Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-10-19
THE REAL TROUBLE ISUTAH.



Judge Blacks Opinion orthe Work of tn
Commission.
From an Interview in the PHILADELPHIA Press
| 81 do not say that the Edmunds law
is unconstitutional, because it define
and Furnishes polygamy as crime
| The MOrmons think polygamy allowed
iby divine authority. and believe it il
some eases TO be required as areligiou.
duty, but if the civil government be o
Iopinion that it is injurious to society
| the conflict must be decided by the an
thority of the state, not by the decree,
of church. Congress and the supreme
court have determined it. The Ed
munds bill Furnishes it as n civil oilcnsC
| by heavy fine and long Imprisonment
in the pcnitentiary, and supcr-adds tc
that the infamous and degrading penal.
ty of diSfranchiScncnt, total incapacity
to vote or hold Office under the terrific.
rial government in Utah or under the
United States anywhere. You may call
that cruel if you please. No ore, !
think. will deny that there is some
ground of complaint against it on that
score. But that does not affect the va.
lidity Of the law. Congress having ju-
riSdiction over them, it can punish the
oilensc by hanging or shooting the de-
Iinquent, just as certainly as it can fine
siXpencc apiece. Heavy as is the hand
that is laid upon them, they must sub
nit until ii is lifted.
"Thcn your appeal will be to con-
gress for a mitigation of the law?'
"No such thing" said Judge Black.
If we could show that this law is UNI
just, even savage, in its character it
would be mere folly TO do 50 with the
expectation Of moving congress to pity.
That lllustrious body, backed by the
political picty of the country. would be
more likely TO increase the punishment
than to diminish it, and might find
polvgamists condemned to he shot or
stranglcd instead of the civil death
which they must suffer under the pres
cnt law.
mo, will have nothing to do with
an appeal for mere mercy. 1t is no
use. | might as well argue constitu-
tional law with Grant or quote scripture
to IngerSoll.' ~
"Then how, or in what manner, will
you oppose the law and save the Nor
mons from its Operations?'
Judge Black. | won't oppose the law
at all, and do not expect or desire to
save the Mormons from its operations.
"That being the state of the case,
do not see where the trouble is.
Judge Black, Twill tell you. Com
missioners under the Edmund> law
We're appointed by the president to 90
into the territory, take charge of the
elections and act as returning board.
All elections and all registering officers
were removed by the act of congress,
with Il proviso that their places should
be filled by appointces Of the coLImis-
sioners. Five gentlemen Of very good
character, accepted the appointments.
took the oath of office and dlcw thcpay.
But they did not 90 to the territory or
make any appointments until it was
too late to hold the annual election for
territorial officers, fixed By law for the
first Monday in August, and so that
election fell through, 1t was shame
ful dercliction Of duty and might have
had serious consequences except Tor the
yvi-o pl.,;ri-,,a Z IL, h,rrt ',li,lI u,-
clarcd that all officers should hold
their places until their successors were
duly elected and qualified. For this
reason the default of the commissioners
did not produce any diSlocation in the
machinery of the territorial govern
mcnt The local affairs of the people
have continued TO be conducted by
agents and officers of their own choice,
unless revolution has taken place
since my last adyiccs But an election
is to take place in November for II
delegate TO congress, and the commits
sioncrs are making their preparations
TO exclude large classes of legal voters
from the polls, whereby it may happen
that small and dishonest faction OcSS
than onc-iifteenth of the whole pOpula-
tom will send a delegate to misrcprc-
sent the people and do all he can to
iniure, destroy and SANDER them. Those
commissioners have, of their own mo-
ton, without authority Of any law, and
in the teeth of the constitution, cStab-
lishcd an inqui.ition into the life of
every man and every woman for twenty
years back. and devised test oath TO
try them. All who decline to swear
that they haycnot married or GohNbitcd
with more thar one woman at any time
in the course of the last twenty years
are pronounced guilty of polygamy,
and forthwith punished for the crime
by dsfranchisemCnt.'
"DoCs the EdmundS act direct thiS?'
Mr.. Black. No, there is nothing like
ii in the act Of cOnglcSs-nOt word
that looks in that direction. 1t simply
says that persons guilty of the crime
there defined shall not be permitted to
vote or hold office, which means no
more nor less than this that any per-
son guilty of that crime, after the date
of tie act, shall, on legal conviction,
suffer the penalty of disfranchisement
in addition to Imprisonment and fine.
To suppose that more was meant is to
imputc willful, deliberate and cor
rupt violation of the constitution,
which is the worst kind of perjury
that mortal man can lay upon his soul.
1t is u well-settled rulc of intcrpreta-
tion that no such imputation shall ever
be made against the legislative depart
ment, unless the evil intent be express
ed so plainly that no other construc-
ton is possible. Neither congress nor
any other power in this country can
disfranchiso by Legislative decree any
more than it can order them to be kill
ed, and congress did not try to do it.
This infamous Legislation is the work
of the commissioners themselves. y
Postage Stamp Frauds.
Scientific American.
In our paper of August 26 last, we
gave q resume of the probable modes
b,, al, f,.n,,Ig ,,a,.n nnr,nntitn1 Itf