The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-08
GRANTS OPINION.


his "views" regarding the Mormon
question, and he has expressed
them, as will be learned by referenc'
to cur Geographic columns. Th'
Generals opinion is that the prope
thing to do is to abolish the presen
system :of Territorial government
and place all legislative and execu'
tive power in the hands Of s
commission; in other words
he would govern Utah as
the District of Columbia is
governed. People who enter
tain any respect for Grant, and who
are at all acquainted with Utah
will be sorry that the General has
been hoodwinked by the advocates
Of a legislative commission. We
don't care from what sta: dpoint
the commission proposition is con-
sidered, no argument in its favor
can be presented, unless
spoliation or downright robbery can
be regarded as such argument. It is
the presumption that the govern
ment is anxious only to suppress
polygany, or punish those who
practice it. There is certainly
nothing else in Utah against which
Congress can find tie shadow of ex-
cuse to legislate. 1t is admitted by
everybody that our statute books
contain laws covering pretty nearly
avery offepse known in the csta-
. .'ue of crime; and it is further ad-
mirted by even the enemies
to the Mormons that in
no other State or Territory,
are the laws enforced with greater
degree OF certainty than here. There
is absolute and perpetual peace
from one end of Utah to the other.
and no body alleges the extraordI,
nary violation OF any law save
the one against polygamy; how
ever there is no occa sion for other
legislation on criminal subjects.
Now, what could legislative
commission do in the way of sup>
pressing polygamy, or Furnishing
polygamists, more than has been,
and is being done all the time? A
commission would necessarily
derive all its powers, whether legis-
lative or executive, from Congress,
and the latter could confer 40 more
than it possesses; Congress has
deola>e ed polygamy a crime, and
nominated the punishment; COM
mission could do no mere. Congress
has gone so far as to deprive poly
gam1sJs of the rights of suffrage
and office~holding; q commission
could certainly go no farther in that
direction. Congress has furnished
courts and officers and money fer
enforcing its laws; could a CONS
mission do more?
If one will consider this com
mission project in the light Of rea-
son he will condemn it as
scheme full of evil and entirely
devoid of good. 1t means the
Acknowledgement and disqualified.
ton for ofice.ho ldiDg of $50, 900 or
175, geo people, Who have in no man
ner offended the law, and against
whom nothing wrong can be alleged;
ana this gross outrage cannot pos
sibly aid government in lie raid
upon the 10000 or - 900 persons
who 1t is alleged have violated the
statute. A commission means, not
the suppression of polygsmy, nor
the punishment Of polygamists, for
these may be easier and more
effectually accomplished by the
methods now provided than by any
that can be invented by a commits
sion; it means the turning over of
the Territory to the hands of mob
of politicians and office-seekers, who
are not responsible to the people nor
to any power that is interested in
the welfare of Utah; they are to be
let loose on the unfortunate and
helpless people to Cypress and plum.
der as their consclences will permit
and their vicious motives suggest;
and all without doing anything to-
wards a solution ola vexed problem.
We have thought that General
Grant possessed too much practical,
hard sense to sanction the commits
ion scheme, and as he could In no
manner be benefited by it (being out
IF the business of providing Offices
FOR his numerous relatives) the con-