The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-07

Synopsis of the Annual Report of the Utal
Commission

commission.
WASHINGTON, Oct 6.-The Utah Commission.
by its chairman, A. B. Carleton, has filed with
the Secretary of the Interior its annual report,
of which the following is a synopsis:
During the year the law regarding the dis
| reimbursement Of polygamists and those living
in unlawful cohabitation has been fully and sue
cessfully enforced. All such persons, with very
| few. if any, exceptions, have been excluded from
voting and holding Office A large number have
been fined and imprisoned in the penltentary
| for polygamy or unlawful cohabitatioD, chiefly
| for the latter offense. 1t is reported and be-
| lieved by many resident non-Mormons that dur
| ing the year a large number of polvgamous mar
| riages have taken place in the temples of Logan
City and st. George. We have not the means
of verifying such reports vet we have no doubt
| that a considerable number Of such marriages
have been celebrated, with the knowledge, APP
| probation and active cooperation of the leading
| men of the Mormon Church. Whether upon
the whole, polygamous marriages are on
the decrease Scs a.r. Utah. o is matter
expressed, but undoubtedly many have been re-
strained by the fear of disfranchisement and the
penitentary, and we think it safe to say that,
in the more enlightened portions of the Terri
tory, as, for example Salt Lake City and its vi
cinity, very few polygamous marriages have
occurred within the last year"
Referring to the joint resolution now pending
in both houses of Congress, proposing an amend
ment to the Constitution of the United States
prohibiting and Furnishing polygamy in ali the
States and Territories, and extending the Judi
cial power Of the federal government to the
prosecution Of such offenses, the report saws:
while we are of opinion that this should not
supersede other measures we are satisfied that
it would be an efficient factor in effecting the
desired result In addition to the reasons pre-
sented by the judiciary committee, we suggest
that the incorporation of this provision in the
Constitution would serve as an advertis en- emit
to the people of all civilized nations that in tho
United States, polygamy had been put under a
ban in the most authoritative and emphatic
manner
The report calls attention to the magnitude of
the evil by saying that there are more than 2OO-
600 Mormcns in the world, large majority of
whom live in Utah, ana that while only portion
of them practice polygamy, they all believe in it
as divine revelation. that have been taught in
their schools and churches for third of CEN
fury, are led by men of great skill and ability
and are fanatical to a marked degrees that the
only Immediately effective remedy would be the
use of the military, but that the sense of modern
civilization will not permit the employment of
bayonets against women and children. Yet the
American people regard polygamv as a crime
and it cannot be ignored by the government.
The report says:
"Here We may say that while we recognize
the obligation of the government to protect the
personal property rights of the Mormon people,
and to deal with them as equals before the law
yet it is equally the duty of the government to
punish crime within its jurisdiction. and reig-
ious liberty cannot be pleaded as bar to pun
ishment for criminal in violation of the laws
of the land and of social order. If present laws
and the proposed constitutional amendments are
not sufficient to suppress the evil. more stringent
enactments must be adopted, and the result will
L. - A.
barbarism, this blot on the fair fame of America
will be swept from the land"