The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-11-08
Report of tile Utah Commission.


WASHINGTON, Oct 3O.-The board of Utah
commissioners has submitted it's second an
nual report to the secretary Of the interior
After making statement Of former legislation
Of congress- in relation to bigamy or polygamy,
they say:
The duties Of the commission appertan only to
matters OF registration and election and eligibility
to office. while the punishment of the crime OF
pelygamy is left under the former Law t. courts
commission it had good success at the general .eec-
ton of August, 1883. in excluding, polygamists
any illegal votes have been cast in Utah since the
commission took charge Of registrations and cleo
lions in August. 1882. The enforcement Of the
been excluded from lie polls, shows the act has
been fully and successfully executed. It is thought
that discrimination between those Mormons who
likely to- have much effect upon elderly men, who
already have plurality of wives, and several am
iies must have great weight with young men of the
Territory. many of whom are ambitions and aspiring
and would not like voluntarily to embrace political
ostracism. The very existence Of law, disfranch-
Using poygamsts must tend to destroy their inf1u-
ence whenever it is understood it is to be perman
ent discrimination. The fact also that it will be
necessary to the preservation of the political infu-
Of the Peoples partys the Primo style
bers who are not polygamists. must tend in time
to weaken the practice of poygamy, tor every
married mormon VINO takes 1ut one plural W.T., wlte
of his two wives, woman suffrage being established
by law in Utah. Concerning plurality Of wives.
the report says: That doctrine and practice SO
odious throughout christendom should have been
upheld so many years, against the laws or congress
and sentiments of the civilized world is one OF the
marveis of tho nineteenth century, and can be
scarcely appreciated even bv those familiar with
the worlds history. In relation to the difficulties
OF government control, OF
SUPPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS FANAr1c1sM.
certainly no government can permit violation OF
lis laws against poygamy under cover of constitu-
tional guarantees of religious freedom; and while
congress may not legislate as to mere matters of
opinion, yet it may denounce and punish as crimes
those actions which are in violation Of social
duties or subversive to good order. The right Of
It s equally plain that the dignity and good name
of this great government among the nations Of the
earth demand such congressional action as shall
effectualy eliminate this national disgrace. The
commission renew the recommendations contained
in the report of Nov. II, 1882, notably the one
regarding the enactment of a marriage law by
ritory mil and void. unless contracted and evil
denced in the manner provided by the act. If the
next legislature shall fail to adopt measures in con-
tormity with the provisions of the act of 1882 for
the suppression OF poiygamy, the commission will
be prepared to recommend. and congress certainly
WILL mot delay the b Of most stringent
necessary for the Suppression Of this great
evil. The report refers to various municipal
elections, and says the most import'nt election was
that of Aug. 6, 1888. The total number of votes
cast in this contest was 2l 1869. against 1898 the
last November election. Tie principal falling off
was on the part of the Genties. or liberal party.
In November the total vote OF the peoples. or Nor
mon party. was 23.O39; liberal, 1854. III Au-
gust, 1883, the vote of the peoples party was TO-
sos, and the liberal ,453, from which it appears
large numbers Of liberals refrailed from voting,
fact
MUCH TO BE REGRETTED.
for the reason. 1t is believed that by proper effort,
and by good management. one or more non-Nor-
mons might have been elected to the legislative
assembly who would have opportunity of put
ting the majority record. In conclusion, the
stituted in the Third district court OF Utah by Nor
mons against members Of this commission, com.
planning that they had been unjustly deprived of
the right to register and vote. These are UNDER
stood to DO test designed to contest the
construction which We put upon its provisions
These suits still undecided, and likely to be
appealed to the supreme court Of the United States
It has been asserted that poyzamous marriages
act. On the contrary. we have the opinion Of
many Mormons that they have comparative de-
creased since the passage Of the said act. After
diiRent inquiry we believe the latter conclusion is
correct: but the Utah legislature will have the op-
portunity Of satisfying the country on This parcu-
lar subject by the passage of such public marriage
act, that we have suggested to congress. By
this and such other legislation We have indicated
they will give the government the assurance Of
their loyalty and patriotism, and avert contest
consider it proper to commend the zeal of the gov
ernor of Utah in his efforts to enforce the laws
ALEX RAMSEY, A. L. PADDOCK, D. l.. GODFREY,
A. B. CARLTON. J. r. PETTIGREw
To the HON. H. NJ Teller, Secretary Of the
Interior.
Condemnation of Watering Stock.
Tho hr.;,,on, :r,-a~k.~.a L.ro~o -