Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-14
:. TUESDAY MORNING. JUNE Ia. Is
c9ournaI alto Courier.
Tuesday MoEnine. June IA. 1851.
CAMPBELL Vs. CANNoN,


The progress of the suit brought in the
G. Campbell against Cannon, the Mormon po-
lygamist who claims to be delegate from
Utah Territory to the Forty-seventh Con-
gress, will be watched with much interest A
certificate of election was issued by Governor
Murray to Campbell, but Clerk Adams, dis
regarding this certificate, placed Cannon g
name on the roll of members of the House of
Representatives. Campbell has brought suit
to establish the fact that Cannon is not citi-
zen, and was incapable of becoming one at
the time he claims to have been naturalized :;
to annul and declare void the bogus certif-
cate of naturalization upon which he de-
ponds, because it was fraudulently obtained
and is not part of the records of any court
but is such certificate as was often sold in
those times, nearly thirty years ago, by the
clerk for %, without any proceedings being
had in court.
Campbell has authorized a statement to
be made concerning the case From this it
appears that Cannon undoubtedly received a
large majority of the votes cast, but many of
such votes were cast by girls under age, rep
resenting themselves to be daughters Or sis
ters of Mormon voters, and by aliens that
after an elaborate argument before the Gov
ernor of the Territory it was conclusively
shown that Cannon had never been legally
naturalized, and consequently the Governor
refused him certificate and gave the certifi-
cate to his opponent, Campbell; that Cannon
appealed from this action to the courts by
bringing an action of mandamus in the United
States court of Utah, and that after full
investigation the court sustained the action
of the Governor in refusing the certificate to
Cannon and granting it to Campbell; that
Campbell's counsel, Mr.. J. II. Mcbride of
Salt Lake City, to prevent all possibility of
miscarriage in the matter, travelled to Wash,
ington and personally fled Campbel's certii-
cate in the Office of the clerk of the House of
Representatives.
Campbell asserts that he received an assur-
name had been placed on the roll of delegates
to Congress, but Clerk Adams denies that
any such assurance was given. Be this as it
may, 1t now appears that Cannon, who bears
no certificate, has had his name placed on the
roll and has drawn pay for two months as
delegate. Campbeli's friends make this per-
tinent inquiry: IF the clerk of the House, in
case of delegate to Congress (who has no
vote) can of his own motion override the only
evidence of election recognized by law, viz, the
certificate of the Governor, and place on the
roll call person to whom certificate was
denied by the executive and the courts, what
security is there that by similar arbitrary
means he may not override the result of the
last election, and perpetuate himself in pow
er by giving the organization of the House
to the Democrats?
Campbell, who is man of large means,
intends, it is said, to make hot fight in the
matter He will have the sympathy of a
great many people in the United States who
thiak it disgraceful that a Mormon polyga-
mist has SO long been allowed seat in Con-
gress.