Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-29
Monday, October 20, 1888.

AS JUDGE CARLETON SEES IT.
 It is the general opinion that what Is known as the Edmunds law has not accom- plished anything towards checking the prog
 ress of polYgamy in Utah, but it is cheering to learn that the members of the Utah oom- mission, who are now in Washington prspar- whiEs it has not done all that was hoped 1t has done something
 Judge Carleton, one of the members of the commission, says that while no statistics on the subject of plural marriages can be ob- tained, the result of careful inquiry by him,
 both in Salt Lake City and the farming re- gions, satisfies him that polygamy Is dscreas- ing. Four -fifths of the male Mormons, he says, are not, and never have been, in polyg- amy. About one thousand officials of all kinds have been elected under the supervision of tho commissioners; and, while nearly all of them are Mormons. not one Is, or has been. in polygamy. Homogeneous Mormons, how ever, believe fully in polygamy, and he has no very strong hopes Shat the homogeneous legislature recently elected will enact any laws hostile to plural marriages. The regis OSA VI OA41 5OssASA4OAes 0RRV4Aec& Oy e446 GOu4- mission, told him that ths only anti Mormon votes cast at the last election were cast by himself and his wife, and the Mormons cast about five hundred, but, while plural mar riage used to be very common in thsi solidly Mormon community, he was confident that not 8 case of this kind had occurred for 2 year, and he attributed this to the fear of the Edmunds law. The judge found no evidence of disloyalty to the government except in so far as the Mormons were determined to obey what they said was the voics of God rather than the commands of men, but they would never resort to resist ance. The judee did not believe that martial law would avail, or that any good results would follow from she employ ment of troops. If an army were sent ts Utah, it would have nothing to do He was certain that under no possible circumstances would the Mormons take up arms against the government. As for resisting marshal. tn Q judge said that, while under some peculiar circumstances there might be popular ex- citeuent that would cause resistance, in any ordinary state of affairs United States mar shsl could arrest John Taylor, George O. Cannon and John T. Paine and take them to court without any assistance. Governor Murray Is the head and front of the extreme Gentle clement, that insists on the imme- diate overthrow of polygamy by any and all means, and he has made himself intensely hated by all the Mormons; but all federal officers who go to Utah get into trouble They are between the devil and tho dsep sea, and, if they are on good terms with the Nor. mons. they are hated by the Gsntiles The judge did net think it would be possible to get possession of the records of the erdow ment house, as they could be conveniently lost if 1t should be necessary to keep them out of the hands of government officers. He thought the opening of the Pacific railroad and the death of Brigham Young had weak ened the polygamous feature of Mormoaism, and legislation would help destroy it, though he did not entertain expectations of it's imme- diGte disappearance.
 Judge Csrleton's idea about She psaoeabIe disposition of the Mermons is not the general ooe, nor does it accord with recent uttsrazces of prominent Lormons. Some of these ut- terances indicate that the Mormons are ready to fight, and, indeed, rather expect to.