Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-05
ARE PURE AS SNOW
President Harrison Grsnts
q Full Amnesty.
NO PoLYGAMOus MARRIAGES
Those Who Violsss sho IavU c u
United States oa Thu suejsa vvSn
Be vsgorously PsssscuAsG

- .8SeSso<Y Ss~Ss
wAsHISorox, Jan. L-PSoGf4onA -.
rison today issued the following psesiAs
nation:
WASHINGTON. Jsn- Z, 1854.
Whereas, cougress. BY . sta1uts ap-
proved March %. 1854. and BY statutes
in furthersnce and amendment thereof,
defined the crimes Of bigamy. polyeamy
and unlawful cohabitAt,on IN the terri
tories and In other plsces within the
exclusive jurisdiction OF the United
States and prescribed = penalty fos
such crimes and, whereas,
Tn or about the s.xth day of October,
1880. the church Of the Latter Day
Saints, commonly known as the
Mormon church. through its president,
issued = manifesto proclaiming the
purpose Of said church no longer 70
sanction the practice Of polygamous
marriages. and calling upon ali men,
bers aud adherents of said church 90
obey tie laws of the United States IN
reference To said subject matter; and,
Whereas, IL 10 represented that since
the date of said declaration the men,
bers and adherents OF said church hav-
ing generally obcyed said laws and
have abstained from plural marriages
and polygamous cohabitation, and
Wheiess. by petition dated De-
cember ~. 1891, the officials of sad
church. pledgipg the nsembsrship
81 IN fsrf ft,1 III.
laws against plural marriages and un-
lawful! cohabitation. have applied 10
me to grant amnesty for past offenses
against said laws, and very
large number of influential non-mor-
mons, residing in the territories, have
also strongly urged; and.
Grants Pardon.
Whereas, the Utah commission in
their report being dated September IS.
1892, recommend that eald amnesty
proclaimed under proper conditions az
TO the future Observance Of tie Law,
with q view to the encouragement OF
those now disposed 10 become law
abiding citizens, and,
Whereas. during the past two years
such amnesty has been granted 10 in
dividual applicants IN = very large
faithful observance of the Iaws of the
United States against unlawful cohabi-
tation: snd there are now pending
many more such applications;
"Now. therefore, i, Benjamin Har-
rison, president of the United States.
by virtue of the powers In me vested,
do hereby declare and grant . full
amnesty aud pardon TO all per-
sons charged with unlawful CO.
hab.tatiou under the color of poly
gamous or plural marriage, wao have
since November !, 1890, abstained from
such unlawful cohabitst,on; but upon
the express condition that they shall,
in the future, faithfully obey the laws
of the United States herein before
named and not otherwise.
why Amnesty Was 0ra.sed.
Those who ehall fail to avail them
selves of the clemency hereby offered
will be vigorously prosecuted. In wit
ness whereof, have hereunto eet my
hand and caused the zeal Of the United
States to be affixed.
Done at the city Of Washington, this
4th day of January, in the year of our
Lord one thousand, eight hundred ard
| n,nety-three, and OF the independence
and seventeenth.
BFNJAMrS HARRrsoS.
By the president, John w. Foster,
| secretary of state.
The presidents proclamation issued
10 granting amnesty 10 offending Nor
mons is based upon the consideration
briefly set forth IN the document itself.
The question has been long and care
fully considered aud finsAy decided IN
| favor Of the action recommended by
| the members of the Utah commission, a,
the governors of the territory and bv a
| large number of prominent and infiu-
entail citizens. many of them non-Mor-
mons, not only Of Utah. bur of ether
states and territories. Ii has been cue.
tomary when whole communities have
been involved in an oflense against the
law 10 grant amnesty upon-tbe applica-
ton of those under penalty and upon
the assurance that they Will m the fu-
ture observe the laws that have been
lnfringed.
wiI Prosecute.
In this case amnesty is conditioned
upon these premises: That the offense
has not been committed since Novem.
her. 1890, ann that the Law against
polyeamous marriage and cohsbi,stlon
shall be hereafter faithfully observed.
Tne Mormon church, officially, has de-
clared that euch marriages viii not
hereafter be entered INTO. while indi-
vidualiy pledge of observance Of the
law - gwen by the recipients of
amnesty. IL the Law shsli be dIsobeyed
IN any gwen csse, vigorous prosecution
will follow. The amnesty = granted
upon these conditio because i u
J represented and i,elieved thst the
| localities affected Will be largely hene-
fitted IN material way. and tnat a great
stlmulous will he given to fhe faithful
and general observance of the lsws OF
| the United States. IL shouid also be
said thst large number OF individual
anlnesiiss have already been granted
and that many moro applications are
pending ia the departments OF jnstsce.