New-York tribune., 1879-09-17
THE MORMON QUESTION.
STEPS TO MAKE UTAH A STATE.

|
| FMERY's srAUSCu OPPO>IIIoN-THE GROWING
TENDENCY AGAINST PLURAL MARRIAGES.
fFRoM sTAFP CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRfBuSE.I
| SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. Aug. 21.-Ihe Mormon
| plan for solving the pOygamy problem Is TO secure
the admission Of Utah, during the coming Winter,
to be State In the Union ; and every argument
that can be adduced. every consideration that is
| likely to have weight in Washington, will be put
forward u persuade Congress to pass an enabling
act. The admission of Utah would certainly place
the subject of polygamy in this Territory beyond
the sllction Of the Government of the United
States and put It entirely into the control of the
Mormons themselves. If ihis is tue kind of settle
ment of the question which the people of this
try desire TO see, then the doors should be- opened
aud tine State of Dcscret should be cordially well
coined otherwise this new movement should be
closely watched, and Congress should be made to I'M
derstand that the decent respectable people whom
they represent I'm tho North and in the south in the
East and IA the West. are not quite ready 20 have
tho ahominablc and disgusting institution Of poyg-
amy placed under the prot.ction of law and estab-
lshed permanently IN any community between tue
two oceans.
have heard 1t suggo 3icd mot bv Mormons, for
they havo never vet been brought to the point
where they have been willing TO listen to any ar
rangement which would require them. even at any
future time, 10 abandon rho practice of poyaamvl
that the Constitution Of tho new Stlfo might he
| made 70 forbid plural marriages. and to direct the
Legislature 10 pass laws tn carry such provision
int effect. No one ought 70 BE- deceived by such q
trek. ConToss may refuse to admit State whose
Constitution Is not satisfactory, but once In the
Union, the power Of the General Government to die
tate what laws shall he passed i'm regard TO plural
marriages. or to interfere with the subject at all,
has ceased. The Constitution of the now State may
Al. IL
against biya my and polycamy. Int the Legislature
when 1t meets will enact laws or fail to enact them
rs IT secs ft. What Legisature composed IMAM
imously OF almost so Of Mormons fve-sixths Of
whom viii Themselves be polygamsts. will do
toward the overthrow of the peculiar institution
when tho entire control If the snbicct is placed in
It's hands, no one needs to br told Tho least that
could he expected would be that tho subject should
be ignored the more probable events would be the
adoption of nm amendment to the Constitution sfrk-
ing out all reference 10 polygamy, and subsequent
enactments legallzlng n.
II may seem to majority OF the people Of the
East that the danger of the admission Of Utah into
the Union is m imaCinarv one-that Congress can
never be prevailed upon to pass an enabling act
Willie plural marriages are contracted or can be
contracted I'm this Territory. The danger may be
greater than many snpnnsr |. should not he for
gotten that while the Democrats control both
branches of the present Con rcss their majority is
not large I'm either house to inspire very great
confidence I'm their continued supremacy. A Pres
dcnill election to take place next wear, the ont
come of which no one can forete with any degree
of certainty. Utah. which would BE- to elect
Democratic Senators and REPRESENTATIVES,
Georgia ct Texas. would increase the Bourbon
Strength IN the Senate by two, thus possibly en-
abling the Democracy to retain control Of that
| Ill "A tVb lOupNr
otherwise might do would give TO the same party
three additional electoral votes (which would have
placed Tilden's election beyond question I'm 1870
and would ndd ono 10 the pumbcr Of Democratic
4 te delegations IN the House Of Representatives
whose vote would bc as Elective. in the election OF
a President Of the United States by that body, as
that of New-Yor< or Ohio.
These considerations will be iai1 before the Demo-
cratic leaders IN Congr next Winter, and cannot
fail to have weight with them. The arguments
which will he advanced in public will b. Of diff
fcreut character 1t will be urged that Utah has
larger population than Other Territories had when
they were admitted to the Union that it has been
the policy of the Government 70 admit Territories
wien they have attained sufficient population to
crtitlc them to a Representative that Utah is rap
idly developing agricultural and mineral wealth.
and that the erection of n State Government IS the
easiest and quickest way to take this troublesome
question of polyCamy ont of Congress and to relieve
the General Government Of all responsibility for It,
TIE Mormon leaders express to me grea. confidence
In the admission OF their Territory 10 be state. and
the Gentilos are very fearful that an enabling act
may be passed. a Democratic joint caucus can do
It, and in my opinion will do ii If its members dare
brave public opinion their respective districts.
Another plan of the Mormoas Is TO secure the
passage of an oct by Congress next Winter taking
frnr lao. .tnNS "a
lute veto power which he possesses. a bill for
this purpose was introduced ny Delegate Cannon
during the extra session. The chief object of this
Is t. enable the Mormon Legislature to repeal during
its coming session those provisions OF the jury law
bv which MOrmons may be- excluded from jirleS
hich are to try indictments for bigamy, but II
viii also give thom the power 10 enact other laws
from which Governor Emery has thus far persist
emily withheld his approval. As a sample OF these
may mention one act passed IN FEBRUARY, 1876,
abolishinc all distinctions for the purpose of sue
cession between legitimate and ilegitimate child
rem and declaring ali children legitimate who are
born in lawiul wcdl0ck are the issues Of mar
risges null in law This law, the Governor said in
his veto message, " would he nothing less than a
premium u.ln criminal relations between the
sexes and Ia added " that while he might be
wiling. for the sake of tie unfortunate chiidrra.
the Of such Illegal cohabtations heretofore 20
relieve them from emharrassmerts Tor Wbioh they
are not responsible, he would not approve general
II standng provision OF law which should Apply not
only 20 the past aud present, Dut hc iiie ir the
future iuviiing by its prospective rcci the contln
uance Of such ILL gal CONNECTIONS"
Another nct uassed by the same Legislature AID
vetoed bv The toyernor placed such heavy burdens
of taxation upon sineters would have made sill
yer mining ia this Territory impossible. The object
of this Ia check GENTLE Immigration INTO ttah
The mining interests Of the Territory are almost
exclusively in the hands OF Gentes and but for
y
not meInb,r, of the Mormon Church. The Saints
4 tbo o. hc la DOuuig-