The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-15
CLEVELAND AND THE MoRMoEs.

inflicted upon them, as they claim under the
Edmunds law. The substance Of their COM
plant is contained in this extract from their
address:
'sThe act of Congress Furnishing by impris-
onment unlawful cohabitation is unquestiona-
bly, general law applying alike to all the
inhabitants of the territory over which the
United States claims jurisdiction. It must
have been intended to suppress vice and i'm
morality, as well as to punish Mormons who
maintain marital relations with their plural
wives. But the prosecutors of vices in Utah
have declared that this law was not made to
be applied to non Mormons, and the courts
have held this to be the fair and rightful in
depreciation of the unlawful cohabitation act
They have, moreover held that Mormons who
have maintained the offspring of their plural
marriages, and recognized as their wives the
women they espoused before the passage of
the Edmunds law were guilty of its violation
and upon thisruling men have been condemned
and sentenced, and are now undergoing pun
ishment, although they were ready and offered
to prove that they had not had 'cohabitation
with more than one woman Very recently
a man who confessed to having seduced his
wife's sister was arrested upon the charge of
unlawful cohabitation, but was released and
set free by the Chief-justice of the Territory,
who held that the Edmunds law was not in
tended to and did not apply to such cases"
The Presidents response is short, and, if
it means anything, means good deal. He
said:
'Well, gentlemen, so far, of course, as the
Edmunds law was concerned, / had nothing
to do with that. Of course, it is my duty to
see that it is enforced, as well as all other
laws. You are entitled to fair consideration
and to have the law impartially administered
which l shall make are concerned, | will en-
deavor to give you the character of men who
will see that the law is impartially admins
tered. / hope soon to be able to get at these
matters but it will require little time" The
President broke into smile as he concluded:
II wish you out there could be like the rest
of u.s."
''All we ask" said Mr. Cain, 'fs that the
law shall be impartially administered.
''You are entitled to that" said the Presi-
dent, ''and so far as l am concerned shall see
that it is so. will give these matters my at
tention as early as possible
Everybody knew already that Mr.. Cleve
land had nothing to do, officially tleast, with
the enactment of the Edmunds law; and there
is no apparent reason for his saying to this
delegation that che had nothing to do with
that" unless he meant to give the Mormons
and the country to understand that he will
enforce this law, not because he believes in it
but because only it is his 'duty to see that
it is enforced, as well as all other laws" But
this is not the plainest indication of the man.
ner or spirit in which he proposes to see to
the enforcement of this law. The inference
is evident, from what he said, that if the story
told him by the delegation was true,
he recognized the business of their complaint,
and was willing to promise that 'tafter little
time ''when he can get at these matters" he
"wili endeavor to give" them ''the character
of men who will see that the law is impartially
administered" Now, this means, if any
thing, that, Notwithstanding the interpreta-
ton which the courts are conceded to have
put upon the law, whereby it is restricted in
application to the Mormon practice of plural
marriage-the particular evil against which,
as everybody knows, the law was directed-it
is nevertheless grievance of which just COM
plant may be made that 'tupon this ruling
men have been condemned and sentenced, and
are now suffering punishment, while gentle
who seduced his wife's sister has been released
as not punishable under this law, and, there
| fore, the President is asked and says he will
10 70 fho 30 81,
of men," judges, who will put upon the law a
different Interpretation, so that plurality of
marriage among the saints and promiscuous
cohabitation among the gentiles shall be upon
the same footing and punished alike, the
anticipated and probable result to be that
neither shall be punished at all. This is the
apparent significance of this remarkable
speech.
Such an occurrence under Republican ad-
ministration is inconceivable, and would not
have happened in this instance as may we'll
be presumed, unless the end had been known
from the beginning The Mormons are not
so simple as to have offered opportunity
for a hostile rebuff in the face of the
world, and consequently it may be fairly
inferred that they did not send this delegation
to Washington without some assurance that
their reception would not be unfriendly. On
| the other hand. the President had fit oppor-
! tunity to do grand service to the country