Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-10
CANNON CAN'T.

The Polygamous Delegate Elect to Con-
gress From Utah Denied His Certificate
Which is Given to Allen G. Camp
bell, the Gentle Candidate Cannon an
Allen.
SALT LAKE, Jan S-When the returns
of the late election for delegate in Con-
gress were canvassed by Secretary
Thomas, in December, the Gentle candi-
date, Allen G. Campbell, filed papers
with Gov. Murray, protesting against
the issue Of the certificate of election to
Apostle Cannon. although it appeared
that he had large majority of the votes
cast, on the grounds, among
others, that he is not a citizen
of the United States, and being a
polygamist is not capable as becoming
citizen in good faith. These facts had
long been notorious and therefore votes
cast for Cannon at said election must be
held to be void, and he, Campbell, being
the only eligible candidate running at
said election, must have been elected, and
the governors certificate should be issued
accordingly. Cannon's reply, in which
he claims that he was naturalized In le-
gal form twenty-six years ago, and that
if he was polygamist as charged by
Campbell it would not disqualify him for
the Office of delegate, was filed with Gov.
Murray yesterday. Thereupon the case
was argued at length before the governor
by counsel for the respective parties
1t was shown by copy of the actual
record of the court in which Cannon
claims to have been naturalized, properly
Certified by the clerk of the court, that
on the day when Cannon claims to have
been naturalized, no such naturalization
proceedings took place. The clerk also
certified, under his seal, that from the
organization of the court to the present
time, he having custody Of its records
and having examined them carefully, he
was unable to find any record in any of
said records, of the naturalization of
George G. Cannon. The pretended GER
tiicate relied on by Cannon,
does not purport to be
an exempliication Of any
record of any court OF record and is there:
fore void on it's face. No record of the
naturalization Of Cannon in open court,
signed by the judge, exists, and the nat
uralization law in force at that time
makes such record the only proof of the
fact, without which, the statutes says, the
party shall not be deemed citizen 1t
was argued by Cannon's counsel if all
this were true the government
was not authorized to take cog
nizance of it. 1t should be left
to the House of Representatives. The
governor did not take that view of it.
The action Of Congress organizing Utah,
says the government shall declare the
person receiving the greatest number of
votes duly elected, and shall certify ac-
cordingly The act of Congress, ap-
proved June s, 1872, provides that no
person shall be capable Of holding Office
in any Territory, who is not citizen
of the United States, or who has not de-
clared his intention to become SUCH
Uuder this rule the Territory
of Utah restricted the right Of
voting and of holding office to citizens
Of the United States, excluding such
as had merely declared their intention to
become such. The governor held that
this action of Congress and of the Terri
tory bound him to take cognizance of the
fact which he considered established, that
Cannon is an alien, and is therefore in
CllSlDlC 10 uOlu tuc OluCC VI uCltSdlC
"Under other circumstances" says the
governor, in his ruling, Cannon might
become naturalized before his term of Of
flee begins But it is charged by Camp
bell, and not denied by Cannon, that the
latter is living in violation of the law
of 1862, making polygamy a
felony, and cannot therefore be well dis
posed towards the government of the
United States. Not being citizen and
being incapable from his profession and
manner of life of taking the oath of nat
uralization in good faith, and these facts
having been notorious for years, it follows
that the votes cast for him as delegate are
lost; and Allen G. Campbell, being citi-
zen of the United States, and possessing
all other necessary qualifications, who re-
ceived the greatest number of votes at said
election, the governor is bound by
law to declare said Campbell duly elected
and to certify accordingly" The gov
ernor awarded the certificate of election
to Allen G. Campbell this morning, and
Immediately left Salt Lake bound to
Louisville, KY, on important private
business, which he has postponed for sew
eral days, that he might hear the argu-
ment and decide this question.