Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-25
UTAH.
Bridging THINGS TO A HsAD-MUR-
RAYS BOMBsHELL.
The polygamists and the Edmunds BILL
Mormon Tactics-The Endow-
ment Waite.
Correspondents Of the RECORD, UNION !
SALT LAKE, March 20, 1882.

Correspondence of the RECORD UNION
SALT LAKE, March 20, 1882.
The passage of the lmunds bill, taken
in connection with several good, stout ex-
hibitions of backbone by Governor Murray,
viii tend to bring things TO head in Utah
at an early date. The Mormons have al.
ways been in the habit of deciding by joint
session of the Legislature who should oc-
cupy several fat offices in the Territory,
which, under the Organic Act, the Gov.
ernor had the right to fill by appointment,
subject to the confirmation of the Legisla.
ture. This prerogative, however, has never,
until this year, been exercised by the Gov
errors of Utah, they either being ignorant
of their own rights, or careful to conciliate
the polygamous Legislature.
MURRAY's BoMBSHELL
The day before the close of the session
the Legislature in joint session elected
number of officers, among which were
Chancellor and twelve Regents of the Des-
eret University. The next day the Gov
ernor sent in new batch of nominations.
He allowed the Chancellor of the Uni
versity to remain as appointed by the Nor
mons, but named eight leading Gentiles on
the Board of Regents. When his message
was received it almost paralyzed the Leg
islature. When read in the Council Cham
Der it was received by painful spell of 81.
lence, which lasted several minutes. Old
Erastus Snow then moved for an executive
session, and Daniel Wells rushed to the
telephone to call President John Taylor
from the Amelia Palace In few moments
the room was cleared to make way for the
High Priests of the Tabernacle. The
executive session lasted four hours, during
which time a set of resolutions was passed
which treated the Governors act as an I'M
warranted and unprecedented assumption
of power. The new point made was that
previous Governors not having exercised
the privileges conferred by the Organic
Act, it was highly out of place for the
present Governor to do it, and that the
nominations would therefore receive no at
tention.
THE DESERET UNIVERSITY.
In the appropriation bill was an item of
Sl5, GOO for the extension of the Deseret
University, and $4,000 for "public build
ings," vague sort Of cloak for any steal
which might be considered as expedient
at some future time, either in the shape of
building Mormon school houses or furnish
ing the interior of Taylor's harem. The
Governor, in his message on the appropria-
ton bill, stated that on receiving a guaran-
tee that the University would not teach
any sectarian doctrines he would sign the
bill, and this the Legislature refused to
do, and are now bowling about the attempt
on the part of the Governor to
crush a well. observing educational
institution" The facts of the case
are that the Deseret University
is in the hands of Mormon polygamists,
who look upon a thorough knowledge of
the doctrines and covenants as the first
step in the direction of knowledge. All
the teachers and professors are Mormons,
except the Professor of Chemistry, there
being no one in the church capable Of
filling the bill. The joke OF the thing is
that while the Mormons aim TO make good
Latter Day Saints of the pupils, not a
single graduate of the institution is now in
the church, and Mayor Jennings recently
remarked that the university was of no
use to the church, as {" education seems TO
have made apostates of all the graduates. !"
THE EDMUNDs BILL,
Which DISTINGUISHES the polygamists of
Utah, will place the political control of
the Territory in the hands OF the Gen
tiles and the young and liberal Mormon
element, who have always been ready to
form coalition, if they could see the
slightest chance of success. With the old
fossils of the priesthood out of Office, there
will follow, as natural result, political
regeneration which will result in the next
Legislature being combination OF Gentiles
and monogamistic Mormons. The matter
rests a great deal with the Commission,
and the majority of Gentiles are strongly
in favor of fair-minded, unpreiudiced,
tolerant body of men, who will make the
changes in local sell. government gradually,
so that anything like turmoil, confusion
or hard feeling can, as far as pos
sible and practicable, be avoided.
There is no desire to take an undue advant-
age of the powers conferred by the Ed
munds bill. With proper political man
agement the Church can be split clean in
two. Simply extending the hand of good
fellowship and Cancellation to the young
people of the Church, and the lukewaTm
and disconnected class who repudiate polyg
amy, combination can easily be formed
which would entirely counteract the
influence the priests have so long had over
the people, The bill not only gives sub
stantial backing to the Gentiles, but to
restless backslidiug Mormons as well, who
now have good excuse for not embracing
the obnoxious tenets of polygamy, which
have been constantly crammed down their
threats since Youngs revelation on the
subject.
MORMON TACTICS.
All over the Territory the various office
holders are resigning, under orders from
the Church. Most of them are polyga-
mists, and their places are being filled, by
appointment, by monogamists, who stand
well with the Church. Thus, when the
bill goes into effect, the Mormons will cum
ningly assert that it's provisions do not ap.
ply to any one in office, and advance as an
argument that polygamy is SO little prac-
ticed in Utah that not a single polygamist
was in Office when the bill took effect.
Until these designations took place three
fourths of all the elected office-holders of
the Territory were dyed-in- the.w wool polyg-
amists.
THE RUSH FOR THE ENDOWMENT VAT.
On Thursday last the biggest business
ever known in the Endowment House was
transacted, and many leading Mormons
took fresh wives, as they think they
should make hay while the sun shines and
get all they can out of polygamy before
the bill goes into effect. The Speaker of
the House is mentioned as one who en-
braced these opportunities on Thursday
last. A new assortment of fair.haired En-
glish women which arrived last week have
all been snapped up, and those not sup.
piled with new wives are anxiously waiting
for the next steamer to land at Castle
Garden.