The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-09-22
DON'T COMPLAIN.


cution of the Mormons for suppose
violations Of the Edmunds law, The
think they see in Mormonism an az
gressive spirit, which ere this they ba
hoped would have been crushed out
They discover that Mormonism stu
sends missionaries to all parts Of tn
United States, and to foreign nations
and thai these proselyters return all
bring'the fruit Of their abors with them
And in some few cases this suppose
respite that is given the Mormon people
is in consequence of a change in th
Federal officers OF Utah, from Repub
hcans to Democrats, and some imagine
that the new Governor of Utah IS t
blame. As a matter of fact, there ha,
been no relaxation of the raid since il
vas inaugUrated. As another matter
of fact there has been practically
no change in the Federal of
fcials fron Republicans to Dem
7Ocrats. It is true we have a Dem
ocrat for Governor, but in the work o.
Governor of Utah can do but little.
While it is, of course, his duty to see
that the laws of the e rritory ana
those'Cf5he United STATS applicable 10
the Territory, are enforced, still he can,
not go oatside of the lines fixed by law
as the limit Of his official duty, to sup
press a,system of religion in the Terri
tory, even if he had the disposition t.
do it. lie cannot turn deputy marshal
or judge in order to expedite matters
however, desirable it might be in the
estimation of those who expect 30 see
Mormonism crumble to ruin under the
harsh administration Of infamous laws.
The only department of government in
Utah that can send alleged violators OF
the poIygamy laws to prison, is the
judiciary; and nearly all the machinery
Of this department is still in the hands
OF Republican appointees, and, ca the
principle of giving the devil his
due, those men, the press every
where should understand, are doing
their leTel best to convict supposed vic
lators OF the laws against plural mar
rriage. And surely every advantage
that CoGrts can possibly have for eff
cheney is granted them. They have an
able m&gEhal and a full force OF deputy |
marshaIs. By the Courts manipula. !
ton of the jury laws, the Prosecuting
Attorneys can not only exclude every |
person from both grand and petit |
iurles tia is suspected of having any |
decree Ol sympathy with parties &C
cused, bu1 can by resorting to the open |
Venirs system, obtain Jurors that are |
openly and avoWedIy hostile to the &C
cnsed, .andare their known enemies; 50 |
that they have every means of convict
ing men when brought into the courts. |
Indeed, for some time past, indictment
andarrest has been equivalent to YER
dict of guilty, for that is as sure to fol
low -aTTaignzsent as the night is |
to follow the day. There is
only one thing which pre-
vents the Federal courts sending
all yiolators Of the poIygamy laws to 1
prison, and that is, they can't catch
the law breakers. Here's the rub. The
people, co not believe in the law. For
over thirty years the people in Utah
have had local legislature, whose
power extended to sll rightful subjects
of legislation, but at no time has that
legislature considered it necessary to
pass laws against the marriage customs
of the Mormon people, whose pIura
as well as eingle marriages were re-
garded as sacred, and purely matters to
be settled by the contracting parties. c
Plural marriages. are regarded just as E
as homogeneous relations are, C
and create no scandals IN the communi
ties where they occur, The moral sense i
Of the people is not outraged, it is in I
accord with the religion of the people, u
and altogether mer1torio1s. Under b
these circumstances it is not likely +
hat the local legislature would C
enact laws for the suppression of that z
which nearly al the people believed to Il
pc right. But the Law which the legis- ?
ature of the people would not pass, to 81
atisfy the clamor OF their religious and Il
political enemies, Congress pass ed for Il
hem, and is trying 10 cram it down p
he throats of the people against the II
tomach of their sense. The Mormon
eople having refused to commit suicide re
be general government is trying to tt
n1rder them, but they insist upon hi
wing hard, much to the disgust of the be
pectators, and those who are appointed fu
, execute them. Indeed, the results vC
re very unsatisfactory for as yet pr
Iormonism gives out no sign CT losing pa