Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-12
CONSCIENCE AND LAW.

The well known song John Browns
body lies Wondering In the grave, = Is
frequently heard III social gatherings
~ patriotic ana liberty-loying people.
who are free to express their admira-
5 ton OF the brave old zealot who dehed
law In his defense of negroes escaping
from the bonds OF southern slavery
His infraction OF law sinks out OF sight
IN view OF the purpose he had In his
heart and his fidelity TO something that
he held above the law When good PEG.
pie sing IN vigorous tones and thrilling
harmony that "hIs soul goes marching
along" they exc his nrmness and de-
termination IN that which he regarded
as right, even though they must &C.
knowledge that he violated the law and
took the consequences.
similar acts 10 those OF John Brown
are held IN honor by millions OF people
at the prescott day and yet many OF
them condemn tho Mormon leaders
for avowing that they would rather
break the law than violate the sacred
covenants they have entered into, with
women whom they regard as In every
sense of the word their wives for this
world and also the world TO come, And
writer's for the papers express aston
ishment and anger that those gentle-
men are ready to risk the conse.
quences" Yet history records that the
greatest and most heroic reformers Of
the ages took the same ground as to
conscience and the law,
We do not wish II to appear that we
attempt to draw any parallel between
the principle or practice for which
those Mormon leaders are willing to
risk legal consequences, and the causes
for which the great defenders OF other
beliefs and acts were willing TO suffer
and die Not at ALL But the defiance
OF law and custom and popular opinion
by the latter was ms direct and open as
the declarations Of the Mormon" dig
nltaries. and their readiness to risk the
consequences was the same
We may now approve the theories
which the stnlwarts of the past held
MS superior to human statutes, but
their acts In supporting them were
then violations Of existing hws, Yet
we OF the present laud them TO the
skies, while the same course. though
for n different belief, is anathema-
tlzed In the severest language, but con-
slstency does not enter into the oppo-
sltion TO AN unpopular theme so we
must not look FOR It In the excited ut
terances OF anti. Mormon prejudice
and passion. The very mention bf
plural Wives sends many good people
into spasms Of yirtuous anger. II Is
not to be wondered at, considering the
trend OF thought and religious training
continuing through centuries. And the
idea OF maintaining relations Of the
kind mentioned Notwithstanding the
law, Is looked upon as unjustned by
any condition or argument
That was the feeling that the law.
breakers OF the past who are justified
now by popular sentiment, had to meet
IN their times, Scarcely a martyr to
any creed or doctrine or practice who
suffered Tor lts sake, but was ccE-
demncd as a yIolator Of law Even the
Savior Of the world was so sent TO His
death on the cross, Pilates declara-
ton that he. personally. found no fault
In tho man, had to give way to the
popular verdict, which made him an
offender against both divine and human
law, against both the Jewish and the
Roman code
Again we repeat, we are not making
any comparison between the tenets for
which the martyrs for different causes
bled and died, and the system which
now occasions no much disturbance In
the land, but we simply claim that IN
all those instances, the defenders Of
those faiths were lawbreakers, and We're
then doomed for their offences but are
now gIorIhod for their valiant yet law
less deeds
The Mormon" principle of eternal
marriage which IN theory when so pro.
mulged included the plurality OF wives,
is yehemently unpopular. The perform
ance OF plural marriages has been dis
continued, The family ties formerly
formed remain In a number OF cases.
The parties TO them refuse to dissolve
them and stand ready to risk the legal
consequences That is the situation.