New-York tribune., 1879-12-21
NEWS AT THE CAPITAL.
poLYGAMY-cENsUs SUPERVISORS.


GARDING HIS BUSINESS TROUBLES.
A petition has been received in Washington
asking that Delegate Cannon's right to
seat in the House be investigated. He is
charged with having six wives, and
it is said the law against polygamy
is violated frequently in Utah. The
substance of talk with Mr.. Voorhis regard
ing his business troubles is given in a dis
patch to THE TRIBUNE. An effort to have
the Census Supervisors apportioned between
two political parties is being made.
EvADTNG THE POLYGAMY LAW.
A CITIZEN OF UTAH ASSERTS THAT DELEGATE CAM
NON HAS SIX wivEs-A PETIrIoS FOR AN IN
vEsTIGAIIoN IN HIS cAsE-now THE LAW IS
EvADEp.
IDY TELEGRAPH TO TRBUSEi
WASHINGTON. Dec. 20.-S0mo facts OF interest
touching the subject of polygamy in Utah have
been developed here within n few days. IL was
recently said in Washington dispatch 10 TnE
TRIBUNE that Delegate Cannon. OF Utah. had taken
aifth wife. Mr.. Cannon afterward deuied this
report. There is now in this city q gentlemen
from Utah who declares that Mr.. Cannon has
not only ffth but sixth wife. A petition has re-
Gently been received in this city praying the House
of Representatives TO investigate Delegate Cannons
right to a seat in that body. This petition sets
forth that Mr.. Cannon promised the authorities
here 10 return TO Utah and cndeavor TO persuade
the Mormons to abandon poygamy. lie did return
to Utah, bat instead of trying to induce bis people
10 abandon their unlawful practices he continued
to advocate the doctrine of poly gamy, and
even suggested methods by which the
laws against II could DO evaded. It is
said that one of his suggestions was that
whenever Mormon desired to marry two, three or
ho tho
performed with all simultaneously that 1t could
be sworn that there had been bat one marriage
The petition is signed by about twenty-five ladies'
of Salt Lake City, One OF the sigoers Is sister OK
the Hon. Schuyler Colfax.
Representative Willets, of Michigan, has jnst re-
ceived "A letter from prominent citizen Of Utah
recommending that the general statute Of lmita-
tions be amended so as to except bigamy
from its operation As the anti-polygamy law
is now construed. the marriage ceremony
constitutes the offence. As the statute Of limta-
tions bars a criminal p . ecution after three years
have elapsed. Mormon is only obliged to keep q
polygamous marriage secret that length OF time in
order TO evade the law Mr. Willetss correspondent
mentions one case of this kind which has recently
come to his knowledge. A leading Mormon selected
"a young GIRL fourteen fifteen years old, whom no
Thought lie would like to have for wife, and took
her 10 the Endowment House. where he
was married to her. Then he sent her
to her mothers home, where she remained
three years At the end Of that time he
took her to his house his wife, and was able
10 snap his fingers at the law. In another case
when the preliminary steps were taken 10 prosecute
an old Mormon for violation of the antl-polygam
law, it was discovered that three years and four
days had elapsed since the date OF his last mar
riage and the prosecution had to be Abandoned
Some facts illustrating the close relations WHICH
exist between the Mormons and the Ute
Indians have been obtained from trustworthy
source. 1t is said that the Ute chief, or head
man, Jack, who figured In the, receno
| troubles is Mormon priest. He was
raised and educated. 1t is said. by Bishop Heber
Kimball, and is n missionary among his people,
many of whom belong to the Mormon Church. The
proposition to remove the Utes now IN Colorado to
the uintah reservation in Utah is looked upon in
some quarters as attempt to make Mormons or
them because, it is said. all the Ciatah Utes are
Mormons. II this should prove true. It would look
as though both our Indian troubles and our Mormon
difficulties might in the future become still more
complicated than they now are.