Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-12

: against her in any future prosecution, wit
: a like provision as to the husband.
, SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE FOREGOING,
We submit the following suggestions:
!, 1. That the term of Imprisonment for un
lawful cohabitation fixed by Section of tn
Act of 1882 be extended to at least two year
for the first, and three for the second of
tense.
2. That all persons be excluded by Law
! from making 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 NAM does not CO
habit with more than one woman in thu
marriage relation, and that he will obey anG
support the laws of the United States in re
lation to bigamy and polygamy, or (if 6
woman) that she does not cohabit with 9
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
ton to bigamy and polygamy.
| =. 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 to prevent the immigration
of persons claiming that their religion
teaches and justifes 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: 1T is not unlikely that finally the
Federal government will find it necessary to
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
made by non-Mormons residing in that Ter
ritory that this Commission should recon-
mend to Congress what is termed Legisla-
tive Commission, j. e., Commission to be
composed of nine or thirteen, or some other
pointed by the President, and in whom all
legislative authority conferred by the Organ
10 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 !
riages before the first day of January, 1889.
and also invites the people, through Legis-
latlye Assembly to be chosen by themselves, 7
to formally accept this generous
OFFER OF CONGRESS TO coNDoNE 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 a willing ac-
qulescence 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
hat it is their settled determination to re-
use obedience to the law; the persistent use
II their great power and influence to defeat
vi efforts from within as well as from with
nut the Church to put an end to polyeamy.
lumber who have signifed their desire to
hey the law, have convinced us that some
more decisive plan to
EDUoE THE POWER OF THIS poLYGAMIc E1r-
MENT,
md to correspondingly increase that of the
FEDERAL authority in the civil government of
tan should be presented to Congress at this
me for Its consideration. Besides the Leg
'latlve Commission plan to which reference
as been made. several others have been con- 6
ldered, one of which is to extend the list of l
mcers recommended by us in our last re-
ort to be made appointable, so as to en- v
race all which the law now requires to be :
lied by election. ALI these appointments G
ould be properly made by the Governor of 4
1e territory, subject to confirmation by the c
commission. t
1t is sufficient answer to the criticism
aag TINS plan Is unrepublican to say that all
these CIVIL officers are now chosen by the
lctatlon of the church authorities. with the
ew chiefly of Strengthening and maintain-
g the poiygamous system there existing,
1d the proposed method requires their Sc
ctlon through an agency directly appoint
by the Federal Government in order to
cure more effective enforcement of the
WI WIS for the suppression of polygamy. tt
etin another plan is that adopted by the f.
errltory of Idaho, which is substantially "
e ACKNOWLEDGMENT of all persons who are L
embers and contribute to the support of a,
urch one of whose doctrines is that tba
act1ce of polygamy is given by divine u
mmand as privilege and duty to its q;
embers. ~ ~ w
1t is true that there are &c
ME OBJECTIONS TO EACH OF THESE PLANS. e
1t this would undoubtedly be equally true tie
any method, however perfect, that could WI
devised, and 1t is for Congress to deter Or
ne whether the important result sought Or
be secured In Utah will justify the adop- -,
n of plan which under ordinary circum- a. al
noes might be considered extraordinary III
severe IN its character, but which in this ne
'e is believed by many to be essential to
edy and certain eradication of polvoamv- fes
t may be said for the Legislative Commits to
q plan that it IS simple and direct. nj.
If the appointment plan, that all the p''
ces. including those of the Legislative
embly, remain undisturbed; that thew are
to be filled from the body of the people,
low, by agencies under the direct control lar
he Federal Government, and that the in
nee OF the same would be potential. los
Il the Idaho plan, although more ex- da,
ne and -.
ORE SEVERE REMEDY THAN EITHER OF THE
OTHERS, OF
It 1T reaches to the very root of the sys- anC
I. But whatever may be thought of these aslt
gestlons, Congress would certainly render frfu
rylce of incalculable value to Utah, and ber
sed to the whole country, if it would cbe
Sc some measure whereby these mis- n1
led people could be brought out from IN
er this thralldom which has so warned VIII
minds and their consciences that a fast
le committed in the name of religion ia nea
ldered by them duty and blessing and
lily to those who commit it and those tho
aid, abet or defend its commission. ~ III =,
LARGE ASSORTMENT OF Dinner and Tea - ~
just received at R. Alff's. x ..ou