Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-04-27
CANNON'S CONTEST.
The Grounds on Which the Utah Delegate Was
Fired and What lie ReDrcSeufrd

The Grounds ON Which the Utah Delegate Was
Fired and What lie Represented.
In the Utah contested election case
the duty of explaining the reasons actu-
ating the committee in unseating Cam
non deyolved upon Mr., Hazelton of the
district. This he did in his usual able
manner; the following extracts viii give
our readers some idea Of his remarks
upon that occasion. Speaking of the
grounds taken by the committee Mr..
Hazelton said:
! Now, sir, it is not the first time the
| question has been raised in this Con-
gress. 1t has been raised before and
gone to a committee by the vote of the
House, but never before has it appeared
to confront us fairly and squarely by
being presented to the American rep
resentatives as question of disqualifi-
4 cation for the Office of Territorial Dele
gate.
The majority of the committee be-
lieyed, first; that in the decision of this
question one important consideration
entering into it was the difference be-
tween Delegate ON this floor and a
/ Member of the House from one of the
| States, holding his authority and power
under the Constitution of the United
! States. We held as majority that if
the Delegate were q mere creature of
the law, his office not being a constitu-
tional franchise, ii his Office was crea-
ted by statute alone, at the will and bv
the sufferance of the House. then the
whole question of determining whether
he should 90 out or remain, whether he
could be expelled or rejected, was a
question within the control of maiori-
~ of this House of Representatives
That it could take no larger vote to ex-
pei or reject the Delegate than that re-
CURED to enact or repeal the law Great
ING the office of Delegate.
The following brief review Of Nor
monism and its aims is also worthy of
attention.:
''But | look back over the history of
the past in connection with this subject.
know how the public mind stands in
regard oft. | know how much tins in
stitution has confronted the civilization
of this country since 1850, and since the
day it first put its foot upon our soil,
from the time it struck Ohio until il
went through Illinois and Missouri. and
until it made its Businesses in the noun
tains, where il expected the Government
OF the United States would never come
| Ii it were an institution loyal to our tlag
and to this Government, if it were an
institution within Christian civilization.
| If it were any part Of our strength and
life in its history, its growth, lis educa-
ton, in any thing there might be some
justification for raising the technical
question, for making an argument to
maintain its continuance as a represen-
tative power on this floor.
But tell you it has been in open re-
bellion againsD this Government ever
since it planted its lustful feet on our
territory. 1t defied the courts in Ohio
In Missouri it WAS in arms against con-
stituted authorities. In Illinois it built
up city of twelve thousand people mt
Nauvoo, n rendezvous for adventurers
and criminals and lustful persons
Every inch of its growth has been in
defiance of law and order, of Christiani-
ty and of our Government 1t procecd-
ed to such an extent that the authori-
ties of Illinois armed themselves and
drove it out. So ii Missouri it proceed
ed to such an extent that the authori-
ties of that State were compelled to drive
it out, and twelve of its apostles went
from that State under indictment for
the basest crimes known to the law.
We have evidence from every depart
ment OF this Government Of its hostility
to the nation. We have confronted il
from 1851 onward. From the Surveyor
General 5 Department, from the author
tiles of the Army. from our civil and
Federal officers we have the informa-
ton that they were driven from their
places, and every one of them has placed
upon record the character and hostility
of this institution to our Government
after quoting from the report of Demo-
cratic Judges sent out in 1S5l-thiS is
the incestuous, polygamous, hell-born
institution, the representative of which
we are to admit upon or deny the privi-
leges of Delegate upon tins floor, for
he represents no part of the American
citizenship out there outside of this poly
gomous institution. He received not
one gentle vote. He stands here as the
representative of that church which
have described from the testimony of
these Judges. He stands here as the
sole representative OF that church,
/ knocking at our doors TO be continued
in his representation here in order to
strengthen and maintain that polyga-
nous power in a political point of view
! That institution has aimed at political
power wherever it has been. 1t will
never yield that desire for political pow
er to maintain itself by political methods.
I twill never yield the desire nor the de-
termination until it shall die the death
/ it so well merits.
/ While have nothing to say person
4 ally against the representative of poly
I gamy who asks seat here, am oppos-
/ ed to the system which he represents
1t appears on the records of the
! Supreme Court Of my Government,
which condemned the whole system as
a crime; as ''blasphemy of religion
/ having no protection under that clause
| of the Constitution which f0rbids the in
4 reference of the Government with reli-
/ gion. It's Il crime against the laws of
every State of the American Union;
against the laws of England; against the
laws of every civilized government ;
4 against the best interests OF God and
man; and it shall not live under the pro-
/ lection of this court.
/ Concluding, Mr.. Hazelion said Now
/ Mr.. Speaker, | have said substantially
! all there IS to say in this case There
are a number of others ON either side
/ who will discuss the case pro and con.
i have contcnded on all these records
I and upon the law we must maintain the
I resolutions submitted from the Com
mittee on Elections. believe if they
are sustained by the voice and will Of
+ this House it will be such protest in
favor of justice, civilization. and the
best interests Of the nation and against
polygamy. that has stood with other
great crimes in this nation now happily
long since passed away, it viii stand,
say, as such a grand protest against the
crime of polygamy as TO meet with the
approval and the applause of the entire
American people [Applausc.
A Plucky Schoolmistress.