The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-21

he had every confidence He had a
right tu believe that these men. recon-
mended by the tatesmen OF the SOUTH
would execute and adjudicate the laws
in Utah according TO the most lenienC
southern construction of federal rights
| He dwelt upon Governor West s chari
table intentions towards the Mormon
leaders. went over Nests efforts at
modification in accurate detail, aud told
| Of West s chagrin at his iallurc-witn
an irritation that showed how dsnp'
pointed he himself was with the con
| tinued recurrence of the Mormon trou-
| bles.
Patience Exhausted.
had To tell him that the situation
, had not improved. and his face flushed
with nm anger that he made no attempt
TO conceal. He declared that the tauIt
| must lie in our obstinate determlna-
ton To hold ourselves superior to the
law. He could not svmpath,ze with our
| sufferings he said. since they were sell
inflicted. He admitted that he had once
been opposed To the Edmuuds Tucker
bill. but felt now that il was justified
| by the immovabilitv of the Mormons.
| All palliativcs had failed The patience
of congress had been exhausted. There
was no recourse except 10 make stat
/ utes cutting enough to destroy the lille
gal practices and unlawful leadership IN
! the Mormon community
Pleaded for Mormons.
"Mr. President. pleaded, 81 'ce
| lived in Utah all my life. know these
people from both points Of view. on
| know of the situation only from federal
| offceholdcrs who consider il solely with
regard 10 their official responsibility
20 You and TO the country. Why not
learn what the Mormons think',
he replied that il was not within the
province Of the prcsidcnt-his power or
his duty-to consider the mental atti-
tude Of men who were opposing the en-
forccmcnt of the law. It was an mex.
cusahle oifcnsc against the general wei
| fare that one community should be ris-
ing continually against the federal au-
thority aud occupying the time and at.
teution Of congress with a determined
| recalcitrance.
Almost Discouraged.
For an hour he continued with vigor
and dignity, TO describe the situation
as he saw it, and he chilled me to the
! heart with his determination to concede
! nothing more TO community that had
refused to he placated by what he had
| already conceded | listened without
! trying. without even wishing. TO inter.
rupt him; for | had been warned by
Mr.. Whitney and Colonel Lamont that
| il would be wise 60 let him deliver him
self OF his opinion before attempting to
Influence him TO milder one; and
could not contradict anything that he
said, for he made no misstatements of
| fact.
Must Obey the Law.
Colonel Lamont had entered once. and
| had withdrawn again when he saw that
Mr.. Cleveland was still talking At the
I
arose. Mr.. Cannon. he said. 81 don t
see what more | can do than has already
been done. Tell your people TO obey the
law. as all other citizens arc required
to obey it, and they'll find that their
| fellow citizens of this country will do
| full justice TO their heroism and their
other good qualities. II the law seems
/ harsh, tell them that there's an easy
way TO avoid its cruelty, by simply get
ting out from under its condemnation. -
Looked Like Dismissal.
His manner indicated that the confer
ence was at an end. He reached out his
hand as if to drop the subject then and
forever, as far as ! was concerned.
'sMr. President ! asked, with the
composure OF desperation. I" do YOU real.
| ly want TO settle the Mormon qucs-
tion7'
| He looked at me with the first CLEAN
of humor that had shown in his eyes
and it was a humor of peculiar richness
and unctiou Young man." he asked,
"what have ] been saying 10 you all
this time? What have | been working
for, ever since j first took up the con.
sideration of this subject at the begin
ming of my tcrm?''
Presents Figure.
"Mr President. | replied. off you
were travelling in the west, aud came TO
an unbridged stream with your wagon
train. aud saw tracks leading down into
the water where YOU thought there was
ford, YOU would naturally expect to
cross there. assuming that others had
| done so before YOU. But suppose that
some man on the bank should say TO
YOU. I've watched wagon trains go
in here for more than twenty years,
and ! We never yet seen one come out
on the other side. Look at that oppO-
site bank. You sec there are no wagon
tracks there. Now, down the river n
piece is a place where j think there Is
ford. I've never got anybody to try
| IL yet, but certainly it's as good a
chance as this one.' Mr.. President.
what would YOU do7 Would you at.
tempt a crossing where there had been
twenty years of failure. or would you
try the other placc-ou the chance
| lhat NJ might take YOU oNerI
He had been regarding me with a
slowly fading amusement that gave way
10 an expression of grave attention.
Prosecution, Not Persecution.
GIVE been watching this situation
for several years, ] went on, "and
il seems 10 me that there the posi-
bility of a Just, a humane, and a final
settlement Of it. by getting the Mormon
leaders to come voluntarily into court
and 1T can be douc,-with the assur.
ance that the object Of the administra
tlon IS TO exterminate the community
cril--not 10 exterminatc the Mormon
church or 10 persecute its prophets,
but TO secure obedience TO the law and
respect for tho law. and TO lead Utah
into worthy statehood -
paused. He thought moment
Then he said: - can { talk any long ger
now. Make another appointment with
| | ! o.,