Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-11-03

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 q
man) does not cohRbit with more than
one woman in the marriage relation, and
will support the laws of the United
States, or Cf woman) that she does
not cohabia with man having more
than one living or divorced wife; that
the laws in reference to the immigration
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
lustities the crime of polygamy, as this
would cut off the chief source OF supply
TO the Mormon church The commits
sion say that they have felt it to be their
duty to resist the general demand cf
the non-Mcrmons in the territory, in
that they should recommend legislation
that would place the exercise of all
civil powers, ID the hands of legisla-
tive commission appointed by the presi-
dent until the Edmunds act had been
fairly tested. The hope had been in
dulged that the Mormon people would
finally see their line of dHty IN yielding
in willing acquiescence to the law, but
the result has been disappointment, so
far as the leaders of the church and the
principal part of their following are con-
cerned. The declaration often repeated
during the past year by the chief officers
OF the church that it is their determine.
tion to refuse obedience to the law. their
persistent use OF their great power and
influence to defeat all efforts from
within as we'll as from without the
church to put an end to polygamy and
persecution to those persons who desireto
| obey the law, have convinced the COM
mission that some more decisive plan to
reduce the power of the polygamous ele-
ment, and corresponding increase of
the federal authority in the civil govern.
ment of Utah, should be presented 10
congress at this time for Its action. In
addition to the legislative commission
plan above referred to, two others have
been sugRested-the appointment plan,
making appointive all offices now filed
by election, and the Idaho plan, dis
franchlsing all contributors to the sup
port of a polygamist church. There are
objections to all of those plans, and to
any that could be devised. 1t may be
said for the legislative commission plan
that oil the offices, including those of
the Legislative assembly remain undis-
turbed, that they are all to be filled
from the body of the people as now by
agencies under the control of the federal
government and that the influence OF
the same would be potential; 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. Whatever may be
thought of the suggestions, congress
would certainly render a service of in.
calculable 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 thraldom which has 30 warped their
minds and their conscience. that crime
committed in the name of religion Is
considered by them duty and bless
ling equally to those who commit and
those who aid, abet or defend its COM
mission.