The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-10
NOR MON POLYCAMY.
A Member of the Utah s.Commis-
sion Says the Institution Is
q Doomed.

DEs MONIES, Iowa, July 9.-Col George L.
Godfrey, member of the Utah commission,
has returned from the west, and in an inter
view briefly outlined what in his opinion will
be the ultimate effect of the Edmunds bill in
accomplishing the purpose for which it was
intended.
There are 100000 people in Utah today
said Col Godfrey. "Of these l40, 900 are
Mormons, and only 1900 are polygamists.
The operation of the Edmunds bill is confined
solely to those who practice polygamy, The
professor Of the Mormon religion with only
one wife does not come within the scope of
the law The work of the commission has
been confined to DISTINGUISHING the polygam-
lists. The law provides that every citizen
shall he registered before he shall have the
right to vote, and if his name does not
appear on the register be has no appeal
As female suffrage is one of the institu-
tions, large number of women-more
women, indeed, than men-have been
omitted from the registry lists along with
their lords and masters So far as possible
the. commissioners have endeavored to keep
the name of every polygamist from appearing
on the lists The Mormons are disposed to
interpose every legal obstacle to the enforce
ment of a law which to them is extremely
odious They have made up ten test cases,
which viii be submitted to the courts as soon
as possible, and the night before l started for
the east the writs were served on the commits
soners While there is no doubt that the
courts will affirm the consttutionality of the
law, the Mormons will leave no stone un-
turned to impede its operation. The suppress
sion of polygamy is only question of time.
While the Edmunds bill may not accom-
plish all that is claimed for it, I regard
it as the entering wedge which is
destined to divide the Mormon church.
The power of naming officials has
heretofore rested with the church as a whole,
but when the law is enforced so that no DO
lygamist can vote the voting class will de-
termine the candidate, to the exclusion OF
those who fail to conform to the letter and
spirit of the law. This of itself will ultimately
break up polygamy. The railroads also ac
complish much in this direction. With the
railroads opening up the country, thousands
of Gentiles pour in who will speedily outnum-
her the Mormons and get possession of the
| municipal offices, which are now held by the
Momons. When it becomes apparent that q
| polygamst cannot rise to honor or profit the
abridgement of the number of wives
will speedily follow. As people the Nor,
mons are quiet and orderly, and police regu
lations are lived up to the same as elsewhere
Salt Lake city will compare favorably in
this respect with any eastern city of like pop
ulation. Contrary to thegeneral impression,
| licentious practices are not more prevalent
| than in Gentle communities. There art
many wealthy Mormons, especially in Sal
Lake city These for the most part arr
| content with One wife. It is due to the
more refined classes to state that
among them Polygamy is gradually falling
! into disrepute. Those who till the barTeI
soil of that region compose the poorer class
and among them a plurality of wives is quit,
| common. Numbers of proselytes induced by
missionaries to come from Europe arrive oI
every train. Most of them are ignorant anC
poverty stricken. They huntsout the littl
valleys between the mountains and scratcl
| the unproductive soil with rude implements
eking out miserable subsistence. Number
have entered Montana, Wyoming, Idaho an,
Arizona, where they follow the course Of tn
] streams "