The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1881-12-17
GENTLE Us. HORMON.

Two delegates, one a Mormon and
he other an Cannon
and CampbelI-are claiming to rep
resent Utah territory on the floor OF
the house of representatives. Mr.
Cannon. the Mormon, has possession,
being the sitting delegate. Mr.
Campbell, the Gentle" is contest
ing, and We may expect the house 10
take up the case at any time. There
can, of course, be no sympathy with
he principles represented by NJ
J Cannon. The institution OF poly :
gamy is utterly abhorrent 10
any man reared under pr
per influences, and nine out OF ten
Americans wonid trample the inatitu-
ton out of sight to-day if they only
knew how to reach it. Generally,
however, there are two sides TO every
question, and this case of Campbell
VS.. Cannon ls not an exception to the
rule. There can be 10 sympathy
save in Utah-with Cannon because
he is a Mormon. There are reasons,
though, why fair minded men eau
conscientiously question the pro-
priety of summarily ousting him
from his seat. The chief
of these reasons is the
fact that he was elected by
the people of Utah territory. In the
election last year Cannon, the Nor
mon. polled IS 55S legal votes. Camp
bell, the Gentle, polled 1857 votes.
Gov. Murray, OF Utah. has never de-
MED tins fact. He has never declined
to issued the certificate of election 10
Cannon because the latter was not
elected or because he was a Mormon.
The governors claim is that Cannon
l. not naiive-born or naturallZed
cilizen of the United States, and IS,
therefore, ineligible to seat in con-
gress. 1t is conceded that Cannon
came to this country from England
where he was born) in 1888 while
under the age of eighteen
remained here uu;.. 1s49 or 80, when
be went as u Mormon missionary to
the Sandwich Island returned in
lsjl and Immediately took out ms
naturalization papers. The facts are
disfuted; he still retains the original
certificate; but it is claimed thai the
entry was not properly made i'll the
records of the district court at the
time, and it is also cOntcnded that
the naturalization was Illegal because
Cannon had been absent from the
country during the four years imme-
diareiv preceding. TO all this Can
nun r. IONS that his record of natural |
izaiion has been sustained by the
courts. What is more, ie has held hi
3eat III several successive congresses. |
lis right to DO So was contested i'll
he fOrty-fOurth congress by his oppo-
nent, r. n. Baskin, and all the tcsti-
mony now produced was then laid
before committee of able lawyers,
who examined the entire case and re-
ported to the house that Cannon wa
citizen and entitled 10 his seat. We
have called attention to these facts
because every right-Ihinking citizen
ought TO know about them. The clse
will excite national attention, and
while nobody will sympathy with
Cannon on account OF his Mormon
Ism, there are plenty who loye fair
play well enough TO insist that if he is
to be Gus led, it ought to be on some
more substantial grounds than
a rather ilimsy t, chnicality. l; Wyuld
be decidedly more decent to come out
plainly AID say to him "This ma
ion cannot stand polygamy, aud we
ire putting you out Of congress simply
nd solely because you are a polyga-
mist"