The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-23
CURTIS ARGUMENT.

In these days, when nearly all men
are worshiping at the shrine of popu-
larity with the devotion of zealots, it is
seldom one finds a man who is willing
to undertake the defense of an unpopu-
ar cause, especially when the parties
interested have no political influence
and are in no condition to reward with
political honors those who advocate the
Justice OF their claims by the interposi-
ton of constitutional objection, or
otherwise. II one is found who has
the intrepidity to stem the tide of popu-
lar clamor, and say to the frenzied
populace: why do We %" chorus
of clamors is vamped from the throats
of the leaders OF the opposition to
drown his demands for justice, and his
appeals for mercy. They seldom If
ever answer his argument, satisfied if
they can by any means turn against
him the tide of popular sentiment.
Still, in our day, as in all the ages
that are past, we find men grand
enough in character to defend
cause they may esteem to be right,
whatever may be the applause on the
one hand, or the popular condemnation
on the other. 1t therefore comes to pass
that the Mormon people, though
banned by the popular sentiment
of modern Christendom. with every
mans hand raised against them, power.
less to reward men with political
patronage who may render their ser
vice by speaking word in their defense,
have, for all this, found men who
would risk the loss Of popular favor,
and regard il as a privilege TO defend
those whose rights they believe to be in
fringed upon. Such was Gen. Thomas L.
Kane and Judge jeremiah s. Black:
and now George Ticknor Curtis NAV be |
added &C the list. Thsmas L. Kane
and Judge Black learned that neither
the purity Of their motives, the upright |
ness of their private lives, nor the
probity Of their public careers, was
sufficient to ward off black voundine
calumny" which stin at the "vhitsst |
virtue strikes" The experience OF Mr..
Curtis promises &c be the same. In
the exordium to his argument before
the Supreme Court in the Snow case
the other day, he happened to remark
that he had passed that time of life
when the energies were full, when am.
bition was high. when applause was
sweet. and the desire for success was
keen, and that he had reached that
period Of life-past three score and ten
where man looks backward and not for
ward; when nothing is left but duty to
be discharged because il is duty. This
is all called driveling senility and cited
as proof that in old age avarice out
weighs all other considerations.
In his concluding remarks he ex- ,
presses regrets that he had not given /
his time earlier ~ the cause ofthe 4
This is called hypocrisy I
and is ridiculed. But some day the I
world viii know that ridicule is not ar I
yument, nor sneer. refutstion. {
Mr. Curtis presented his argument /
before the court under two main prop i
'sitions, the first of which, when con- Il
iensed is-The construction given by .
he Utah courts TO the third section of n
he Edmunds ct, makes it violate the b
inst amendment of thee constitution, be- Il
ause it makes the statute punish the v
profession of religious belief, when o
ppiied to state Of facts such as the b
now cases present. Under this gen s
raj proposition he reviews the evidence
n vhics. Snow was convicted, and
rOves that his client was convicted for i,
wing in the same village with several b