Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-06-09
rItE BILL.
Gen.. COnuOr Thinks IL Will Prove
Entirely Useless.

Entlreiy useless.
In a conversation, yesterday, our re-
porter took the opportunity to discuss the
situation in Utah with General P. E. Con-
nor. The General is perfectly familiar
with affairs in Mormondom, and knows all
about the ways of the pelygamists.He
says they possess the most perfect secret
organization in the world. 1t would tax
the ingenuity of the s%hrewdest legislator
to the utmost to frame any sort Of q law
that would be effectual to suppress polyga-
my among them. All their workings are
in the dark to the Gentiles, and in carry
ing out their policy to thwart the laws of
Congress they act in profound secresy and
move as one man. He says they laugh at
the Edmunds bill and snap their fingers
at the Government. They so far out
number the Gentiles that they may be said
to be alone in Utah. In their fanaticism
they stop at nothing in the way of perjury
or anything else to accomplish the ends
proposed for them by the Church. As an
illustration of the regard they have for the
purity of the ballot-box, he says one day
he saw a girl 16 years old take some
woman's baby in her arms and deposit her
vote. Being challenged, she swore she
was 81 years of age. She afterwards with
drew and gave the baby to another girl,
who went and did likewise.
"But, General, we heard that you were
to be one of the Commissioners under the
Edmunds bill, to supervise the elections
in Utah." said our reporter; we hoped
that you would accept, and that the Presi-
lent would fill out the Board with other
men who enjoy the confidence and esteem
of the public"
Eyes, sir" replied General Conner, II
received a letter from Washington request
ing me to act on the Board, but did not
wish to make myself ridiculous, so I de-
clined. The Edmunds bill is a farce, SIR"
Flows that, General"
"Well, I'll tell you, SIR" According to
the Edmunds bill the Commissioners that
you speak of are merely supervisors Of the
elections in Utah. The bill DISTINGUISHES
only polygamists and their wives. The
right of all the rest over 81 years of age to
the ballot cannotb be questioned. OF course,
the Commissioners might %tyrannize, and,
as they have full powers in election affairs,
they might refuse to accept the vote OF
almost anybody; and, after the polls are
closed, they might also throw out any
votes they should be pleased to call illegal.
But acting under their oaths according to
law, they cannot accomplish anything, and
I'll just explain to you why. The bill dis
franchises comparatively few MormoHs.
Six-tenths of the Mormon adult population
are living either unmarried or in monog-
amy. These all vote and are eligible to
office. Don't you see how easy it is for
@bo rI,,,nl &N ca1anf thai. Jpcfr,1 NJ a ~ 70
from among these and elect them to all
the offices? To the votes of these monog-
amous Mormons the opposition votes of a
handful of Gentiles amount to nothing.
There is nothing in the world to hinder
them from choosing a full Mormon-Church
Legislature in which they enact local laws
by which to shield themselves in their
knavery and foul practices all the moro ef-
fectually in contravention Of Uncle Sans
statutes. Do you see the point now?"
Certainly, General; we see very clearly
why you were not willing to be a Commits
sioner of Elections in Utah. -FOUR view of
che situation in Zion, however, will be re-
ceived with regret, and all the more so be-
lause we feel that it is correct. The pub
tic had built great expectations upon the
Edmunds bill and many were induced to
believe that when it went into operation
the plague spot of polygamy, a crying
shame of the whole country, would be re-
moved"
"That's 80. I don't think anybody is
more ashamed Of the iniquity and degra-
dation in Utah than I am. And the thing
is growing worse and spreading all the
time. The only thing to be done is to at
tack the Mormons on their religion, and,
of course, the Constitution seems to forbid
that. Moreover. such an assault might
array all the religious fanatics in the
country on the side Of the Mormons, and
that would raise o devil OF q rumpus, you
know. Good morning, sir, Ten years
hence, If it is not ohoked off In the mean
while, it will breed more trouble than
slavery agitation and the terrible war Of
aeceasion.n