The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-07-10
TELEGRAPHlC NEWS
COMMISSIONER GODFREY
His views on the Situation in Utah

His Views on the Situation in Utah.
Des Moines, lowe, 9.-Col. George L.
Godfrey, member of the Utah Com.
mission, returned from the west last
Ievening, and in an interview he briefly
outlined what in his opinion will be the
ultimate effect OF the Edmdnds bill, in
accomplishing the purpose for which it
was intended. 'Thera ara $50, coo people
in Utah to-day" sold Col. q dfrey, ''of
these 140, 900 are Mormor5, and only
| l5, 600 Mormons are polygamists. The
Operations Of the EdmUnds bill ia con-
fined solely TO those who practice polyg-
amy, a prCfe sor OF the Mormon religion
with only ore wifi does not come within
The scope OF the law. The work of the
commission has been confined TO disfr8L-
chisinR pOlygamists The law provides
that every Cit;z5n shall be registered be-
fore ne shall have right TO vote, and if
his name don't appear on the register he
has 70 appeal. AS female suffrage is oae
of the institutions, large number Of
women, more women Indeed than
men, have baen omitted from the rePis-
try lists along vita TIER lords and mas
tiers. So far as possible the commits
siCners have endesyOIed 10 keep th5
name of every polvgsmist from appear
ing on the lista The Mormons are dis
posed to interpose every obstacle to the
enforcement of the law, which TO them
is extremely odious. They have made
up ten test case, which will be sub
miLiec to the courts IS soon as possible,
and tbs night before / started for the
east Writs were served On the commits.
sioners. While there is no doubt that
the courts will affirm The cons nationality
Of the law, the Mormons will leave no
stone untu:u - impede its opersi ion.
The suppression 81 polygsmY is only a
Question Of time, snd while the Edmunds
bill may not accomplish sl thst Is
claimed for it, Iregsrd it as entering a
wedge which is designed to divide the
Mormon church The power Of
naming officials has heretofore rested
with the church solely, bit wheu
the law is enforced, so that no polygam-
list can vote, the voting class will deter
mine the candidates, to the exclusion CT
those who fail 10 conform TO the letter
and spirit Of the Law. This of itself will
ultimately break up polygsmy. Rail-
roads also accomplish much in this dI-
iection; with the railroads opening up
the country thousands of Gentiles pour
in, who viii speedily cutuumbe tho
Mo-mons and get poss. ssion of the NUM-
cipal Offices which are now hald by the
Mormons. When it becomes apparent
that polygamists cannot rise 10 honor or
profit the sbridgement Of the plumber OF
wives will speedily follow.
The Mormon people are quiet and o.
derby, and the police regulations sre lived
up to the same IS elsewhere; Salt
Lake City will compsr fsvorsbly
in this reapect with any eastern
city of like population; contrary
to the general impression licentuous
prsctices are not more prevelant than in
Gentle communities. There are many
wealthy Mormons, especially in Salt
Lake City; these for the most part are
content with one wife, and it is due TO
the more ref0ed classes, TO state lhst,
amoDg them, po'ygamy Is genera ~
falling into dlsrepute. These VINO ill
the barren toil or that region C impose
the poorer classes, and amnng them plu-
rality Of wives is very com bon. Num-
beTs of proseytes, who are induced by
missionaries 10 come from Europe, ar
rive on every train. They hunt out Ii tie
valleys between mountains and scratch
out of the unproductiVe soil, with rude
implements, miserable subsistence.
Numbers have entered Montana, Wyo-
ming, Idsho and Arizous, wh'r they
follow the course of the streams.