitimate
responsibilities and consequences OF
their acts; they are not afraid of them.
or if they are their religion has but
slight hold upon them, Being shallow
rooted. They have gone to avoid
consequences which they have
right to regard as 1llegitimate
and irregular They know that to re-
main is to suffer, whether or not they
are innocent in law and m fact; under
the. rrle that has been established in
court, accusation is equivalent to con-
victiOn, and conviction here means pun
ishment, guilty or innocent, for they
will net be allowed to reach tribunal
where-a fair declaration of the law and
an appropriated application OF judicial
methods can be had until they have
undergone the punishment irreguIarly
imposed After a man has served a
term in the penitentiary, there is little
satisfaction and small consolation in be-
ing told that hisoOnyictien and sentence
were izaproper and those who i'm
prisoned him exceeded their authority
This wOa1;d bring him no relief for the
weeks and months that he had been
made to suffer as. convict.
The pGtygamists claim aaa believe
thatthe methods employed by the local
Judiciary are improper, and will be set
aside as Irregular by t6ehigher tribunal !;
they have& lawful right to present this
claim, and the no less lawful right to
have it passsd upon. and until it is so
passed upon and determined. they
should not,he troubled and prosecuted
oppressed and punished, and put to I'M
necessary distress, annoyance and ex-
.pense. If theg should. be wrong in
their belief in the position that viii be
taken by the Supreme Court then they
will have to abide the consequences
of their acts. Until the rights Of the
polygamists before the courts have
been determined, we ask the courts
and prosecutors in all honesty, if it is
fair, if it is honest, if tits Just to pur-
sue the course that is now being fol-
lowed? of all the men who have taken
The Underground Route, there is not
one but wouId come in and face the
music & he knew that ne would have
lair trial and would not be punished as
a convict pending the tiMal determine
ton of his rights by the court which
mnst at least settle theqrestion in dis
pute;on the other hand it would be some
what childish for these men to
surrender to certain punishment when
they believe they can eseare through
the regular methods of the Law itself.
The government officials are manifest
fngentirely toe mach zeal in the prem
ises. This is not a killing matter. There
is no occasion for all this haste and des.
peration. The nation has waited a quar-
ter of a century without suffering very
severely from the delay, andit can wait
a few months longer without eBdanger-
ing the1peace7or morality OF the people
-Witlnna year at most IL viii be known
whether the work that is being done
will stand or must all be over
turned and new start made.
Wisdom ought to suggest the propriety
OF going no faster than you can 90
safely, and covering no more ground