The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-11-20
THE PRESIDENT
AND UTAH

AND UTAH
1t has been only on the rarest &C.
oasions that The News has taken is
sue with a president of the United
States. At times the expressions and
acts of chief executives have been
such that The News has not felt able
to commend them; but on many such
occasions decent respect for the ex-
allied Office, irrespective of the in
cumbent, has enjoined silence on
our part. we have felt, rather than
disappearing comment The sup
port of constituted authority mas ev-
er appeared to be a foundation stone
in a successful democracy. II Is
therefore, only when events occur
that threaten our own states welfare
that we feel impelled to protest;
what the most even tempered man in
the state regards as such an occa.
sion is President Wilson's unwarrant-
ed action In the Hillstrom case.
When at the request Of the minis
ter at Washington of friendly state
the president telegraphed Governor
Spry about one month ago to grant
a respite for further inquiry into the
case, though 1t caused more or less
impotence here-where all the facts
are so we'll understood-it was real
lied that the president was being
guided by the ordinary rules OF in
ternational courtesy. When the gov
ernor out of respect to the president
granted the respite and was instru-
mental in bringing the case before
the state board OF pardons once more
there was no protests. But the peo
pie Of Utah of all classes entitled to
respect feel. and rightly 30, that the
matter should have ended there.
Hillstrom is known to nave had a
fair trial, TO have been given every
right, privilege and advantage the
law vouchsafes an accused person;
the people throughout the state
know that in the minds of an unbi-
ased jury copmosed of citizens above
reproach the evidence clearly estab-
lished Hillstrom's guilt, that ais
grandiloquent connection regarding a
mysterious woman because of whom
he said he was shot was purest fab
rication, and that when he was Civ
en- opportunities that gave him ad'
vantages It was beyond reason for
him to expect in order that he mignt
establish his innocence, he refused to
accept them; the people know. too
that the nation wide campaign in
his behalf has been promoted by the
use Of falsenood and misrepresenta'
ton. Every right thinking man and
woman in the state knows beyond a
reasonable doubt that the murder OF
their fellow townsman and his little
son was one OF the most heinous Of
lenses on the states criminal calen
dar and that Hillstrom was guilty OF
the crime. They know that the hys
terical effort to save the brute's life
is unworthy, based on misconceptioT
and II successful would destroy the
usefulness of the states courts ant
make its laws fit only for Jest ant
mockery.
In the light OF all this It is mos
difficult to understand what motive
there was for the presidents lates
messages In behalf OF Hillstrom. l
the president had confined his ac
tivity in the case to the message h
sent yesterday to the governor, tn
people would have been willing. I
a degree at least, to seek some @,
cusc for him-but would have fel
that the interference was unwarran
ed and that the appeal should
UNDECIDED. When the telegraph wire
however, brought the text OF his me-
sage to President Gompers, indigni
ton and resentment were rndle
and burst into full fame. Their
can be no profit in assigning a m,
tive for such message, Each ma
may do this for himself. But III
occasion cannot be allowed to pas
without protest, and we do prote
against this uncalled for and unwa
ranted act. The courts OF Utah ha,