Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-12-03
THOSE "FoRrY CASES.

Tor, puOllSnel IN MONEY evening"
News, says he refers to a conversa-
ton held by him with Delegate
John t. Game, in reference to a
letter written by the Delegate and
containing the Declaration made by
President Woodruff on the plural
marriage question. and the Secre-
tary adds:
In the conversation which took
place when this letter was delivered.
l. was objected that Mr.. Game and the
President OF the Church would have
TO NEE: the specification OF forty cases
with more imam general denial"
THESE ssforty cases" mentioned by
Secretary Mobiles are those reported
by the Utah Commission as having
probably entered into polygamy
since the date of their last report.
President Woodruff, in his DECLARE
ton. denied that either forty or any
number OF persons in Utah, had
entered into polygamy during the
period specified, and the Secretary
Of the Interior says the "specifica
tion'' will have to be met with
"more than n general denial"
We would like TO know why.
The Utah Commission entered
general charge. 1t scarcely
amounted even to that. They said
the registrars had reported to them
about forty cases of persons whom
they hal reason to believe had gon,
into poIygamy since the date men
TONED. 1t will be seen that this
was very craltily put. Nospecifica-
lions were made. No names were
given by the Commissioners. No
places or dates were mentioned.
The Commission did not even state
what were the reasons for suppos-
ing that these unnamed persons had
broken the law against polygamy
1t was n blind accusation and
lame excusefor making it. We do
not think the Commission believed
it, and we are sure that if they hat
been in possession Of any evidenc.
TO substantisie it, the proofs woulo
have been in the hands Of the Prose
cutting Attorney and United State
Marshal in very shot time, and
the suspected indiyiduas womb
have been arrested. There is no
language strong enough to charac-
terize the ineffable meanness Of the
cunningly devised and unsupported
story.
Why, then, should the burden OF
proof be placed upon Presideni
Woodruff and Delegate Game, whU
simply deny what the Commission
only half affirm? Are they to bt
required TO prove a negative? On
the contrary, should not the Com
mission be required to prove the af
firmative? They assert, others deny.
and they should bring forward th.
evidence, If they have any, to JUST
fy their assertion. And Secretar, |
Noble should certainly know better
than to ask the gentlemen wno |
simply meet general allegation
with a general denial, to disprov.
something for which no, the shad |
ow OF an atom of proof has beef
adduced.
But there is something more TO
this bald assertion, made for q par-
pose by the Utah Commission. In
the conversation with Delegate
Game. the Secretary of the In
terror admitted that the Com mission
should produce the names of the
persons alleged to have thus broken
the law, that the facts might be
ELECTED And he authorized th.
Delegate TO make formal application
for those names. This may not be
mentioned in the official report, bul
1t Is a fact, nevertheless. And il i.
also fact that Delegate Game did
make a formal aud respectful de
mand in writing upon the Commits
sion, while in this city, for the names.
and it IL another fac. that they diu
not respond.
This should be made known to
the Secretary,as doubtless it will be.
and the country ought to know OIL
what himsy grounds the Utah
commission make damaging state
ments, in such a way that they
escape responsibility for the fiction
While they accomplish the purpose
they had in view. They put this
against the ''Aformons. -
SO worded that it would pass for a
direct charge, in dirty hands here
that they knew would wire it TO the
press, before their report was filed.
and SO the papers throughout the
land would repeat the accusation
until itwould be generally taken as
An established fact.
Those forty eases. If there had
'een anything to them but gossip
Foald have been rich windfall 10
hungry officials gaping for fees. ,
WY were they not reported to
hem? Why did not the Commission | r
lame them when called upon to do :
o! Ia they did not know what
hey were charging, why, when 4
hey found themselves without the r
'rool, did they no. frankly admit 81
he fact and seek to correct the error q
'hich they had been the means of a
romuiSing? One of two things 4
n y should be made to do: Either =
ring forward the evidence they :,
ad to justify their broad accusation q
confess they had none ami only a,
'peated the groundIess gossip OF r
ltl-'MOrmOn" partizans. Thos. ~
rty cases We believe to be forty a.
yths aud need nothing more Oh So
lie part of the ''Mormonsv than "a e.
neral deniai.'' .
n:
THE CHUGGs DISCHARGED. al