Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-10

ablei WOuid not the election as l,,.tv......
the Republicans anu Democrat. bsy,'
becn al least doubtful? Well.infor,n.5
Republicans and Democrats In iba
Territory have said 80. Certainly. ~
q Tact, the total ofthe vote cast nv M
unctive Republicans and Liberals ex.
ceeds by $40 the total votes cnst bv
Democrats for councillors.
The official evidence Of the decteas.
OF plural marriages since the LIST day m
September, 1890, comes through The
District Judges IN the Territory.
Justice blackburn reports that thar.
has been but one conviction had in
that tlmo for polyRamy In the Dlsirie,
court held at The city Of Provo.
Juetice Miller reports only one such
conviction had In the District Courtln
the city Of Ogden.
Justice Zane reports one conviction
had Tor polygnmy Ia the District Court
held Mt Salt Lake CITY, and that ths
conviction was not OF a Mormon.
Justice Anderson reports ono con.
vicilon had for that ofiense ia the Di..
trict Court held ut Beaver City.
These comprise all the dlstflcts in
the Territory. The greatest number of
convictions had Tor hoy sexual oli.nss
Ia the time stated, has probably been
for unlawful cohabitation-thato iiense
being In many, II not In most cases. a
relic Of polygamy made punishable IN.
der tho statute when lapto Of tlme had
interposed a bar 90 the punishment m
the offender rs polygamist, and In a
number OF such cases conviction and
punishment followed confession oi
guilt na satisfying the law and promls.
Ing future obedience TO u.
True, have not here adverted tho
fact that tho number Of indictment,
found exceed the number Of convlc.
lions had, for neither do Indictments
nor the extra official accusations N
registrar or the proceedings OF OK.
amining magistrates Import guilt or a
presumption OF H. A different rule,
holding an accusation equivalent 10
conviction, would he subveHlye 10
personal security and civil liberty. IL
would license malice TO do na worst.
In fact, n number OF the indictments
hero referred % were actually dis.
missed, while upon oihcrs, the persons
accused were, on trial, acquitted.
These proofs of social reformation are
due 10 various causes-to the school,
thu press, 10 tillago, mining, tho afts,
trade, aud not In the lcast 70 the laws
whose inspiration and aim, ~ happily
interpreted by the President, was and
II 10 consrcrate the one wife ns the un.
crowned queen Of the home.
Again, tue reformation Ia an eyolu.
ton Of progress. This Mormons have
emerged from the condition OF fugi.
tivcs secluded In the fastne-acs u a
foreign land from the touch and move.
a. H.N H.. n 4 q
not most Of the earliest c0l0nlsts
are dead, while their children have
succeeded under the ilag Of tho
United states, 10 their places. Tho
now generation, reinforced by non.
Mormon immigrants, form n common
hold which has spread far aud wide
over the valleys Of Utah, naturally
dry aud arid, aud by pAinHiAking toll
have Irrigated and TILED them 10 fruit
fulness aud luNurihnce. More, this
host has utilized the rugged mountains
NJ pastures Of grazing kline, or as
qunfrlca Of gray aud red granite aud
sandstone, or has pierced them with
the pick and drlll for their treasures OF
gold, silver, copper and lead, Iron aud
coal. Yet, even with all this, some.
thing more needs 10 be done 10 assure
WV N'tlANN VI kut VI
the Territory and generally Of the In.
tefmountain region. Tho waters OF tho
flvcrr, lakes, canyons and other noun.
tain streams should 10 mndo tributary
TO capaclOus aud durable reservoirs for
regulated distribution for all useful pur-
poses. Therefore think II would be
wise that Congress should sanction by
law the recommendation Of the Presi.
As.F.N HAT a
printod lands OF the United States
Territories should be coded 10 them
under proper stipulations In aid Of those
purposcs.
DIspisANcHIaTAfEST.
My deduction from nil tho premises
II that II would not be either just or
polite to extend by law the range Of
existing civil disabilities indiscfimln.
ately 10 all OF the Mormons. That
would be 10 punish the innocent with
the guilty without Judicial inquiry aud
sentence, tn substitute the legislative
for tho Judicial authority, contrary 10
the principle and spirit Of the Anglo
Saxon and American institutions.
Practically II would leave theMormons
and their posicrliy, protesting the same
religious belief, subject 10 taxation aud
military service without voice upon
the question Of taxation or Of war. II
would degrade them M class. This
would bo an anomaly In u popular gov.
eminent In like cases another step
downward has ended IN servltude. All
along the line Of such descent Turks the
spirit Of revenge awaiting It's opportu'
nifty. Tho prescription Of Glasses IN tho
rock upon which famous republics OF
the past struck and perished.
DlsfranchiSoment Ms n precedent
opens the way 10 Acknowledgement rs "A
rule. II the Legislature may dlsfran.
chise part Of tho community may II not
dislranchlse tho whole OF itand become
imperial? A historic Statesman OF
England said In words echolng down
the years, that It was not competent
10 any political oc civil authority 10
condemn and punish collectively any
body OF people.
What then Ia tho need9 Only "lo
let well enough nlOne.n Punish the
individual by n due process for his
criminal acts, but for Ills belief or
opinion, never. This Ia the distinction
Of right aud reason. A distinction Ill .
vine. Upon II hang alike social and
civil order, mud the empire Of thought
and genius. IL In the rampant OF tho
State, VI the man, and Of the citizen.
Joiia A. McCLEnNAsp.
las the Commission did not furnish
any journal with copies NJ tho fore
going reports except their organ, the
Salt Lake Tribune, the NEWS has been
undar fha uacnsslfv nf r.nFnduriDR