The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-26
THAT AMNESTY.

The president is still represented as
being exceedingly anxious to grant
amnesty to offenders against the anti
polygamy lava. The petition of the Nor
mon authorities, endorsed by the federal
officials of the territory, praying amnesty
for their people. was forwarded to Wash
ington last December. 1t at once found
its way to pigeonhole in the Office of the
attorney general, and might have lain
there accommodating dust until the present
time had it not been stumbled across in
February, and the fact of its existence
been made public by an official from whom
1t had evidently been the intention to keep
the matter secret. The knowledge of the
petition getting out and the justice of grant
ing the request being conceded by all fair
minded people, the president was forced to
say something on the subject He said he was
willing to issue the proclamation and would
do so ''in few days" Then he hesitated,
processing to doubt Ills legal power to grant
amnesty except in individual cases on per-
sonal petition. Nobody else entertained
such doubt, one of the plainest provisions
of the constitution comforting the authority
The president referred the question which
he had raised to the chief law officer of the
administration, who soon held with other
lawyers who had advised the president,
that the authority to issue the proclamation
existed beyond doubt Still Mr. HAIR
.RIsoN hesitated. Whenever approached
on the subject and he has been urged to
grant this amnesty by some of the chief
st 4ha ~
would issue the proclamation as soon as he
could see his way clear to do so in a
proper manner. Five months have gone
since the petition reached him, but am
nesty has not come, the president being
ready with excuses at all times Now we
are told that he will issue a proclamation
as soon as one can be drawn which will
apply to Mormons, but not to non Nor
mons, as he doesn't propose to relieve pee.
pie who have not the excuse of religion
rom the consequences of their offenses
against the laws. This is proper enough,
but the unnecessary delay and Mr.. HAR.
RIsoN's fruitfulness in excuses for putting
off an act demanded by every sense of right
and justice, are causing good many people
to feel that the President does not think
kindly of the proposition and he would
never, of his own motion, grant the am
nesty. Public sentiment is so strongly in
sympathy with the prayer, and SO many
of the foremost men of the nation
have interested themselves in the matter
that Mr.. HARRISON cannot well refuse
though he is yielding with such bad grace
as to deprive the act, when it does come, Of
every suggestion of kindness. Again, il
has heen intimated in high official quarters
that the president would like to get the
Minneapolis convention out of the way be.
fore doing anything which might be inter
preted as friendly act towards the Nor
mons. However this may be the presi
dents course il this business from the
frst has not been such as to suggest tha
his heart is in the matter; there will be NJ
generosity in the amnesty; nothing to indi
cate that the people affected. having placed
themselves in harmony with the laws O.
the country ana the sentiment of the age
the government is glad to relieve them. 81
far as it can, of the disabilities under
which they have suffered. THE HERALI
hopes that when amnesty does come it will
not be accompanied by conditions which
will make it offensive.