The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-12-06
THE MORMON QUESTION.
Report of the Utah Commissioned Revival
in PoIygnmy.


in PoIygnmy.
WASHINGTON, D c., December3
The report of the'Utah Commission, ex-
Secretary of War Ramsey chairman, was
made public yesterday. The commission
says that their duties have been faithfully
and successfully performed, with results
showing that at the recent election for
delegate to Congress and other elections
of county officials, held under their SUI
pevision, all polygamsts were excluded
from voting and holding office. The
Utah delegate-elect to Congress, Mr..
john T. Game, is a Mormon, but he does
not now and never has lived in polygamy,
and is therefore eligible under the law.
The report says that for year or more,
after efforts to enforce the law were in
stituted, polygamlc teachings from the
pulpit were rarely heard, and there were
observable indications that the practice
of polygamy might measurably decline;
but during the present year there appears
to have been a polygamic revival. The
institution is boldly and deflantly defend
ed by spiritual teachers, and plural mar
riagcs are reported on the increase.
As an illustration of the oneness
VI ldllu dunOnS MOIlllOns respecting
polygamy, attention is called to an inn
portant polygamy case, recently tried in
Salt Lake City, where every Mormon on
the jury panel, in answer to the question
"Do you believe it right for man to
have more than one living and undivorced
wife at the same timer" answered unhes-
itatingly, eyes, sir"
The trial of this case caused pro-
found sensation throughout the Terri
tory. The defendant Rudger Clawson,
(the son of Bishop, and his two
wives belonged to the better class of
Mormon society. Although his polygamic
marriage had been notorious ia the COM
munity for months, no direct evidence of
it was disclosed until given by his
second wife after short imprison-
ment for contempt of court for refus-
ing to testify. All other witnesses exam
ined and there were many, including
the immediate relatives of the parties, the
President and other high officers of the
church, every one, except the second
wife, disclaimed all knowledge of the
marriage. Clawson was convicted, and
before sentence was passed declared
Judgment should not be passed against
him because the laws of his country were
in conflict with the laws of God. The
Constitution, he said, expressly states
that Congress shall make no law respect
ing the establishment of religion or pro-
hibiting the free exercise of it. Polyga-
nous marriage, he said, when sanctioned
by religious rites and ceremonies Is the
establishment of religion, and the anti
polygamy laws were designed to operate
against such marriages, and were there
fore unconstitutional. This view ex-
pressed by Clawson, the report says, is in
conformity with the uniform sentiment of
all the Mormon people; but while this is
their creed, many Mormons are reluctant
to enter into the polygamic relation, so
the trial and conviction of Clawson will
probably have restraining influence upon
young Mormons.
The commission urge a vigorous en- =
| forcement of the present laws. The
| Government has to deal with people
wonderfully superstitious and fanatically
devoted to their religion; and a sudden
overthrow of polygamy as result of the
enforcement of the present anti-polygamy
laws Is not to be expected. They recon-
mend additional legislation in the nature
of amendments to the existing laws,
which they think will greatly strengthen
| the hands of both the commission and the
counts. They express the opinion that it is
not unlikely the Federal Government will
finally find it necessary to take into its
own hands all civil power in Utah.