The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-12
THE MORMON QUESTION.
Debate in the Senate on the Bill to Re0rgan-
ize the Legislature Of Utah.

WASHINGTON, Jan. lin the Senate, Mr..
Van Wyck, from the committee on the improve
ment of the Mississippi river, submitted joint
resolution appropriating 100000 to continue
the improvement begun on the Mississippi river
by the Improvement commission. After debate
it amended to give it the form of a bill,
which passed.
Mr.. Call introduced a bill providing for the
establishment of a university of medicine at the
capital of the United States for the advancement
of science and the discovery of improved
methods and treatment for the cure of disease.
It appropriates 81, 600 600 as a perpetual endow-
ment; the interest to be paid for salaries of pro
fessors and cost OF experiments. One hundred
thousand dollars additional is appropriated to
purchase grounds for the erection of suitable
buildings Allopathlc, homeopathic, and eclectic
methods will all be represented in the professor
ships.
Bills were introduced follows:
By Mr.. Edmunds Providing relief for the
survivors of the Jeanette expedition and crew,
and the heirs of deceased members. 1t author-
ICES the Secretary of the Treasury to pay Mel
vile and Danenhower 81, 800 each, and Raymond
| L. Neweomb, naturalist, John Cole, w. T. Kin
| dermann and j. S. Bartlett $500 each, the re
naming survivors to receive $500 each. 1t also
authorizes the payment of sum equal to the
deceaseds salary to each of the deceaseds heirs.
BY Mr. Call: Providing for the establishment
of postal savings banks. 1t requires the Post
master general to establish postal savings banks
in all postOffices where the receipts equal to
81, 900 annually. Deposits will be received in all
sums under 800, the payment of which, on de
mand, is guaranteed by the government
| Mr.. Anthony's resolution, of January g. was
| taken up, instructing the committee on foreign
relations to inquire into the expediency of legis-
1,4, IL
! interests against these governments which have
| prohibited or restricted importations of health
| full meats from the United States.
| Mr.. VanWyck moved to amend by adding,
| Except those governments whose manufactured
| goods products were previously restrained or
| prohibited free access to our ports Mr.. Van
| Wyck. proceeded to explain the purport of his
amendment but the morning hour expired and
| the matter went over
Mr. Cuom then addressed the Senate in re-
| gard to his bill to re-organize the legislative
power of Utah. 1t provides that the govern
ment of Utah shall consist of a governor and
council of nine, to be appointed by the President
| and confirmed by the Senate, and that they shall
be citizens and qualified voters of the Territory.
| Mr.. Culom said that Mormonism was at war
with good government. That society can not be
permitted to proceed it has for the last thirty
years 1t is building up system hostile TO the
! United States, and instead Of having republi
can government, either in form or spirit, it es-
sentially opposed every principle of republican
| Is
| priests who teach that the gentiles are foes of
the Mormon people and consider proper every
/ device to accomplish their overthrow. They are
| bringing to this country every year thousands OF
paupers whom they teach to hate the United
States government. Moluons have the balance
of political power in Arizona and Idaho perhaps,
| in addition to their strength in Utah. If not
| checked soon they will control five
| or six States and Territories west of the Missis-
sippi They trampled under foot all laws of
| the United States. In the present condition of
things the United States government has utterly
| failed to use its power to punish the crime of
| polygamy. The act of Congress creating the
| commission has done some good, but it is not
| adequate It would be mercy to these mis-
! guided people to adopt measures necessary to
| release them from the domination Of priest
hood We do not desire war, but if the Mormon
question is not settled it will end in war.
| His bill, he said, only temporary measure,
as all bills for the remedy of such grievances
necessarily will be. The people of the Territory
control their own affairs. Meanwhile,
| let the United States government take
the management of Utah in its own hands, dis
| charge the incompetent, reasonable agents of
| the Mormons who are officers of the Territory.
and purge out of its civil code every vestige of
| ecclesiastical polity.
Mr. Brown opposed the bill. He declared that
all recent legislation of Congress in connection
| with Utah affairs was unconstitutional and
indefensible. The eighth section of the Ed
munds act was palpabe violation of the consti-
tuition, therefore null and void. The Utah Com
mission acting under it and applying the test
| oath to voters was acting without authority of
| law.
Referring to the question OF the right of Con
| gress to destroy territorial government Mr..
| Brown said if Congress could do it in one terri
tory it could in ALL and if the condition thus ere
ated could go on for one year it could last one
hundred years Those people in Utah are as
much citizens of the United States as the citi-
zens in any other part of the country, and are
entitled to equal protection of the laws 1t will
| hardly do to punish H. 600 persons in Utah who
are not polygamists If Congress proposes to
| stamp out one religious sect, might it not, when
that is done, begin another, and so
crush out all spirit of religious hbertyl
| The Christian church was the true medium to
deal with the Mormon question. Millions of dol
lars were sent yearly to convert the polygamsts
! of India and China to Christianity. Some Of
| this money spent at home among people who
| speak our language, might result in producing a
great change in the position of the Mormon prob
lem. The real trouble of the problem is that
| the MormOns are not as good Republicans as the
leaders of the Republican party wish them to be.
Without excusing polygamy. Mr.. Brown, in
conclusion, animadverted severely upon the lax
ity of morals prevailing in portions of the coun-
| try outside of Utah, and believed much thought
and effort expended on Utah could be directed to
| social evils nearer home
Mr.. Garland always thought Mr. Edmunds's
| bill for the Utah trouble much like prescribing
| a corn plaster for consumption, but he hoped
the right remedy would be found. The Supreme
Court laid down the doctrine that the people
could not shield themselves of the consequences
of crime by pleading the requirements of re
ligion.
The Senate took up the new rules. and after
debate adopted them.
After executive session. the Senate adjourned
! until Monday.
Felix Astoir's VIII.
New YORK, Jan. 1.-THE will of Felix Astoir