The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-03
''TlIE5TWIN RELIC"
TIE UTAH COMMISSION REPORT.
Tho Work They iiave A6eon,p piished During
tho Past iear-Tho Nrcon,nis sudn.
lions tho Comn!,>ion Mako for
~ Further Efficiency OF the Law.

WAslINGToS, d. G., Dec. 2.-Thc re
port o. the Utah Commission Is made pub
lie. 1t states that tho duties imposed upor
the Commission at the reccn. electio,
were successfully performed and that al
pol!samists were excluded from voting
and continues NJ follows: After mort
ihan two years labor and experience borl
1t becomes our duty to advise the Govern
me'd. and country that although the law
has been successfully administered in re-
sp'ct of the disiranchisement Of polyga.
mists the effect OF the same upon the
preachinsandpractice polysamy has not
been to improve the tone OF the former
or materially diminish the latter. Dur.
Ing tl,e present year there appears ohayo
been polyganic revival. Tho institu-
ton is boldly and deiiantly defended and
commended by spiritual teachers, and
plural marriages aru reported to have id
cre,sed In number. Nt+
4 considerable portion OF the report is
devoted to the account OF n recent trial
and conviction OF Rudger Clawson, which
the commission think will have u restrain
ing influence upon the young Mormons.
1t IS not unlikely, says the report, that
finally the Federal Government will find
It necessary to take into its own hands all
the civil power in this territory. For
the present, however, we advise only:
First-That the offices OF Territorial
Auditor and Treasurer should be definite
lv defined by Congress as offices to be
filled by appointment. And we ,nay re-
mark in this connection that although the
organic act would seem to leave no doubt
lasto the appointabie character OF these
officers the commission has persistently
refused TO recognize the right OF election
under the law, and local courts have sus-
tnlncd this view, still the incdmbents OF
these offices at present are holding over
from the previous election.
We would recommend in addition to
the above that the commissioners locate
the University land4, and that the pro-
bate judge, county c!rrss, county select
nent, county asscssors and collectors, and
county superintendent OF district schools
be made by act nf Congress- appointable
by the Governor, and that all thGse, after
the Governor, shall require to be con.
tirmed by Il majority vote OF the commits.
sion before being commissioned. The
reason for this is obvious. The organic
act now requires that all nominations by
the Governor shall be confirmed by the
Legislative Council. The council is always
the creature. Of Mormon power, hence no
suitable appointments can he insured.
n p,,I
ing respectively as nominating and con.
tirming powers would insure such ep.
pointments as would he effective in the |
effort Of the Federal Government. to over.
threw polr.a,ny, for the courts after con.
terrlng with the Judges and the District |
Attorney OF this district recommend
First, that the portion of the law OF 1874
relative to jures and modes OF election
be revised either by providing ior greater
number OF jurors or by authorizing an
open venirc when the names il, the box be
exhausted. A better provision perh,p
would be one authorizing an open yenire
in all eases prosecuted by the United |
States.
second-The jurisdiction Of the several
courts ought to be extended so as to give
each jurisdiction Of MI cases OF polygamy
wherever in the territory the crime, may
have been committed. -
: Thirl-ln United States cases the Ter.
ritorial courts should be invested with
power co.extensive with that possessed |
by the United States circuit and district
courts in the several States in matters Of |
crimes punished thereof. ~
Fou'th-Proseculionf forpolygamy should
be exempted from operation BY general
limitation. - ~