The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-12-03
THE COMMISSION.
r Makes a Report of the
Situation.
COME VIEWS ENTERTAINED.
Number of Suggestions as
a. the Treatment of the
problem"
COMMISSION.
,o,,p VIEWS ENTERTAINED.
u--,estions for the Future Trent
9'sN ,Dent of the MormOns.


w.suryGroN, December 2.-The re-
=, Of the Utah Commission is made
Ybl;c It states that the duties i'm
osed on the Commission at the recent
Pt,.cfion we're successfully performed,
nd that all polYgamists were excluded
a..m voting, and continues as follows:
AFTER more than two years labor and
.rner;ence here, it becomes our duty to
,dyise the government and the country
thot although the law has been success
t t.1 administered in respect of the dis
t;..an5cbisement of polygamists; the effect
- the same upon the preaching
.u5 nractide of polygamY has
s snt been of character to
,u,nroye the former or decrease the
iatEer. During the present year, there
annears to have been a pOlygamlc re-
-ITTTaI The institution is boldly and
ds6antly defended and commended by
t5e shirftual teachers, and plural mar
,;spes are reported to have increased in
nnmber" A considerable portion of the
ypnort is devoted to an account of the
recent trial and conviction Of Rudger
CIswson. which the Commission think
will have q restraining influence upon
vonng MormOns. at is not unlikely,
Savs the report, that, finally, the
Federal government will find 1t
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 Terri
tOrial Auditor and Treasurer should be
definitely defined by Congress, as offices
To be filed by appointment, and we may
remark, in this connection, that, al
though the Organic Act would seem to
leave no doubt as to appointment
and double character of these
Offices, and the Commission has
persistently refused to recognize the
right Of election under the law, and the
local courts sustained this view, still,
the incumbents of these offices at the
present time are holding over from
previous elections. We would recon-
mend. in addition to the above,
that the Commissioners to Locate
University Lands. Probate Judges,
County Clerks, County Selectmen,
G Cor omit
district Schools be made, by act OF C el
-rese snDointabIe, and all these, 9IIeI
99oToinafion by the Governor shau re-
onire 70 be confirmed by maloTlty
Vote of the Commission before Delns
commissioned. The reason Tor TINS u
obvious. The Organic Act now re. re-
oUires that all nominations py the
Goyernor shall be confirmed oy -the
legislative Council. The Counch Is d.
vays a creature OF Mormon power.
Hence, no suitable appointments can De
secured The Governor ana CoIlII!!ls-
sion. acting respectively as nominating
and confirming powers, Would III rLlsEIe
sucb appointmentS as would De ellecIlV9 Z
in the effort of the Federal government
to overthrow pOlygamy. For the courts /;
after comforting with the Judges aLlu
district-attorney OF tins olStrlct, We re
Commend First. that the provisions OF
tbe~ law OF 1874, relative to juries ano
the mode Of selection be revised, elCnel
by providing for greater nulho 20
of Jurors or by authorizing al
omen venire, when the names IN tn
box have been exhausted. a betpe
provision, perhaps, would be one au
tborizing an open venire in all case
nrosecuted by the United States
Second. the jurisdiction of the sewers
district courts ought to be extended $
as to give each jurisdiction IN a
cases of polygany wherever IN u
Territory the crime may have pee
eommitfed. Third, in United Statt
cases. the Territorial courts should |
Invested with power. co-eXtenslVe VII
that nossessed by the United States CT
emf and district courts IN the sewers
States in matters of contempt and pul
jsbment thereof Fourth, that pros
cntions for polygamy should De e
s1,1tad from the operation OF the ge
eraI limitation laws; certainly Whl
narties continue ito livelin polygan
the statute should not run again
The principal crime, polygamy, :, FIT
The process of subpRnas In all cas-
prosecuted by the United States snou
RIM from the Territorial courts II
anv other district Of the United otay
sixth Provision should be maze
hindinp over witnesses on the park
povernment in all United States cas-
r. apDear and testify at trl
Seventh. When q continuance
granted upon the motion OF delen9 Ia
3rovision should be made for the tax
ofdeuositions of witnesses on the pa!
government, with an opportunity q
defendant to be confronted VIII
witness or witnesses making suCn
position, and to cross-examlnei .
deposition TO be USED al SIe t VIC. = =
erent'of the death OF a witness y
case of his or her absence from INC
r ITO at the time of the Il
nT IN the event that such ;,
ness n concealed himself or herself
ss ei to eIude the process of the subpo
Eighth: It should be made penla
tense for any woman to enter INTO
marriage relation with a man .i know ;,
him to have q wife living ana
.arced. This should be coupled W.
4oSision that, in cases where POI
nous wife was called as wItne
any prosecution for polygamy az
her husband, her testimony give
@ch cases could not be used agains
"a any future prosecution against
self, with ike provision as to testiI
as to the husband called as witn'
8 prosecuGSa against his polyga
VIE.