The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-18
DIsHoNoR IS CONFESSED.

have not In the least been changed.
Before sovereignty could be secured
for this commonwealth, it was neces-
sary for the leaders Of the Mormon
church to make solemn promise that
certain practices which were offensive
to the country, and to civilization in
general, should be forever abandoned
by the church. The recent document
issued by the church, and personally
signed by the first presidency of that
organization. distinctly confesses that
these pledges have been broken. BY
this utterance the State has been gricv-
ously slandered in tho estimation of
right-thinking people all over tho
land
While the business men of the com
munity are bending every energy TO
enhance the reputation of the citizen
ship here, and TO induce good people
TO como here and make their homes,
the hierarchs are distributing broad
cast a confession that law breaking in
Utah is prevalent, and that the law
breakers are permitted to go their
criminal way unmolested. Business
men should take this matter into ac-
count in their industrial reckoning,
with view to deciding whether or not
they can afford to countenance this sort
of defamation of the public character.
For years The Tribune has been call
ing attention TO tho fact that the
statutes Of this State were being trod
den under foot and this presentation
has always been accompanied by the
demand that the evil should be eradi
Gated from the body polite. On this
account The Tribune has been charged
with having maliciously vilified the
State. The accusation has come from
those who desire to be "'et alone in
their unlawful practices. The hierarch
ical idea has been to destroy, If pos
sible, any man or any newspaper daring
to oppose the ecclesiastical vice and
crime, and today there are many OBJ
servable demonstrations of their per-
secution of men who are determined to
establish here a reign of decency and
respect for law.
AT one time (but this was before
they were entrenched behind State
hood) the leaders of the Mormon
church made very humble petition to
the President of the United States for
pardon. Indeed, it was evident then,
and ii is largely admitted now, that
the men who thus implored for amnesty
were sincere in their promise that the
Mormon people should cease to offend
against law and civilized sentiment,
But there came time when these
earnest officials passed to tho great be-
yond, and to the highest place in the
church ascended man who seemed
to be determined to revive all the old
heartburnIngs and enmities. Himself
of vengeful disposition, he plunged
his people back into the mire of po-
lygamy. and encouraged them in un-
lawful living by his brazen announce
men to tho world that he was a
breaker of the laws of God and man,
and that he intended to so continue TO
the end of his days
The recent declaration of the church
admitted that there had been instances
of new polygamy within the church.
1t was the practice Heretofore to deny
that such cases existed; but agitation
against that class of crimiuality finally
forced admission of the truth of repeat
ed charges. But the whole offending
was by no means confessed. However,
1T was stated that there were over eight
hundred polygamous families in the
State, whose status remains tho same
as Of yore, These constitute cxprcs.
sions of defiance against the law of
tins State which makes unlawful CO.
habltation punishable offense. Neither
these nor the new polygamists are
prosecuted. 1t is useless to argue that
old polygamous families are unmolest
ed because of their long establishment;
because that unreasoning will not hold
good. The fact that men who have en-
tered polygamy since 1890 are per-
mltted 10 be Mt large and unpunished.
shows that no matter what may be the
nature of the offense under that par
tlcular system, there is absolutely no
intention to prosecute it. Not only is
the law Of this commonwealth thus ma.
leyolently shattered day by day. but
the most solemn pledge that men may
utter IS ruthlessly broken That pledge
was made by the leaders Of a distressed
people, and it brought tho relief for
which they SO earnestly prayed. The
President of the United States was
stirred to compassion, and he granted
amnesty under the promise that the of
Tending should cease. A portion of the
proclamation reads as follows.
Whereas. During the past two Years
such amnesty has been granted indivId
ual applicants in a very large number Of
cases g Tss, g., p, CONDITIONED Upon THE
FAITHFUL OBSERVANCE OF THE |
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
AGAINST UNLAWFUL COHABITA- |
IION' and there are now pending mani |
more such applications,
NOW therefore, |. Benjamin Harrison. |
President OF the United States, by virtue !
or the powers in me vested do hereby |
declare and grant full amnesty and |
pardon I1an to & all persons liable to the penal
ties OF said act by reason OF unlawful /
cohabitation under the color of polve |