The Clifton clarion., 1886-01-13
Senator Edmunds' New POlysamy y
 TSiII

If Senator Edmunds had not made any other record in his Con gressional career his persistent fight against the Mormons would have entitled him to public honor. His original bill, which has become 8 law, not satisfying him in its operation agalnst polygamy, he has now prepared a fresh one, which covers some of the weak points in the existing law, and which will be likely to make his name stench in the Mormon nos trils, as it goes down to the roots of polygamy. Under its provisions, in any prosecution for bigamy, polygamy, or unlawful cohabita- ton, the husbands or wives of the accused are made competent wit nesses, and, more than this, are compelled to testify. Every mar riage ceremony in the Territory must be accompanied by certi- fcate, as among decent people, to make 1t valid, and the record of marriages must be open at all times to the inspection Of United States officials. It annuls the law of Utah which now provides that actions for adultery can only be com menced on complaint of the hus- band or wife. It also provides penalties for adultery or forni- cation. Itannuls the powers which have been granted to Probate Courts to have jurisdiction over matters that do not belong to such courts and dlsinherits all illegiti- mate children. These are hard blows at polygamy, for the new bill does away entirely with the secret marriage business, which the Mormons have practiced so long and by means of which they have been enabled to evade prosecutions or to thwart them by making it impossible for the prosecutors to prove their allegations. If this bill becomes law, as 1t should, all marriages in Utah will be as public as they are in Illinois and the re- cords of such marriages will as easily be attainable It will also close up other loopholes by which Mormons have heretofore escaped when prosecutions. have been brought against them. In word they will be in tue grasp of the flaH 8h;ch is.ampla in its proais- ions for the obtaining Of testimony. Another stalwart blow at poly gamy and the power of the Mor- mon Church Is the provision which annuls the present registration system adopted by the church, by which 1t has packed the polls with Mormon voters to the exclusion of the Gentiles, and entirely dis franchises female voters. The most rabid advocates of woman suffrage will hardly object to this provision. The Mormon Legis- lature enfranchised women for no other purpose than to protect polygamy. It gave the Mormons in the Territory all the way from two to twenty times the voting power of the Gentiles, in propor- ton to the size of their harems and as the Mormon women are in every way subject to their hus bands they voted as they were bidden and always in the interest: of polygamy, whatever may have been their feelings in regard to it
 The most important provision however, is that which concerns the existence of the Mormon Church as corporation under the authority of the Legislature of what was originally known as the State of Deseret. It provides as follows:
 "That all acts of the Utah Leg islature recognizing the corpora ton known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ano the ordinances of the so-callec General Assembly of the State oi |
 Deseret incorporating this body are annulled, so far as they may preclude the appointment by the President of fourteen trustees ot the corporation, who shall have all the powers provided for in the law creating the said corporation that the Legislative Assembly oi the Territory shall not have power to change the laws respecting this corporation without the approva, of Congress; that it shall be the duty of the Attorney General ot l tho TTnitn5 Statoc +0 ;nctituto onc