The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-26

ed appropriate legislation at their hands
Before this time, il should be said, Utah
had ceased to be remote, comparatively
inaccessible territory, but, on the contrary,
had, by the construction OF the Pacific
railroads, been brought upon the confines
of fertilization, become open to immgra-
ton and settlement and, In fact, had be-
come the home of large and constantly
increasing number of intelligent farmers,
artizans, traders and professional men, to
whom the practice of poygamy was as OBJ
noxious as would have been the commits
sion of any other crime. The recommen-
datons of the president, enforced by the
facts last alluded to, finally commanded
the attention of congress; and the second
step was taken in the summer of 1874, by
the passage of an act, reported by Judge
Poland regulating the jurisdiction of Utah
courts, tho selection of jurors, and the du-
ties of the attorneys of the United States.
This law first made it possible to obtain a
conviction for the crime of polygamy, for
q poygamous wife to obtain divorce on
the ground of the former marriage of her
husband, and for the due administration of
criminal and civil justice in that territory.
One of its first fruits was the indictment
and arrest of the alleged perpetrators of the
"Mountain meadow massacre and, II is to
be hoped, will result in bringing them to
condign punishment
Notwithstanding tile act of 1862, maxi
ing polygamy crime, its practice has
been continued and Haunted in the eyes of
the nation by having on the floor of CON
gress. as delegate from Utah, an open and
known polygamsl. The absurdty of the
position in which congress and the country
was thus placed seems, at last, to have
dawned upon the former, and If it is fol-
lowed by the proposed action, fatal blow
will have been given to this Mormon dog
| major if 1t shall be declared that no po-
| lygamist shall have congressional seat,
then the other, or "Gcntile element will be
represented, and the beginning of the end
| of Mormonism is at hand. The majority
| of the house committee on elections have
reported a resolution reciting that George
@. Cannon, delegate from Utah, married
his fourth wife, in August. 1865, having
| three other living wives, sin open and no.
| torious violation" of law and that she still
maintains his poIygamous practices in def.
ance of law" and closing with the resolve
that he is unworthy to occupy a seat in
congress, and that he be excluded there.
from. 1t is understood that Cannon admits
the facts, but places himself on the ground
assumed by Brigham Young in the divorce
suit of Ann Eliza the nineteenth wife, that
only the first is his wife and that the Others
sustain different relation to him. The
assumption may be true as all marriages
subsequent to the first arc considered void
but if his plea should prevail, it would up
set every precedent of law, and make thu
crime of bigamy impossible of commission
But in all the states of the Union, although
bigamous marriages are void, yet bigamy
still remains a crime and is punished a
such. Equally untenable, in our opinion
is the position of the minority Of the com
mittee, that as the constitution fixes th,
qualifications of members of congress ant
says nothing in reference to polygamy
Cannon is entitled to his seat and canno
be excluded therefron. We take it tina
the effect of this proposition is that as tn
constitutional qualifications are simply age
citizenship and residence, and as nothing i
said relative to receiving brides, or commit
ting murder, treason or other high crimes
all persons elected to congress, guilty o
any or all these crimes, are entitled to seat
and no power exists to exclude them there
from. The proposition seems too absur
for argument, and is, moreover, contrar
TO parliamentary and congressional prece
dent. The resolution for exclusion is
privileged question and can, therefore, b
called up for action at any time 1t
hoped and believed that the resolution vii
pass. If SO, this action together with tn
continuance of the efforts now made to en-
force the law, in Utah, must soon put a
end to polygamy, and the pledge of the re
publican party in reference to the 'twi
relics" will have been fulfilled