The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-23

The following article is found in the
San Francisco Aita-Caiifor1lid. Major
Walker is well and favorsbly known in
Salt Lake as a very nice, old gentleman.
but some features of the statements he
makes viii induce his friends TO believe
that In this instance he is talking solely
for the sake of sound"
Among the recent arrivals at the
Palace Hotel are Major Robert O..
Walker. of Helena, Montana, and Mr..
Salisbury and wife, of Salt Lake City.
Mr.. Salisbury is Of the firm OF Gilmer
e. Salisbury, mail contractors. and one
of the best known citizens OF Salt Lake.
Mrs. Salisbury is niece OF the famous
Republican chieftain, James G.. Blaine.
her father, Major Walker. having mar
RED a sister of that distinguished
leader. Major Walker is retired army
officer. and a most affable and courte-
ols gentleman, whose training and
education have been such as to lend the
weight of authority 10 whatever opin-
ions he may express on questions OF
public moment. To an Altd reporter,
who had the pleasure of meeting him
Yesterday, Major Walker said that his
trip. and that he should return in few
DAYS to his home in Helena. Montana.
Major Walker has spent some time
lately in Salt Lake City, and in CONVEX
sa-ion relative to the Mormon question,
and in response TO several queries put
by the reporter, he said: lin regard TO
the Mexican colonization scheme pro-
jected by the leaders of the Mormon
chuch, it is a mistaken idea to think
that a general exodus OF the Saints
from Utah to Mexican Territory is
The facts are that by the
payment of $500, 900, the Mormon
church acquired the title in fee simple to
an immense tract OF land in Chihuahua.
ana secured the lease of an additional
tract three hundred miles wide and
seven hundred miles long, running
clear down to the Gulf. This land is
secured at a stated rate of payment, the
Mexican government having stipulated
to sell the land at $500 for every leo
acres. and make the sales only to Nor
mons.
1T is pretty well understood in Salt
Lake that the leaders of the church
have been guaranteed By the Mexican
tice polygamy without fear of any
interference. 1t is only
those Mormons, or rather. principally
those Mormons who desire to enjoy
plurality of matrimonial JOYS, who viii
emlgrate to the Mexican colony. Al
ready some seven hundred and fifty
families have gone into Mexico, and il
is well understood now that the church
has given out that no more polygamy
can be carried on In Utah, and that
those who wish TO indulge in that prac-
ice must go 70 Mexico. The great
majority of the Mormons are not'polvg-
but OF course they look upon
the arrests and prosecutions of their CO.
on charges of praciicing
po,ygamy as nothing less than persecu-
lions. II was some little time before
the distinction made by the
Edmunds Act between polygamy and
unlawful cohabitation. A charge of
can be brought against a
man who may have made plural mar
rage three years Pnor 70 the prefer
ment of the charge.
A charge of unlawful cohabitation
can be brought against any man who
was married TO a plurality Of wives be-
fore the passage of the Act and who
persists in living with more than one of
those wives. Such q charge can be
brought once n week, or oftener, pro
viding the allegation can be sustained.
I was in Salt Lake City when Governor
West arrived; and. by the way. one of
the illustrated New York papers re-
cantly published = picture of the new
which Is libel Governor
West is a pleasant, mild-mannered gen.
tieman. and not at all the bluff, puglis
parsonage depicted by that
wood-cut. The municipal authorities.
who are the Mormons. rendered him a
reception and ball upon his arrival,
and presented him the freedom of the
siry. The reception was attended by
the MormoRs and a few Gentiles. An
address OF welcome was made by some
one, and in response Governor West de-
livered a brief and fslicitous address,
stating. however, very unequivocally,
that he had come 10 Utah to enforce
the laws. There was not much encour-
agement for the Mormons in what he
said. The Saturday following the mu-
nicipal ball. Mr.. and Mrs. Salisbury
rendered Governor West a reception,
which was attended by the Gentiles."
Quite a number of Salt Lake people
are now in this city. and gentleman
whom an Alta reporter CHANGED to meet
yesterday. but who for business rea-
sons would not allow the use of his
name. spoke of the polygamy question
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