The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-10
THOSE OTHER REASONS.

Another bill has gone to the Governo
and been returned to the Legislature
with the fatal veto attachment Thu
bill was the ore providing for bail pend
ing appeal in cases other than capital
and where the penalty was not more
than five years imprisonment. 1t will
be remembered that His Excellency
stated in his veto message to this bills
predecessor, which proposed to grant
bail in all cases except capital, that he
ad "other reasons" for killing the
measure. This bill has brought Out
those other reasons, which are, in sub
stance, that if bail were allowed Nor
mons accused of crime would
be accorded some of the rights
which the law guarantees to de-
PENDANTS, and which are allowed
in every State and Territory except
Utah as at present governed. We are
glad the Legislature passed the bill and
compelled His Excellency to state those
other reasons" The country may
now understand how fimsy an excuse
Will sometimes be presented as justif-
cation for prosecuting the Mormons
This is pure and unadulterated persecu- |
ton, born of malice and stimulated by |
yiciousuess. 1t comes from the same |
spirit that would deny to Mormon the |
right to trial, and place in the hands |
OF vicious officers power to declare
guilty and enforce Imprisonment with
out going through the formal1ty of
trial. Admitting an accused person to
bail pending the final determina-
ton of the case. does not, as Muir
ray alleges, prevent the punishment
OF the guilty; it simply allows to the
not privileges but rights, and
permits him to enjoy the benefits of such
advantages as the law declares belong
30 him; it tends to prevent judicial out
RACES by giving an opportunity to cor
rect errors and take it out of the power
of partisan and vindictive courts to
sire to punish men. Bail being denied
the individual is at the mercy of the
court, and there is no redress. Suppose
it should be agreed among the officials
of the Third District Court that Nor
mon must be sent to the Penitentiary,
guilty or innocent, the thing would be
done, and the unfortunate victim could
not help himself. Judge Zane would
issue an open venire, Marshal Ire
land would select iurymen warranted
to convict, the accused would be
declared guilty and hustled into prison,
and there he might as well rest, for
before he could get hearing in an
upper court, and have the outrage
corrected, an ordinary term of i'm
prisonment would pass. Angus NJ.
to whom bail was denied
pending appeal, had to stay in the
Penitentiary two months beyond the
full term of his imprisonment, in order
that his appeal could be passed upon.
In that instance the decision happened
to be against him, but if it had been in
his favor, what redress would he have
had against those who kept him in
prison eight months unlawfully ?
This case was rushed through {
to decision much faster than usual;
had 1t taken the ordinary course and
gone along in its regular order. the
gentleman would have been compelled
to remain in the Penitentiary three
years to get afinal opinion as to whether a
Or not he was sent there rightfully for
six months. Had he been granted his
liberty on bail, his Imprisonment would J
have been no less certain than it was; O
there would simply have been delay a
ID his going to the Pen" lie
But the determination is to annoy. p
and punish Mormons, and fl
anything that will help along will be re- t
sorted to. We must applaud Murray I
or his frsnkness in admitting his pur- b
pose, and acknowledging that it is to il
'Eatify vicious heart. d