The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-02
THE MoRMoNs.
Report of Chairman Ramsay of the
Utah Commission.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-The Utah Com
mission, through its chairman, Alexander
Ramsay, has submitted to the Secretary of
the Interior their annual report. The report
begins with the statement that the usual an
nual revisions of the Utah registration lists
for the present year were duly and thorough
ly made by the officers of the board, and a
general election held on August Both last. No
person living in the practice OF polygamy
was allowed to register or vote, nor was any
such person elected or commissioned to any
office. The point has therefore been surely
reached, says the commissioner, that the
name of a polygamist cannot be found upon
the registration list, and none of this class
are holding office. Nevertheless it is true
that nearly all the officers chosen in the last
and in the preceding elections are Mormons,
who, while they do not actually live in
polygamy, subscribe to the doctrine of
polygamous marriage as a divine revelation
Ia law unto all-higher and more binding
upon the conscience than any human law. A
notable exception, however, occurred in
Summit county, where the entire non-Mor-
mon ticket including members of the House
of Representatives of the Assembly, was
elected This representation was the first
non-Mormon elected for many years The
commission refer to the recent decision of
the Supreme Court in polygamy cases as
timely and a valuable Interpretation of law.
1t is believed that there have been very few
polygamouS marriages during the present
year, but it is not regarded prudent to look
upon this fact as indicating anything more
than suspension of the practice resulting
from vigorous enforcement of law, and not
as an actual surrender attended by general
and decided change of sentiment regarding
the doctrine itself. Indeed, ii all operations
by the commission and courts under the pre-
sent law should at once cease, or even II
halting, hesitating policy should take the
place of the vigorous one now in force, it is
altogether probable that plural-marriages
would again become very general In Utah.
The firm attitude of the government and
faithful execution of the law, sustained by
public sentiment have exerted a represslng
influence upon the Mormon people never be-
fore experienced by them since their estab-
ment in Utah.
The commission say they have felt it their
duty to resist the general demand of the nom
Mormons in the territory; that they recon-
mend legislation that would place the exer-
else of all civil power in the hands of leg
islative commission appointed by the Presi-
dent until the Edmunds act had been fairly
tested. The hope has been indulged that
the Mormon people would finally see their
line of duty in yielding willing aequiescence
to the law, but the result has been a disap
pointment so far as the leaders of the church
and principal part of their following are con-
cerned. A declaration often repeated during
the year by the chief officers of the church,
that it is their settled determination to re-
fuse obedience to law and their persistent
use of their great power and influence to de-
feat all efforts from within as well as from
without the church to putan end to polygamy
and their presentation of those persons
who desire to obey the law, have convinced
the commission that some more decisive plan
to reduce the powers of the polygamlc ele-
ment and correspondingly increase that of
the federal Authority in the civil government
of Utah be presented to Congress for action
Congress would certainly render service of
incalcuable value to Utah and indeed to the
whole, country if it would devise measure
out from under the thraldom which has so
warped their minds and conscience that
crime committed in the name of religion is
considered by them a duty and blessing
equally to those who commit and those who
did or defend it's commission.