Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-12
UTAH'S COMMISSIONERS
concentrations to Secretary
Lamar.
P0lygamOus Marriages Nearly SuS.
pended Owing TO the Active En-
fOrcement OF the Edmunds
Inv.
But II the Legislature Will Not Fall
Into Line Legislative Commits
sion Should be Appointed.


concentrations heretofore made, and T.
present Others for additional legislation il
the nature of amendments to the existing
laws for the suppression of polygamy whicl
a thorough, continuous and careful investi
CATION has commended to our Judgment.
The usual annual revisions of the Utal
registration lists for the present year wer,
duly and thoroughly made at the time ant
in the manner and form prescribed in tn,
local registration law by officers appointed
by this Board, and the general election fol
lowing such revisions was held
ON THE BIZ DAY OF AUGUST LAST
The principal officers chosen at that election
| were Commissioners to locate University
Lands, members of the Council and House
of Representatives of the Legislative AS
sembly, also county and precinct officers
| throughout the Territory.
| In a few election precincts votes were cast
for the office of Territorial Superintendent
OF District Schools, but were not canvassed
by, the canvassing board because in the
the opinion of the Attorney General of the
United States, the Office can only be filled
by appointment of the Governor subject to
confirmationby the Legislative Council. No
person living in the practice of polygamy
was allowed to register or vote, nor was any
such person elected or commissioned to any
ONCE at this nor Mt any previous election
held under the supervision of the Com
mission.
This point therefore has been surely
reached that the name of polygamist cal,
not now be found upon the registration lists,
and
NONE OF THIS CLASS ARE HOLDING OFFICE.
Nevertheless, it is true that nearly all the
officers chosen at the last election, as in the
others to which reference is made, are Nor
mons who, while they do not actually live in
poiygamy, subscribe to the doctrine of
polygamous marriages-marriage as a d.
vine revelation-a law unto all-higher and
more binding upon the conscience than any
human law, local or national. One yery
notable exception, however, to this general
rule was furnished in the last election in the
county of Summit. In this county the en-
tire non Mormon ticket was elected, and
among the officers thus chosen was n mem
Der of the House of Representatives of the
Legislative Assembly. He is the first person
not member. of the Mormon church, and
opposed to their system, who has been
elected in many years.
THE SUITS FOR DAMAGES.
y, In former report we called attention to
the fact that number of suits for damages
were instituted in 1882 against the Commits
sion by certain Mormon citizens whose
names had been excluded from registration
and who were not permitted to vote. The
District Court decided these cases against
the plaintiffs, and on appeal to the Supreme
Court of the Territory, these decisions were
affirmed. An appeal having been taken by
the plaintiffs to the Supreme Court of the
United States, the decisions of the Court
below were sustained as to the members of
the Commission. While the opinion deliv-
cred by the Supreme Court in these cases
somewhat restricted the number of those
who were excluded from suffrage by the Com
mission, yet it proved to be timely and
valuable Interpretation of the law-affirm.
ing the constitutionality of the fact and
settling the meaning of several provisions
which were Of doubtful and difficult con-
struction.
NUMBER OF PLURAL MARRIAGES.
In our report for 1884 we stated that there
had been an increase in the number of plural
marriages during that year, placing the 40
gregate number of males and females who
had entered that relation as nearly as could
be ascertnlned at 459. According to the hest
Information we have been able to obtain,
there have been very few polygamous mar
riages during the present year. 1t would
not, however, be prudent to consider this
other than u suspension of the practice, re-
sultlng from rigorous enforcement of the
law IN all Its parts, and not an actual sur
render occasioned by general and decided
change OF sentiment regarding the doctrine
itself. Indeed, if all operations under the
present law by the Commission and the
II N
hating, hesitating, uncertain policy should
take the place of the rigorous one now in
active force, it is altogether probable that
plural marrying would again become very
general in Utah. The firm attitude of the
the faithful and energetic exc
cution OF the law, the recommendations of
the Commission for additional legislation
advancing step by step as the exigencies of
the case seemed to demand, the fearless
prosecutions of offenders in the courts, all
sustained and encouraged by an almost
unanimous public sentiment throughout the
country, have exerted in the past year a re-
pressive influence upon the Mormon peonle
never before experienced by them since their
in Utah. The evidence of this
comes to us in many ways. The plea of
guilty entered in
SEVENTEEN GASES OF UNLAWFUL CONCENTRATIONS
With the assurance to the court by MANY of
the persons thus arraigned that thew would
not thereafter offend against the law them
serves, nor ADVISE, counsel aid nor abet in
any way Its violation by others; the con-
stantly increasing number of those of high
and influence in the church who
are known now to counsel full obedience To
Inc laws affecting polygamy; the vehement
exhortatlons by the high priests of the
.hurch, many OF whom are now fugitives
from justice, addressed to the faithful urging
them to live. their religion at whatever
'acrihce; the infiammatory appeals of the
newspaper organs of the church to fine
of the radical element of their
following IN which the officers of Justice |
honestly and conscientiously administering
me law are bitterly denounced, while those |
d their own members who have declared |
heir intentions in the future to obey the law |
IRE branded as traitors to their church and |
'heir people, from whom all fellowship |
should be withdrawn-all these are evidences |
d much internal agitation, and show that
Independent thought and action among fine |
people are commencing to assert themselves |
more and more.
Ihis incipient contest within the church.
however feeble ON the one side and CORES.
strong ON the other, is
N ENCOURAGING FEATURE OF THE UTAH sIruA-
TIoN.
I is the fear of this which has inspired tbe
hreats OF ostracism so freely induced in Inv
ne leaders OF the church towards all who
leciare their intention to obey the laws. II
true that some who had offended and were
eady and willing when arraigned to give
to the courts that they wonld
ienceforth yield full obedience to the law.
tterwards succumbed to these assaults, and
vent TO prison rather than accept liberty al
he expense of the withdrawal of ali reli.
ious, social and business fellowship. bnt
here will be more hereafter who will accent
he law and abide by il, and fewer who viii
refer the penitentiary in order to ESCAPE tLe
of the Church, as the yiaor Of
he law is increased by additional ien;sIo
ion. 7'''"-
Every step forward by the Government
ill give more strength and courage To the
zen whose desire is to respect and obey The
w. A single step backward in legislation
! in the administration of the present law
nothing more shall be given in the way of
gislation, will help the Church to
RUSH OUT THIS GROWING SPIRIT OF oppost-
) TIoN, ,
nd perhaps lose to the movement against
olygamy all that has been gained by the q