The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-07


istration, said that Congress, meaning the
House and Senate both, bad net been for several
administrations in the bands Of the Republican
party.
Mr.. Vest said the Senate had been and for a
part of the time every committee was in the
! hands of the Republicans.
Mr.. Hoar remarked that that was when Sen
ator Davis was President of the Senate He
mr.. Hoarl did not wish to claim that up to the
time stated either party specially in favor of
the civil-service bil the civiiservice cause was
growth. The Democratic platform on which
Mr.. Cleveland had been elected had declared for
that cause
Mr.. Vest said that President Cleveland had
honestly and conscientiously endeavcred to
carry out every particle of the pledge made by
him to the people of the United States before his
election. and he Mr. Vest was astonished that
any complaint Of him in that regard should come
from Republican. 1t was certain that much
complaint had come from Democrats because he
had not made removals enough
The debate then closed, and on motion Of Mr.
Hale the communication of the Postmaster gen
eral was referred to the committee on civil-serv-
ice reform.
Among bills introduced and appropriately re-
ferred. was one by Mr.. Hoar to fix the time of
the meeting of Congress. It fixes the time for
the meeting of 1886, and every second year
thereafter, on the first Monday in October, and
in 1887. and every second year thereafter on the
second Monday in November. In introducing
the bill, Mr.. Hoar said that all must concede
that the business of the country was increasing so
fast that longer sessions OF Congress were neces-
sary.
Mr.. Gray called up Mr.. Becks recent resolu-
ton of inquiry regarding the payment of Gus
toms duties in coin and the application of the
coin to the purposes Of the sinking fund, etc.
The resolution having been read, MIR. Gray said
he would vote for it. but for reasons very differ
emit from those which actuated Mr. Beck. He
then reviewed the history of coinage legislation,
arguing against further coinage of silver.
Mr.. Mcpherson followed, and spoke in much
the same strain TO show that business was
already becoming alarmed at our course with re-
gard to silver, Mr.. Mcpherson read a letter from
the manager of the Liverpool. London g. Globe
insurance Company, stating that the company,
in view of the great uncertainty with regard to
the coinage, had decided to make no further
loans except on the specific agreement Of their
repayment in gold coin.
On the conclusion of Mr.. McPnerson's re-
marks, Mr. Brown gave notice that to morrow
he would ask to be heard on the resolution of
Mr. Beck.
Mr. Hoar called attention to the anomalous
condition of business in the Senate there being
several important bills already reported from
committees, which bills were being delayed by a.
silver debate, which would have to be repeated
when the finance committee should come to re-
port a bill dealing with the coinage
On motion of Mr.. Edmunds the Senate then
took up the Utah bin, the pending question be-
ing Mr.. Hears motion to strike out the section
that would disfranchise the women of Utah.
Mr.. Brown expressed himself as opposed to
woman suffrage, and said that if the question
was brought up in his own State. he would vote
against it, but as the question before the Senate
affected a right already given to the women of
Utah by the laws of that Territory he Mr..
Brown would vote for Mr.. Hears motion.
A vote having been reached on the amend
ment it was rejected-yeas III, nays 81. The
Senators voting yea were Messrs. Aldrich, Blair,
Brown, CALI Dawes, Dolph, Hoar. Mitchell Of
Oregon, Palmer, Stanford and Teller
The section DISTINGUISHING the women re-
mains a part of the bill. An amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. Edmunds was agreed to, providing
that marriages within, but not including the
fourth degree of consanguinity, shall be deemed
incestnous, and punishable by Imprisonment.
Mr.. Van Wyck offered an amendment dispens-
ing with the Utah Commission so called. The
duties of that body could, he said, be just as
well performed by army officers at extra ex-
pense to the government and his amendment
provided that a board of three officers of the
army should perform the duties now vested in
the commission. He denounced the extrava-
gance of the commission, and insisted it had
been of no use to Utah or to the United States.
The commission, he said, had half-dozen clerks
Mir. Voorhees, denied this, and challenged Mr.
Van Wyck to prove his statement.
Mr.. Van Wyck. in reply, read from list in
his hands the names of seven clerks and JAM
tor.
Mr.. Voorhees, remarked that these were not
regularly employed clerks. but had been
ployed Temporarily. to meet an emergency. He
thought he knew the reason for Mr.. Van Wycks
attack on the Utah Commission
Mr.. Van Wyck thought Mr.. Voorhees, had
better unburden himself on the subject before
taking his seat
time of the Senator from Nebraska.
Mr.. Van Wyck was willing that he should. It
seemed to make difference, Mr.. Van Wyck
said, whose friend was attacked"
Mr. Van Wycks amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Morgan opposed the provision fora board
of army officers to administer the affairs of the
Mormon Church. He characterized polygamy
IAN offense that stinks in the nostrils of civil
zation." He thought if anything was to be
done about it. it should be torn up, root and
branch.
Mr.. Edmunds replied that those trustees would
deal only with the prt perty of the church. The
committee had feared to abolish the whole cor
poration, which Congress had the right to do
The committee had not wished to make prece-
dent for legislative interference with religion,
apart from the feature of polygamy. Mr.. Ed
munds did not think the belief of the Mormons
greatly differed from the belief of other sects.
Mr.. Teller thought the Mormons had very lit
tie property except their temple. These trustees
would have to deal with Mormonsm in every
way. He did not believe in polygamy, but ne
would say that if we had sent the right men to
look after Utah, polygamy would have been
dead. We had sent men there who irritated
and prosecuted the people of Utah. 1t was by
our prosecutions that We had kept polyg-
amy alive. Religious enthusiasm had done
much for civilization, but we could not forget
that two thirds of the people of the world to day
believed in polygamy Great Britain had never
put its hands on the polygamists within its do
minion. The Mormons had their faults. 1t
could not be expected that men who had married
wives thirty years ago could put them aside now
as so many prostitutes and declare their children
bastards. The bill under consideration he looked
on as full of blood. 1t was too severe We
should handle the great evil existing in Utah
with a velvety hand. Men who did not believe in
polygamy. he said, had, by the severity of our
government been driven into condition of op-
position to the policy of the people of the United
States.
Mr. Edmunds denied that there was anything
oppressive in the bill. 1t was simply an attempt
to cut off the one-man power existing among
the people of Utah. He would not discuss the
crimes committed, whether at Nauvoo or in
ITrah hut Mnrrnn could b.