Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-11
IT IS WISE.

der the head of " Is II Wise?" has a
long leader on the cases which were in
the District Court on Saturday, in which
three men were sent to the Penitentiary
for violating the laws of their country,
and in the last sentence but two OF the
article, the Herald says: There are
times when the question of right and
wrong may be laid aside for that of eXpe-
diency; when wisdom suggests a differ
ent course to that dictated by a strict con-
struction of statutes" Following that
there comes this question: q Has not
such time come in the treatment of the
Mormon problem? ?'
| There may be such times as those sug
gested by the Herald, when even a strict
construction of the statute may be poor
guide to show people way out OF their
difficulties, especially when people won't
see their way. Such a time has come in
Utah, and those who have persisted in
violating the laws should come forward
and avow their intention to do so no
more. This would do away with strict
construction OF the statute, and, what is
more, with the necessity of its strict en-
forcement. Yes, there are times when the
question of right and wrong may be laid
aside for that of expediency, and it would
be eXpedient for those who have broken
the law under the idea that they had a
right to break it, to lay aside the ques-
ton as to their right to do so, and in
future to obey it. 1t would be very in
eXpedient for the Government to permit
its laws to be defied by some four or five
thousand people when they claim di-
vine right to do so and will not promise
to obey the law in future when convicted.
1t must always be ineXpedient for any
government to surrender to any set of
men the power to set aside law at their
convenience, merely because they think
they have a right to do 50.
1t would have been very expedient and
very wise for the people of this Territory
to have declared in favor of law and /
order and against the right of two per
cent. to rule ninety-eight per cent in
their mass meetings of the I'd inst. But
t6drseFR9adjiffp9GGy. adji fp9GGy ag8a g9yJw wisdom Of such a
Herald and the papers Of the Mormon
Church, although the time was most op-
perfume 1t is strange that not one
among the many speakers who addressed
those mass meetings ever thought to sug
gest that may be the people of Utah would
better do something to put themselves in
accord with the entire nation than ask the
people OF the United States to put them
selves in accord with two per cent. of the
male population of the Mormons, no
matter how dear to them might be their
IDEAS OF right and wrong. 1t is ALWAYS
for people who are in difficulty
to look at things just as thew
are no matter as to how they could wish
them to be, and it is not wise for anv
newspaper to withhold from them the
true situation of affairs 1t is ALWAYS ex-
pedlent and wise to do without compul-
SION that which one can be compelled to
10 with compulsion; and the people of
Jtah can be compelled to obey the laws.
md are being to-day.
Now, is it not time that the peonle Of
Utah understood this fact? The three
men who went to the Penitentiarv Satur-
lay are an example Of this, and their ex-
nipple in this case will outweigh tbair
,recept.
But wherein is it farcical for the Gov
fnment to 90 ahead in the line now
eng followed? One would naturally
nppose from the tenor of the Herozd,o ,
rticle that the proceedings now going on II
ENFORCE the law were anything but fare
al What part of the enforcement of tho
w Is most farcical? That wherein
len pose as heroes and martyrs when
'nNcted and sentenced for crime. or
lat wherein those who are going to =
lson bless the assembled muItitndop
would be wise and expedient, and very
'.isi"cVory' TO have those who say these
lngs are farcicial point out which arc
III winch are not to be taken as farcicial
men this is done, people will know '
mere to look for the " wisdom of q halt ,,
But the Herald tells one thing wbioh
well worthy of consideration Inv tboSo
whom the Herald writes. which iO
at the laws can be enforced in sncb ~
manner and with such rieor ~
II the plural wife system will
practically stopped, but belief in ;ts
httulness will not thereby be de- SA
Dyed" All that the Government asks
nat the practice of polygamy stop. and
10 any belief as to its rightfulness if AZ
's not care. The Herald knows fnn lV
i that the law will be enforced until
ygamy is stopped, and would if not bo
ter for all if it would so tell its readers
keep on telling them until every man
reads it shall be fully convinced that
Is the fact? 1t is time for the peonle la
Utah to offer something which will
TO a peaceful solution of the Mormon ID
Diem, and ceaSa ,Sl;,,o a. ~. -