The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-13
POLYGAMY IN UTAH.
The Situation Looked Square
ly in the Face.
GOV. VESTS RECENT ACTION.
The Conservative Element - De.
served Tribute to Utah's Peaceful
PeopIc-The Real Issue.

| cALI LAKE OIT1, May l0.-lopeclal
BY a wise. judicious. and humans
step the new Governor of the Territory
has turned back the stream of Gentle
/ agitation into its legitimate channel
The telegraph advised you OF Governor
Vests visit to the penitentiary, and MS
promise of amnesty if ths unfortunate
Mormons imprisoned for polygamy and
unlawful cohabitation would promise
to obey the law. Apostle Snow wanted
to discuss the religious aspects of the
question, but Governor West quietly
but firmly refused TO look at the sub
ject in that light. Ne told the incarcer-
ated Saints that the law must be re-
spected and ooeyed; that its officers
were simply performing their duty in
prosecuting those who coltravened its
just provisions; and that a vast amount
of misery and suffering would be spared
in the future If pledge were given that
the law relating TO plural marriage and
unlawful cohabiiation would be strictly
observed. No eloquence on the part OF
the Governor, however. could elicit the
required promise. The Saints looked
upon themselves as martyrs. Some say
they would rather rot in prison than
reRouuce polygamy. Others are in
clined to temporise and say: Let the
forget the past; let the
polygamous associations already in ex-
istence continue as q matter of fairness
and justice to innocent women and
children, and then we m y consider q
for an assurance that plural
shall cease. This last class,
| am inclined TO think, constitutes the |
majority Of those amenable TO the Ed |
act. What weight their opinion |
may have with
THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH
It is impossible to determine. Those
with whom / have -conversed say it is
useless to talk about abandoning polyg.
il is divine ordinance, and
human law can not compel its suppress
ion. One prominent Mormon, who
has already served term for unlawful
says the abandonment of
,oly amy would be confession to the
people that it was merely fraudulent.
ensual institution. The church looks
ipon IL as one OF its most sacred ordi-
iances and only revelation from God.
Eho governed the church BY His infinite
wisdom. could abolish. this ordinance.
This is the way all the, earnest Nor
mons talk. You can not get them to
liscuss the question from legal stand-l
,oint. On the articles of their faith
bese peculiar people are as stubborn as
mules. They ahate not one jot of ardor
bout the tenets of the church. and
hreats Of further adverse legislation
eem only to weld them more firmly I
nd conscienfiously together. Looking
I their simple. frugal lives, their evil
ent thrift, honesty. and industry: their
'eaceful, neighborly copdnct, their I
owing interest in their wives and chill
rem and solicitude about beautifyine
heir homes, one regrets that religions
or fanatici m, can IL which ]
on may, should lead them into prac-
ices condemned By The Law. ~
Feards expressed IN many p1arter. |
hat the decision ino the Snow case. 1
'hich practically legaiizes the segrega,
ion OF the offense of unlawful cobabi.
aiion, means more rigorous prosecu Il
ion. The doekets OF the courts are
wollen with ''cohab. T" cases Scarcely. 4
day goes by without the artest Of some
nlucky Saint who has been too liberal
n the matter of wires.l 1.-The marshals
re active. and in many instances. reck- Il
sss as TO the means BIZ which they can Il
alb those particular law breakers.l . n