Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-14
40 REFLECTION upoS UrAn.


"TnERE AFRO In this Territory hundreds
aud thousands OF women who have borne
tho relation Of polygamous wivc', and
the worst onemles TO tho NJ ormon rolig.
ion never thought Of rcilecting upon the
characters OF those women or suggesting
tia: they were unchis,o. Whatever may
havo becn thought OF ,hoir husbands aud
tho motives aetnn,iug tho lattor, tho pur-
ity and honesty Of tho Mormon wiyos
have mover been called In question, their
virtue aud roc,ltudo being conceded by
all. Il remained for tho President OF the
United States to class those women with
the vilo cruaturos who infcst the national
capital, and II remained for tho Rcpubll-
eau organs and politicians In Utah to
applaud aud endorse that message. ~
human nature Ia the Same the world over.
tho HofdLi assumes that these slandorod
women and thoir sons will not forge.
their iraducors."
The foregoing IL from the Salt Lake
Heraldof Sunday, Dec. 18th. Similar
remarks on this subject appeared In
the same paper previously. We have
no desire 10 take issue with the
Herald, but think that In this instance
ithaz made mistake and that there Is
more OF inslnuation against the ladies
OF Utah In its remarks than can be
found In the Presidents message. The
DEEREr NEWS IL not n Republican
organ, nor an apologist for President
Harrison, But 1t docs not believe any
benefit win arise to the people Of Utah
from an erroneous conception Of the
attitude OF the President OF the United
States toward the citizens OF this Ter.
rltory. Here is what tho President
said:
"rhe Attorney General and also yho
Commissioner " the District Of Column
bla call attention to tho effectiveness and
inadequacy Of the laws relating to crlmoa
against chastity In the District of Column
bla. Astringont code upon this subject
has been provided by Congress for Utah,
and II is n matter Of surprise that the
moods OF this district should have boon so
long overlooked"
Now we fail 70 see In this any ere.
Election" upon the chastity OF either
tho women or the men OF Utah.
Every State In the Union has laws
similar to those which the = resident
says the Attorney.Generai aud the
Commissioner for the District Of
Columbia report 10 be- lacking in that
District. II was certainly proper Tor
him to call the attention Of Congress TO
the omission, for Congress has "ex-
elusive jurisdiction In all cases what.
soever" over the District OF Columbia,
and tho failure TO enact laws Of this
character Is made nil the moro con.
spicuous by the passage of ga stringent
code upon this subject" for Utah. The
President calls attention to this dis.
erepancy and this discrimination, and
there Is no more insinuation or sugges'
ton In II against the character OF tho
women Of Utah than there Il against
the wives aud daughters and sisters oil
the great men ofthe nation who reaid,
In Washington, ID. G.
1--we are not mistaken, the HeraiC
has itself called attention to the ,facI
that while special laws have beer
framed by Congress against certain
Offences Ia Utah, the District o.
Columbia, where Congress sits, hai
been lett free nom such onactments
The DE.EHgr NEWS has Joined IL
those structures aud helped to show NJ
thoapp,rent insincerity OF the pretend
ed champions OF morality, In thus legis
la'ing against odunses 10 distant Unl
which were left unpublished in thu
national capital.
It's not polygamy that the Presl len
refers TO In this part OF his message,
That 10 touched upon elsewhere In th,
document. IL Is other oilensea, ngme,
in the Elmeuds-rucker act, that ar,
alluded 10, and vsch ought to be mad
punitive In the District OF Columbl
Just as much Us In Utah. Thus Their