The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-31
EX-Delegatc Cannon Says the Nor
mons Are UbeyinG the Laws.
a Successor Appointed to Supervising Arch.
itect Hill-A Court of Inquiry Prnpoeet
for WiIdes and GarliugtOu.
THE MORMONS.
Report of the Board of Utah Commissioners
in Relation to PolygaIny.


in Relation to Polygamy.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30.-The Board of Utah
Commissioner has submitted it's second an
nual report to the Secretary of the Interior.
After making a statement of the former leg
~islation of Congress in relation to bigamy or
polygamy, they sag the duties OF the COM
mission appertain only to matters of regis
%tration, election and eligibility to Office,
while the punishment for the crime of po-
lygamy is left, as under the formerlaw, to the
courts of justice. Under the anti-polygamy
act the commission had good success at the
general election of August, 1883, in excluding
p~olygamists from the polls, and as far as adj
vised, very few, if any, illegal votes have been
cast in Utah since the commission
took charge of the registrations and elections
in August, 1882, The enforcement of the
present law against 1900 polygamists. who
have been excluded from the polls, shows
that the act has been fully and successfully
executed. 1t is thought that the discrimina-
ton between those Mormons who practice
polygamy and those who do not, while not
likely to have much effect upon the elderly
men who already have a plurality of wives
and several families, must have great weight
with the young men of the Territory, many
of whom are ambitious and aspiring,
and who would not like voluntarily to en-
brace political ostracism. The very existence
of a law DISTINGUISHING the polygamist
must tend to destroy their influence when
ever it is understood that il is to be n per
manent discrimination. The fact, also, that
it will be necessary for the preservation of
political influence for the Peoples par ~"
as the Mormons style themselves, to have a
large body of their members, who are not
polygamists, must tend in time to weaken
the practice of polygamy; for every married
Mormon, who takes but one plural wife,
loses three votes for his party-his own and
those OF his two wives-woman suffrage hav-
ing been established by law in Utah.
Concerning the plurality of wives, the
report says that the doctrine and practices
are so odious that their being upheld so
many years against the laws of Congress and
the sentiments of the civilized world, is one
of the marvels of the nineteenth century
and can be scarcely appreciated even by
those familiar with the worlds history in
relation to the difficulties OF governmental
| COilIOii VI liz Suppression VI ItliIlpu9 Ia
naticism. Certainly no government can per-
nit a violation OF laws under the guise of re-
ligious 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. Tho
right of Congress TO suppress this treat evil
is undoubted. It is equally plain that
the dignity and good name of this
~ rAvar,p,oy,t ~ f1a ,,ofta,a aF rl,
earth demand such Congressional action rs
shall effectually eliminate the national dis
grace.
The commission renew the recommended
tons contained in the report of Nov. Il,
1882, notably one regarding the enactment
of a marriage law by Congress, declaring all
future marriages in the Territory null ard
void unless contracted and evidenced in the
manner provided by the act. II the next
Legislature shall fail to adopt measures in
conformity with the provisions Nf the act al
1882 for the suppression OF TCiEgamy, tie
commission will be prepared to recommend
and Congress will certainly moi delay, tire
adoption OF the most stringent measures
compatible with the limitations of the con-
stitutlon that may be considered necessary
for The suppression of this great evil"
The report refers to the various municipal
elections, and says the most important cleo
ton was that OF Aug. 6, 1883. The total
number of votes cast in this contest was 81
800. against y. 923 in the last November cleo
ton. The principal falling off was on the
part of ~gentiles, or the Liberal party In
November the total vote OF the Peoples tor
Mormon) party" was %. 039; the Liberal
party, 1881. In August, 1888, the vote OF
the Peoples party" was 20,50S; Of the Lib
eral party. / 453. From this it appears that
large numbers OF Liberals have refrained
from voting. a fact much to be regretted, for
the reason that u is Il believed that, by proper
effort and coed management" one or more
non-Mornons might have been elected to
the Legislative Assembly who woul have an
opportunity of putting the majority on
record.
In conclusion, the commission says; Re
Gently some ten suits were instituted in the
Third District Court OF Utah by the Nor
mons against members of this commission,
complaining that they bad been ~unJustly de-
prived of the right to register and vote.'
These are understood to be test cases, de-
signed to contest the constitutionality OF tho
'Edmunds act as well as the legal con-
struction which we put upon it's provisions.i
These suits are still undecided, and are likely
to be appealed to the Supreme Court OF tho
United States. 1t has been asserted that
polygamic marriages have increased since
the passage of the 'Edmunds act
On the contrary, we have the opinion
of many Mormons and non-MOr-
mons that they have comparatively de-
creased since the passage OF said act
After d%iligent inquiry we believe this latter
conclusion is correct, but the Utah Legisla-
ture will have an opportunity of satisfying
the country on this particular subject by
passing such a public marriage act rs that
we have suggested to Congress. BY this and
such other legislation as We have indicated
they will give the government assurance o
their LOYALTY and patriotism, and avert n CON
test that cannot but result in their discor2'