The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-12-04
TILE UTAH COMMLssL0N.


The report of the Utah commission
made public yesterday deals extensively
with the difficulties 10 the way of en-
forcement of the laws against polyga-
mists, reciting IN full, the circumstances
connected with the Ciawson case. After
more than two years labor and expert
ence the commission announces that al
though the law has been successfully
administered in respect To the disfran-
chisement of polYgamis.s, the effect of
the same on the preaching and practice
of polygamy has moi been To- improve
the tone of the former or materially
diminish the latter. During the pre-
sent year there appears TO have been q
polygamic revival. The Institution is
boldly aud defiautly defended and com.
mended by spIrilusl teachers, and plu-
raj marriages are reported 90 have in
creased in number. They think 1t is
not unlikely that finally, the federal
government will find 1t necessary TO take
into its own bands all civil power in this
territory.
Among the. important judicial recon-
mendations made are the following:
First-That tae provisions of law of
1874 relative - juries and the mode of
selection be revised either by providing
tor 6 greater number of Jurors or by au-
thoTIZIng en- open veDIre, when the
names 10 the bIX have been exhausted
! A better provision, perhaps, would be
/ one autboTizing an open VeniIe III all
Eases prosecuted by the United States.
Secund-The jurisdiction OF the sever
al district courts ought 70 be extended
| so as To give each jurisdiction in all
cases of poly gzmy, wherever in The ter
| ritorY the crime UAy be committed.
Third-In a United States case the
| terri orIai courts should be invested
| with power cO-exiensIve with that pos
ses, I'd by the United States circuit
sni district courrs In the several states,
| IL tie matters coEtemp plated and the pun
| ishn,ent thereof.
F, urth-Prosecutions for polygamy
| should be exempted from the operation
OF the general Limitation laws.
| Fifh-A process or suhCRns in Bll
csses p osecutelt by the Uoited States
| should Iun from the territorial cur
/ into any other district Of the U8steti
States.
Sixlh-Provision should be made for
| binding over witnesses on the part of the
government 90 all the United States cases
to appear and testify at trial.
Sevenih-Whea continuance Is
granted, upon motifs Of the defendant,
provisI should be made for the taking
of depOsIIions 0f witnesses on the part
of the government. with OpIoFtunit,
given to PENDANT to be confronted with
the witness or witnesses At the taking of
such deposTinD, and tn crOss-exaDine-
Such deposition ~ be used It the iTi4i in
the event o! tine death of q witness, or in
case of mis- or her absence from the ter
ritory at the time of the trial. or IN the
event such witness concealed himself or
herself so as Ia elude process of subpoena
EIgitn-It 81, uld be made penal
offense tnr any woman 20 enter into mar
-iage relation with q man knowing him
to have a wife living and uHdiyogced.
ThIs should be coupled with pruvision
that IN = ca=e when q ralygamous wife
was called as 3 witness In any prosecu-
tion for p0lvRamy against her husband,
her testimony 9IVfD in such case could
not be used against her IN any future
prosecution against herself, with ike
provision as TO The testimony of a hus-
band called as s witness In a prosecu-
ton against his polygmous wife