New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-13

the marriage ceremony ms is the law enacted by
Congress II the laws here could be modified In these
three particulars VIII ch have specified and be properly
administered. they would go great way toward curing
the defects of our present statutes.
have heard no suggestions since have been In
Salt Lake City which seem to me wiser pr more
practicable than these. The change in the jury
laws is not rs necessary rs II was two years ago,
hut IN other aspects the siturtion has not changed
Woman suffrage gives to every polygamous Mormon
several votes which he will certainly control. and
the more he has violated the spirit if not the letter
Of the law. the more wives and daughters he has,
the greater is HIS political influence. Another
anomaly Of this law is that 1t allows women OF
foreign birth TO vote within month after their
arrival IN the country II they are married
10 men who citizens of the United States, while
a man who comes here from foreign land must
live five years In the United States and be natural
ized nefore he exercise the elective franchise
4 change in the statute making cohabitation with
more than enc woman the offence ana evidence of
bigamy OF polygamv would bring every Mormon
with more than wife instantly under the iuris-
ctlon of the law, and would make It easy for the
prosecuting officers of the United States Courts 10
obtain proof by which TO convict.
With sRch changes In the laws as these, and a
vigorous enforcement of them. iong step wonld he
taken toward the solution o. the Mormon Question
The p0lygamiss, finding themselves for the first
time within the power Of the Government wOuld.
believe be ready 10 listen to some plan for TIE
final extinction OF this great evil, They never yet
have shown he least disposition to enter INTO any
such arrangement, and they never viii show such
disposition iOnQ as they feel that the United
STATES is poweriess Co punish them. A victorious
army never for terms. l speak OF sorae ar
rnngement, because, in the first place, don't
believe IL will ever he possible or desirable
Ia punish 10 the full extent Of the law every Of
the thousands of pelygsmOus MoriHons In this and
adjoining Territories, any mere than { was possible
or desirable to bang every man IN the South who
was guilty of treason during the ate war. The one
thing she North wac hehtng for fISm oJl to 1865
was &C. overthrow the C0nfederacy and assert the
ant r.rity of the United States the one thing that
should be kept ia view in dealing with the Mormon
question Is to crush out DolYgauy. When that is
assured. some provision viii of course have TO be
made for the support Of the women and children
now dependent upon Oygamists.
IL Congress will give them the power believe
that the present officers OF Utah Territory VIII be
found able and ready to do their whole duty. Ii
has been the III fortune of the Federal Government
10 have been represented here in times past by men
who hive been able 10 command respect neither for
themselves uOr for The Administration which sent
them. They were bad men. such - not the case
now The Governor Is man who is respected by
everybody. OF unInpeachable character, he lie con-
servstlve and courageous, aud viii not finch ia
I lie execution OF any law Congress may place IN
hrs hands. While no previous Governor oil Utah
has III his public messages ana IN ms private con-
versatiOn condemned tie system OF poIygamy IN
more pointed fOrci bic terms, his treatment Of the
Nor1nons and OF the Legislature has been 50 cour-
icons that ne has never been insuted az his prede-
cessors were. and he has secured more good, whole
some legislation than had previously been enacted
since tie Territory organized. Il he Is retained
In Office, as believe be should he. bis experience
and thorough understanding OF the whole question
will be of great value to the Governments The
only opposition to his reappoin meut Will come
from those over-zeaiOus Gentiles who want a
Governor To join with them In an unrelentinG war
fare upon Morrnonism "a system OF religion as
well rs the mother of p0lvgamy. They look with
suspicion upon any one, resident OF stranger, VINO
doe. not enter into this crusade with all the zeal
which they themselves display. 1t has frequent y
been admitted TO me by Gentiles that the enmHy
bet veen themselves ara the MOrmOns Will not
cease when polygamy disappears. The tyranny
of he priesthood" the great power and influence of
the Church-ihese and other features OF MOrinonism
are almost as Objectionable in the eyes of some Cen
tiles rs the disgusting practice OF marrying plural
wives.
Governor Emery and the other Federal officers of
the Territory understand, | believe, how limited r.
tle sphere Of their duty here, and they VIII Dc
stronger 10 ufrce the law if they are careful not
20 outside of the lines circumscrbed by the stat
mes than II they allowed their Zeal o. get the better
OF their Judgment. MormOndom will be a broad
neic Tor Christian missionaries after polygany has
disappeared, but the duties OF an officer OF the law
and # a missionary are distinct, ana each Will be
better performed II they are kept so. The utter
failure of Judge Mexican to accomplish any good III
Utah. when he undertook to correct the 'mperfec-
tons OF the law 10y arbitrary aud illegal proceedings,
need only be- cited ID Illustration OF this fact.
The other Federal officers of the territory are, as
have said, all good men. The new Chef-Justlce,
Hunter has only recently arrived, and the position
he occupies is a very delicate one, but he seems 70
be "A man Of sound common sense, and has already
made favorable IMPRESSION The Marshal.
O'Shaughuessg. Is believe, one Of the best officers
of that Ass IN the United states, ana he will DO his
duty fearlessly. matter in what emergency;
The Di-trlct-AttOTnev II able and industrious All
those men need is little legislation by Congress
and they will make tie pOlyg&mists, at present
defiant anxious TO arran ge the best possible terms
Without such legislation very little can be accom-
pli,led L. another letter shall enGmerate some
thugs that Congress ought not 10 Go thoush
strongly urged. L. L. ".