The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-05-21
PROVO CITY.
Z. MAY 81. 1894
CARRIERS VERDICT.

In all save in the momentuouS funda
mental underlying principles under
which Carter acted, the offense, the
capture, the trial and the verdict, are
all almost farcical by reason of the
diminiutve nature of the scale upon
which all were carried forward and the
results following. Raising an army,
levying war, capturing government
property, have in every age in all lands
and under ell circumstances been con-
sidered acts Of hostility, and when
performed by a citizen, treason. Carter
is citizen, the members of his army"
are citizens, the engine they appro-
priated is government property, or at
least property in the hands of the gov
eminent and for which the govern
ment is responsible. So then there is
not single circumstance left out
which might be needed to make clear
case OF treason, contempt, armed
hostility, or indeed anything else nee
essaTy to make this celebrated case
with fringes and frills of an exceed
ingly dangerous and unhealthy nature.
Yet this government is just strong
enough to play with Mr.. Carter, spank
him gently as one would an errine or a
waYward boy and then turn him loose
again the object of the ridicule of
even his comrads, and the amused and
laughing crowd of idle and scarcely in
terested by-standers.
There is complimentary lesson to
us as nation in all this, but yet there
Is danger IN it also. There is vast
horde Of these industrials in the ma
ton. Indeed there is mighty host
of them and while We now lightly laugh
and lightly punish, just as sure as to-
nOrrow's sun rises these things will De
followed by blood-unless indeed the
government either acceeds to the re-
quests OF the huge mob or relieves, in
its wisdom, their dire distress in some
other and better way. We cannot do
as the emperors of Germany, Russia
and Austria do-sit by in silent unre-
lenting derision and permit the people
to grumble, starve and die. We must
heed the vigorous Cry already come up
to our ears. The masses OF the poor
whom the times distress have right
to grumble, haYe the undoubted right
to petition in their own way. a
petulant ''pish" or "pshaw" will not
do. 1t is unhealthy to attempt to put
aside an evil of such magnitude
in this light and careless way. 1t
is true Carter is in durance and
otherwise punished, but he, or
rather his cause, lives in millions of
hearts. 1t is not sufficient to say that
he committed treason and otherwise
violated law. The people excuse him,
however the government may look at
his acts. We care not a rap for Carter,
but we do care for what the people
think. If We do not, we are in fair
way to have our attention recalled to
the subject at an early day and in a
very forcible way, We fear.
The Carter verdict logically should
settle the whole matter, but we know
it will not. Then what are we going
to do about it? While enforcing the
law, which is right in and of itself, yet
we must reflect that the grievance
Carter complains Of is real one. 1t
matters not that he is fantastic holi-
day soldier decked out in haring re
gtmentrls and personally cuts but
sorry figure. Yet the unive1sality of
the complaint he speaks for and the
vast number behind him, entities him
to consideration.
Our humble suggestion, now that
the tariff bill has failed, would be to
90 at the silver question and make one
earnest, faithful, determined and |
patriotic effort to evolve a law which |
would afford present relief, and without
delay. Something must
be done, and this as well as any other