The Mineral argus., 1883-11-15
RepoTt Of tho Utah CommIssIon.

WASHINGTON, Oct 30-The board of Utah
commissioners has submitted its second an
nual report to the secretary Of the interior.
After making a statement Of former legislation
Of congress, in relation to bigamy or polygamy,
they say:
The duties OF the commission a~ppertain only to
matters Of registration and election and eligibility
10 Office, while the punishment Of the crime OF
polygamy is left as under the former law to courts
Of justice. Under the anu-poiygamy act Of the
commission Il had good success az the general cleo
ton OF August, 1883, In excluding. p~olygamisis
from the pods. and as ar as advised very few, II
any illegal votes have been cast in Utah since the
commission took charge Of registrations and cleo
tions in August. 1882. The enforcement Of tho
present Law against 10000 polygamists, who have
been excluded from he polls, shows the act has
been fully aud successfully executed. It is thought
that discrimination between those Mormons who
practice polygamy and those who do not, while not
likely to have much effect upon elderly men Who
already have a plurality Of wives, and several fam
lilies, must have great weight with young men Of the
Territory, many Of whom are ambitious and aspiring
and would not ike voluntarily to embrace political
os;racism. The very existence Of a law, disfranch-
Using polvgamists, must tend to destroy their inhl-
ence, whenever Il Is understood IL Is to be permIn-
ent discrimination. The fact also that II will be
necessary 10 the preservation Of the political iuhu-
euce Of the Peoples party-as the Mormons style
themseives-to have a large body OF their mem
bers who are not polygamists, must tend ia time
TO weaken the practice Of poiygamy, for every
married Mormon who takes but one plural wife
loses three votes for his party-his own aud those
Of his two wives, woman suffrage being established
by law in Utah, Concerning plurality OF wives,
the report says: That q doctrine and practice SO
odious throughout christendom should have been
upheld so many years, against the laws OF congress
aud sentiments Of the civilized world. is one u the
narves Of the nineteeu.a century, aud can be
scarcely appreciated even BY those familiar with
the worlds history. In relation to tho difficulties
Of government control, o.
SUPPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS FANATIcIsM.
certainly no government can permit a violation OF
its laws against po'ygamy under cover Of constitu-
tional guarantees o. religious freedom; and while
congress may not legislaie as 10 mere matters OF
opinion, yet il may denouucs and punish as crimes
those actions which are in violation OF social
duties or subveraiYe to good orcer. The right OF
congress to suppress this great evil II uud0ubted.
II il equally plain that The dignity and good name
Of this great government among the nations OF the
earth demand such congressional actiona as shall
edeciually eliminate this rational disgrace. The
commission renew the communications contained
IN the report Of Nov. II, lsS2, notably the one
regarding the enactment OF a marriage law By
congress declaring all future marriages in the Ter
ritory mil aud void, unless contracted and evil
| denced In the manner provided BY the act. II the
next legislature shall fail 20 adopt measures IN con-
formity with the provisions OF tue act OF 1882, for
the suppression OF poiygdmy' the commission will
be prepared TO recommend. and congress certainly
measures compatible with the limitations OF
the constitution. that may be considered
necessary for the suppression OF this great
evil TIE report refers TO various municipal
elections, and saws the most import nj election was
that Of Aug. g., 1883. The total number Of votes
east in this contest was - 500. against 2l.923 the
] NuHN NMNHMnNI NlHELlNNs ANf hAaAAANAA AAAIAA IA
was on the part Of the Genfies, or liberal party.
10 November the t0tal vote % The peoples. or Nor
mon parry. was 23,O39; liberal, 1854. In Au-
gust, 1883. The vote Of M peoples party was 2O.-
! sos, AMI The liberal 1,i53, from which 10 appears
large numbers q liberals refrained from Vodug, a
MUCH TO BE |REGRErTED.
for the reason. il is believed, that by proper effort,
and by good management, one or more non-Nor-
mons might have been elected 10 the legislative
assembly who would have an opportunity OF put
ting the majority on record. In conclusion, the
! commission saws: Recently some ten suits were in
! stituted 10 the Third district court OF Utah By Nor
mons. against members Of this commission, COM
plaiuing that they had been unjustly deprived q
the right 70 register and vote. These are under
! stood 10 be test cases, designed TO contest the con-
| stitutionality Of the Elmuuds act, as well as The
| construction which we put upon its provisions.
These suits are sill undecided, and are likely 20 be
! appealed to the supreme court OF the Uuled States.
Il has been asserted that polygamous marriages.
have increased since the passage ut the Edmunds
act. On the contrary, We have the opinion Of
MANY Mormons that they have comparative de-
! creased since the passage u the said act. After
= diigent inquiry. we ielrve the latter conclusion Is
. correct: but the Utah legislature will have the op-
portunity Of satisfying the country on ;his %particu'
lar subject by the passage Of such public marriage
! act, as that We have suggested to congress By
/ this aud such other legislation as We have INDEBTED
they will give the gOvrrument the assurance Of
| their loyalty and pa rotsm, and avert a contest
/ that cannot but result In their ~discomdfure We
/ ernor ~ Utah in his Efforts 90 enforce the laws
ALEx RAMSEY. A. l. PADDOCK. ID. l. GODFREY
| A. R. CARLTON. J. r. PETTIGEEW.
To the Hon. II. n. Teller, Secretary Of the
! Interior.