The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-21
MORE LEGISLATION.

prosecutions for polygamy have been
individually troublesome 20 some law
breakers. they have not in the least
affected the solidity of the Church front,
nor visibly impaired the coherency oil
the Mormon organization"
And again: whether internal forces
viii cause the mass 10 explode if the
blows are continued without cessation
is the question, but so far 1t is 4 subject
OF hope and not Of accomplishment"
Still further along: at is even a
question whether as an organization il
has not gained solidity up to this time,
because the laws have not been strong
enough to do the work that has to be
done. 1t is to the passage of these
need ID laws that our force must be
directed, and not TO congratulations
over fancied results which a calm view
OF the whole situation does not show"
The Tribune's echo. of Monday even
ing, in similar tone discussed "Wha. is
needed in Utah." claimed that the
present laws against polygany and
unlawful cohapitation were inadequate
to crush out these practices and then
asked:-"What objections founded in
reason, can any one urge against the
enactment of laws containing proyis-
ions that will furnish the means neces-
sary TO wipe out the Church-and-State
and polypamy evils in Utah" The
paper concludes by advocating the pas
sage of the Woodburn bill as the pam
acea for all Utah's troubles.
From the above extracts we learn
that the results of the vigorous and
inhuman enforcement of the law
against polygamy and unlawful cohabi-
tation are altogether unsatisfactory to
the anti-Mormon press; and It clamors
for more severe measures to be en-
acted against the Saints. Already the
punishment for polygamy is five
years imprisonment and a fine OF
$500. The punishment for unlawful
cohabitation is six months imprison-
ment and fine of $500 which by the pc
culiar ruling of the Utah courts, may
be extended to imprisonment for life,
and exhaust in the payment of fines
fortunes much larger than those pos
sessed by Utah people. The juries have
been so fixed that those put on trial
have had to appear. not before an i'm
partial jury of their peers, but before
panels composed of men who are their
religious aud political enemies.
The courts have had every facility to
enforce their DEGREES: means have been
layishly supplied TO maintain a strong
force Of deputy marshals and spot
tiers" to furnish the necessary infor-
nation to the courts, and make arrests;
kind OF portable U. S. commissioners
court has been invented especially to
facilitate the proceedings against peo-
pie accused Of unlawful cohabitation
and Polygamy. and the people are
hopelessly at its mercy. Yet, with all
this machinery. manufactured by
special legislation and manipulated by
a vindictiyeness born of hatred. and
with the avowed purpose OF crushing
the social institutions Of the people OF
Utah-yet, the anti-Mormon pr,ss is
not satisfied, but demands still more
severe enactments to enable 1t to crush
the people of this Territory.
The yindictive scribes who clamor for
further enactments against the people
of Utah were born out of due time.
They should haye been born at a time
when the thumb-screws, racks, gibbeis,
fails, the AZ and the fagot were en-
ployed to contend against the faith of
supposed heretics. The shrieks and
groans of the tortured victims would be
sweet music to their british ears. The
mangled, blood-covered forms Of the
victims with every nerve and muscle,
quivering with agony under the cruel
torture would have been a feast to
their wolhsh eyes. The sobs
and tears OF despairilg women
and terror-stricken children would
well salt the savagery of their adaman-
tine hearts. Their time of life then
should have been in the days Of Nero.
when flames and Wild, ferocious beasts
were employed to convince the Christian
that his faith was wrong; or in the dark
ages. when the Inquisition wreaked the
vengeance Of monkish priests upon all
their envy hated. Gentlemen, you
were born several centuries too late 10
have all the cruel propensities of your
natures satisfied. We are living in an
age too enlightened to deliver up a
whole PEOPLE to be sacrificed upon the
altar of sectarian hatred Happily for
US, though to your disappointment. we
are living in nation pledged to the
support of religious and politicaiIibersy
and we believe there will always be
enough good men In our nation to sus.
tain those principles, to support which
the nation is pledged. True, abuses
may creep in for season. As they have
/ done in the case of Utah. he 4ha -.