Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-12
against her in any future prosecution, with
like provision as to the husband.
SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE FoRBe,

against her in any future prosecution, wit
a like provision as to the husband.
SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE FOREGOING,
We submit the following suggestions:
! l. That the term of imprisonment for un
lawful cohabitation fixed by Section of tn
| Act of 1882 be extended to Mt least two year
for the first, and three for the second of
Tense
2. That all persons be excluded by Law
from making n location or settlement upol
any part of the lands of the United State
who shall refuse on demand to take and sub
scribe an oath before the proper officer o
the Land Office in which his or her applica
ton is made, that he (if a mani does not co
habit with more than one woman in thu
marriage relation, and that he will obey ant
! support the laws of the United States in re
lation to bigamy and polygamy, or (if |
woman) that she does not cohabit with
man having more than one living and undi
vorced wife, and that she will obey and sup
port the laws of the United States in rela
tion to bigamy and polygamy.
| 3. That the laws with reference to the i'm
migration of Chinese, and the importation
of contract laborers, paupers and criminals
| be so amended as toprevent the immigration
of persons claiming that their religion
teaches and justities the claim of polygamy
as this would cut off the chief source of sup
ply to the Mormon church.
In our last report We expressed this opin.
ion: at is not unlikely that finally the
Federal government will find it necessary &c
take into its own hands all civil power in
this Territory" (Utah). An examination OF
our previous reports will show that we have
refrained from suggesting any radical change
in the form of
THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT OF UTAH,
Although very general demand has been
p1n1n hy Mnrp,nr,c raoiI;,,fy IN bat
ritory that this Commission should recon-
mend to Congress what is termed Legisla-
tive Commission, i. e., Commission to be
composed of nine or thirteen, or some other
convenient number of members, to be APP
pointed by the President, and in whom all
Legislative authority conferred by the Organ
lc Act OF the Territory upon the Legislative
Assembly, as now constituted, should be
vested. But we have thought such action
on our part would not be in consonance with
the sentiment of Congress as expressed in
the Edmunds act, until the opportunity given
in that law to the Mormon people to aban-
don their offensive system could be fully
considered and accepted or declined by them.
1t will be remembered that the act offers
full amnesty for past offenses; that it legiti-
mixes all children born of polygamous mar
rlages before the first day of January, 1888,
and also invites the people, through Legis-
iatlve Assembly to be chosen by themselves,
W hoiihiiiy tCCepb LuiS GENEROUS
OFFER OF CONGRESS TO ooNDoNE THE PAST
And only requiring of them that they shall
obey the law in the future. We have in
dulged the hope that they would finally see
their line of duty in yielding willing ac-
quiescence to this behest; but we have been
disappointed so far as the action of the
leaders of the Church and the principal part
of their following are concerned.
The declaration often repeated during the
past year by the chief officers of the Church
that it is their settled determination to re-
fuse obedience to the law; the persistent use
of their great power and influence to defeat
all efforts from within as well as from with
out the Church to put an end to polypamy
and their persecution of those of their own
number who have signified their desire to
obey the law, have convinced us that some
more decisive plan to
REDUCE THE POWER OF THIS poLYaAMrc ELE-
MENT,
And to correspondingly increase that of the
federal authority in the civil government of
Utah should be presented to Congress- Mt this
time for its consideration. Besides the Leg
islative Commission plan to which reference
mas been made, several Others have been con-
sidered, one of which is to extend the list of
officers recommended by us in our last re-
port to be made appointable, SO as to en-
e eTace all whlch the law now requires to be
could be properly made by the Governor of
the Territory, subject to confirmation by the
Commission. '''0
1t is n sufficient answer to the criticism
that this plan is unrepublican to say that ali
OF these CIVIL officers are now chosen by the
aictation OF the church authorities, with the
view chiefly of Strengthening and maintain
ing the polygamous system there existing,
ana the proposed method requires their Sc
lection through an agency directly appoint-
ed by the Federal Government in order to
secure more effective enforcement of the
lays St;i Tor 1.-THE the suppression of polygamy.
Territory of Idaho, which is snbstantiaIlv
the disfranchisement of all persons who are
members and contribute to the support of n
church one of whose doctrines is that the
practice of polygamy is given by divine
command as privilege and duty to its
''
1t is true that there are
SOME OBJECTIONS TO EACH or THESE PLANS.
But this would undoubtedly be eouallv true
OF any method, however perfect, that couId
mine whether the important result souoht
to be secured in Utah will justify the adop.
ton of plan which under ordinary oircnm-
stances might be considered extraordinary
and severe in its character, but which in tbis
case is believed by many to be essential To n
'P.e"B anu ceTtutH eradication of pOlypamv
1t may be said for the Legislative Commis.
'ion plan that it Is simple and direct.
~ the appointment plan, that all the
ooifices, including those of the Legislative
assembly, remain undisturbed; that they are
Ill to be filled from the body of the peonle.
ls now, by agencies under the direct control
IF the Federal Government, and that the in
iuence OF the same would be potential.
VI the Idaho plan, although more ex-
RENE and "a
MORE SEVERE REMEDY THAN EITHER OF THE |
OTHERS,
That 1t reaches to the very root of the ava
EN-. But whatever may be thought of these |
uggestions, Congress would certainly render |
service of incalculable value to Utah. md
indeed to the whole country, if Il wonId
eyise some measure whereby these mis-.
ulded people could be brought out from
hoer TINS thralldom which has SO warned
heir minds and their consciences That
ilme committed in the name of religion ia
onsldered by them duty and a BLESSING
gually, to those who commit il and those
mo AID, abet or defend its commission.
a LARGE ASSORTMENT of Dinner and poo