The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-01
THE DECLARATION.

The declaration by President WOODRUFF
called out by the lying report of the Utah
commission is exciting general comment in
the American press. Some editors, those
who are disposed to be fair, treat the mat
ter In the proper spirit, accepting the de-
claratlon as authoritative, and regarding ii
as furnishing conclusive proof that polyga
nous marriages have been discontinued.
Others-and these are the ones who will
believe nothing good concerning the Nor
mons-oiscuss President WooDKUFF's frank
and emphatic declaration as ii it were put
forth to deceive. OF This class is our unes
teemed local contemporary. 1t is hardly
worth while to attempt to convince them.
They will not permit themselves to be con-
WINGED. They will not believe their own
! eyes. The Denver Nems discusses the de.
ciaration and the situation with intelli-
genoe, vigor and fairness The Neus has
MOI always been SO just and clear as in the
following leader, which we republish en-
| tire:
| The AedS has already u)lished statement
from WhFoRD WOODRUFF, president of The
Mormon church, in which he uenieS in.the most
emphatic manner the statement of the Utah
commission in its recent report as to polyga.
nous maria yes in Utah. In tran shifting this
denial TO the Washington S ar aad asking that
paper TO publish the same, Delegate CA1NE
says the objeet of the Utah COMMISSION is tc
hasten the passage by Congress of two or three
measures now pending looking to the disfran-
chisenent of every member of the Mormon
church by prescribing a test oath such as no
Mormon could conscientiousiy subscribe to.
This proposed legislaiion," ne ys,.woul
not only affect the polygamous Mor-nons, for
they are already disfrauchised-can neither
vote, nod office nor sit on jurieS-but it would
apply to the non-r oiygamoIs Mormons the
young men of Utah WHO have never violats d
the anti-polygamy laws, and have taken an oath
that they will Got do so in the future, who have
always been loyal to their country and its
laws
Tie United States cannot make the laws too
stringent against poiygamy. In enforcing such
statute, however, every man is presumed to
be innocent until he i; proved guilty. When
any Mormon denies polygamous prac-
tices, his statement is to be taken as
true until the contrary is established in
a court of law. When established. the
punishment, whether it be Acknowledgement or
Imprisonment. or both, is not too severe But
it Is an outrage to condemn whole people un.
heard. The religion of the Mormons is to be
respected as well as that of any other class or
denomination OF Christians. The rights of the
non-pOiygamous Mormons, the sons of the
hardy pioneers who discovered and settled that
arid region, as Mr.. GAME puts it, must be re-
spected. Congress has no right to interfere
with these people simply because some of the
members o. the Mormon church believe in and
haX
The law is already sufficiently stringent TO
stamp out polygamy If it is violated in anv
particular case it is made the duty of the
United States officials to prosecute the Offend
Ing parties and, if found iilty, to punish them
Each person charged with this crime is entitled
to fair and impartial trial. The idea is mon
strous that whole people are to be condemned
simply because some members of their church
have in the past persisted in q practice
which the laws OF the country condemn
President WOODRUFF in the most solemn
manner declares that the charges of the Utah
commission that forty plural marriages have
been contracted since June last, and that in
public discourse the leaders CT the church have
taught, encouraged and urged the continuance
OF the practice OF polygamy, is false We arc
not teacalng polygamy or plural marriage" he
says, nor permitting any person to enter into
its practice If they We're and if such maria res
we're solemniZed, the law makes it the duty of
the officers Of the United States to arrest and
bring such parties to trial, and if found guilty
to punish them. declaration of innocence on
the part of the president of the church * suf
ficient until the contrary is established The
burden OF proof is on the government. IF the
latter cannot establish its charges they must
fai to tue ground. No party can be adiudged
guilty until after a fair and impartial trial.