St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-01
POLYGAMY PABULUM.
Chairman Alexander Ramsey Makes the
Second Annual Report Of the
Utah Commission.
Encouraging Facts and Figures Indicating
the Decline Of the Peculiar
Institution.
dor the Edrnunds Law VIII be
Effective.
a Hating Policy Now, However,
Would Give the Evil New Cour-
age and Life.
Status of the irwin ReIic.

Would Give the Evil New Cour-
age and Life.
Status of the Twin Relic.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31.-The Utah COM
mission, through its chairman, Alexander
ramsey OF Minnesota, has submitted to the
secretary OF the interior the annual report
upon the transactions and proceedings of
the commission since Nov. 1S. 1884.
the date of their last repert. The
report begins with the statement that
the usual annual reyisions of the Utah
registration lists for the present year were
duly and thoroughly made by the officers
OF the board and the general election was
held on Aug. last. No person living in
the p.actice OF polygamy was allowed to
register or vote, nor was any such person
elected or commissioned to any Office. This
point therefore has been surely reached,
since the commission certifies tina the
name OF polygamist cannot be found upon
the registration list and none of this
class are holding Office. 1t is believed that
there have been very few polygamous mar
rlages during the present year. but it is
not regarded as prudent to look upon this
fact as indicating anything more than
suspension of the practice resulting from
the vigorous enforcement of the law, and
not as an actual surrender occasioned
by general and decided change of
sentiment regarding the doctrine itself.
Every step forward by the government,
says the commissioner, will give more
strength and courage to those whose desire
is to respect and obey the law. A single
step backward in legislation or administra-
tien will help the church to crush our this
growing spirit OF opposition, and perhapi
lose to the movement against polygamJ
all that has been gained by thu
passage of the Edmunds act
Within two years SO indictments have beef
found for polygamy and unlawful cohabita
ton. There have been % convictions ant
43 cases are how awaiting trial. The grea
increase Of business before the fedora
court at Salt Lake City resulting from th
prosecution of polygauy cases has made
necessary that the appointment of an addi
tional judge should be authorized by congress
Little hope is entertained in view of thu
past actions of the legislative assembly tha
1t will this winter provide for filling the
offices declared vacant by the Edmunds act
Not the least obstacle in the enforcement
of the law is found in the fact that the leg.
islative power is arrayed in all its force and
strength against the desires Of the people
and government and 40 helpful leg
lslation can be expected, although the
legislature is supported by the national
treasury. The commission renew all OF the
recommendations contained in Senate bill
1,2S3 (Which failed of passage in the house
OF representatives during the last session,
and in their report of last year,, and SUBJ
nit the following additional recommends
tiens:
That the term of Imprisonment for unlaw-
full cohabitation be extended to at least two
years for first and three years for the
That all persons be excluded by law from
making location or settlement on any part
Of the lands of the United States,
who shall refuse, on demand, to take
an oath before proper officers Of
the land Offices that he (if a man) does not
cohabit with more than one woman in the
marriage relation, and will support the laws
of the United States, or (if woman) that she
does not cohabit with q man having more
| than one living or divorced wife.
That the laws in reference to the imnigra-
ton of Chinese and the Importation Of con-
tract labor, pauPers and criminals be so
amended as to prevent the immigration of
persons claiming that their religion justifes
the crime of polygamy, as this
would cut eff the chief source Of supply to
the Mormon church.
The commission says that they have felt
it to be their duty to resist the general
DEMAND OF THE NoN-MoRMoNs
in that territory in that they should recon-
mend legislation that would place the exer-
else of all civil powers ia the hands of leg
| islative commission appointed by the presi-
dent until the Edmunds act had
been fairly tested. The hope had
been indulged that the Mormons
people would finally see their line Of duty
in yielding in willing aequiescence to the
law, but this result has been disappoint-
ment so far as the leaders of the church and
the principal part Of their following are
concerned. The declaration of ten repeated
during the last year by the chief
officers Of the church, that it is their deter
mination to refuse obedience to the law;
their persistent use of their great power and
influence to defeat all efforts from within
as well as from without the church to put an
end to polygamy and persecution to those
persons who desire to obey the law, have
convinced the commission that some more
decisive plan to reduce the power Of the
polygamous element, and corresponding
increase of the Federal authorities In the
civil government OF Utah should
be presented to congress at this
time for it's action. In addition
the legislative commissions plan above
referred to, two others have been suggested,
the appointment plan, making appointable
all offices now filed by election, and the
Idaho plan-disfranchising all contributors
to the
SUPPORT OF A PoLYaAausT CHURCH.
There are objections to all of those plans
and to any that cenld be devised. It may
be said for the legislative commission plan
that it is simple and direct; Of the appoint
ment plan, that all the offices,
including those of the legisla-
tive assembly, remain undisturbed,
! that they are all to be filled fron, the body
of the people, rs now by agencies nader the
control of the federal government, and that
the influence Of the same would be poten-
tial of the idaho plan, although an extreme
and more severe remedy than either OF
the others, that it reaches to the very root
of the system. Ia conclusion, says the
commission, whatever may be thought of
the suggestions, congress would certainly
render a service Of inoalculable value
to Utah, and indeed to the whole country
| if it would devise some measure whereby
these misguided people could be brought
out from under this thral ON
which has SO warped their minds and
| their conscience, that crime committed in
| the name of relision is considered By them
duty and blessing equally to those to
whom commit, and those who aid, abet, or
| l.. ~,