The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-12-14
One of the PardOned.

HARRISON president OF the OnlleQ SldleS, WAS
attached to proclamation granting amnesty and
pardon all persons liable to the penalties prescribed
by the Edmunds- Tucker act for poygamous prac
tees and unlawful cohabitation
In the preamble of the proclamation President
Harrison rected that the head of the Mormon church
had issued manifesto declaring that the church
longer sanctioned polygamous marriages-that the
officials of the church had applied to him for pardons
for themselves and their people, promising future
observance of the lawthat the Utah commission had
recommended that the prayer of the petitioners be
granted. He concluded his official pronouncement
with the following expression:
Now therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, president of
the United States by virtue OF the power III me
vested, do hereby declare and grant full amnesty
and pardon to all persons liable to the penalties OF
said by of unlawful cOhabltaton under the
color of polygamous plural marriage who have,
since November 1, $780, abstained from such unlaw-
full cohabation; but upon the express condition that
they shall in the future faithfully obey the laws of
the United States herentofore named and not other
wise Those who shall fail to avail themselves of
the clemency hereby offered will be vigorously
prosecuted.
Such was the response of the chief magistrate to
the plea of pretended repentance imposed on the
government by men who were paving the way for
escape from the jurisdiction of the federal govern
ment that they might erect state under which they
would be amenable only to such laws as they chose
to inflict upon themselves.
In the petition for amnesty it rected that
TO be at peace with the government and in har-
mony with their fellow citizens who are not of their
faith and to share in the confidence of the govern
ment and people, our people have voluntarily put
aside something which all their lives they have be-
lieved to be sacred principle.
Have they not the right to ask for such clemency
as comes when the claims of both law and justice
have been fully liquidated?
Ac cofa natie ar6cn
ask amnesty for them and pledge Our faith and honor
for the future.
The petition of which the foregoing the clos
ing paragraphs was signed by MILFORD Woodruff,
George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith and all the
apostles and presidents
1t will be observed that the third signature to the
petition for amnesty is that of Joseph F. Smith, now
head of the Mormon church On page six of this
issue of The Scimtar is printed extract from the
testimony of Joseph F. Smith in the Smoot case in
which he swears that he has not fulfilled the terms
of his solemn promise for himself and his people by
which he secured the pardon of the President of the
United States for his violations of the law and for
the violations of Others
In that testimony he swears that he has openly
and continuously violated his promise and the law
and that he proposes to remain in such violation.
He defes the government and the law The chief
shepherd of patient and suffering people" is living
in open domestic relations with five alleged wives at
the capital of his kingdom
President Harrison has gone to his long rest and
the pardon he issued might we'll have been buried
with him. for it is of effect-the Mormon church
is government unto itself and the old federal rela
ton has ceased.
Morally and officially viewed Joseph F. Smith
might be open to censure along with all the others
that have failed to keep the faith But legally he will
not be compelled to live within the moral and statu