The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-19
CARRIERS CONVICTION.

I
with the approval of most of our citi-
zens. That he was in a great measure
responsible for the disturbances. that
have occurred, costing this territory a
large sum to suppress them, must be
clear to every rejecting mind unless
blinded with false sympathy. He, above
all others, should pay the full penalty
imposed by serving out his time.
To collect money for the purpose of
paying his fine is morally equivalent to
endorsing his lawlessness. While he
was probably not present when the
overt acts were committed that formed
the gravamen of the charge against
the conspirators it is certain that his
| influence and teachings, and the hints
and hopes-to say nothing further-that
he threw out to his deluded followers,
urged them forward to the committing
of the offence that occasioned his ar
rest. His slipping away from the scene
of the crime, and his ostentatious way
of showing that ne was absent, indicate
a certain amount of craft if not of
cowardice in his conduct. Judge Mer-
rift cIeverly sifted out the evidence
that pointed to Carriers completely in
the conspiracy. and tore away the thin
disguise which the schemer had thrown
over his proceedings. It would have
been manifestly unfair to punish the
subordinates in the so-called army
and lei loose the head and front of the
offending.
The Provo Dispatch of Thursday
evening, not knowing what the result
of the trial would be, had this to say
on the subject:
If Carter is not responsible for the
stealing of the train at Lehi, who is?
CoXey is the commander of the indus
| trials. He is the formulator of the
policy of stealing an engine and his
| temporary, or rather momentary alb
sence from the commonweal should cut
no figure in the case whatever. It will
prove arrant cowardice if the court
fails to convict him or to punish him
adequately. These are no times for
mere bubbles or technicalities The
general course of this blatant and dan
gerous agitator must be taken into the
count. A few months detention will
not hurt him or very seriously injure
the cause of justice. The country is to
be quieted. 1t can't be while it permits
the men whose business is solely agita-
| ton to remain at large to sow the
seeds of anarchy far and wide.
In this country freedom of speech re-
ceives its full and perfect freedom. A
man may talk almost as he pleases.
That he may illuminate against the
highest authorities of the general and
local government, and say things in
public that no decent person would ut
ter in private, has been demonstrated
by the mouthings Of other creatures
than Carter during the past few weeks.
But there is legal line and limit
even to this. We believe Carter has
crossed that line. When men incite
others to a conspiracy and to the VIC
lation of the law, they become particeps
criminis to that which follows from
their verbal incendiarism, and deserve
to be punished with the actual Offend
ers.
People who pander to the sympathetic
sentiment which apologies for or in
any way encourages this thing called
Coxeyism, are in a bad condition of
mind. They should read the accounts
of lawlessness and violence in different
places by the commonwealers and ask
themselves how they would like to have
their property seized, if they have any,
in the same way that railroad and
other corporate property has been
taken possession of, by the impudent
Migrants who are breaking the peace
as well as committing grand larceny.
The law should take its course with
such characters as Carter. They incite
others to break the law and then try
to sneak out of the consequences of
their sedition. AS to the gang that are
still lingering in Utah county, we hope
they will be able to get away in squads
without further violence or intimida-
ton on their part. They would proba-
bly, have gone in that fashion long
since if Carter, for his own ends, had
not kept them in mass and prevented
their departure unless they could go
in body by train. The prosecution is
right. And its good effects viii be per-
ceived and acknowledged before long
by those who now doubt its policy.