The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-02-22
Plea for Statehood,


Committee on Territories gave hearing
to-day upon the admission OF Utah as a
State, Mr.. Franklin Richards, of Salt
Lake Ciiy, described the barrenness of the
country when the settlers first entered, and
the wonderful prodGc.ivensss. prosperity
and wealth which have resulted from Tn cir
diligence anG enterprise. This gzs G a1'a
fifth petition Tor admission. AID a. tie
eldest OF The Territories e VA hoped ia =
her appeal would be needed. She had
reached point beyond which progress
unesT a Territorial Govern rrt was i'm
possible. 1t had been objected that the
Mormons were polygamists. As a matter
OF fact, not more than two per cent. of
them ever were polygamists, and less than
one and half per cent. were polygsmists
now. Time was rapidly solving the prob
lem. The members of the Constitutional
convention took osths against polygamy,
Spd adopted constitution which made
polygamy or bjgsmy crime. hespeaker
reed the paragraph of the constitution pro.
viding that the anti-polyEamous sections
shall never be repealed or changed without
the assent Of Congress and the President,
and Senator Butler queried: You don't
expect Congress 10 act favorablY upon such
proposition, do your | for one say
frankly and emphatically 1 will not vote
Tor II. DO not believe Congress or the
President should have anything TO do with
changing State constitution.
Senator Stewart, asserting, said he did not
think Congress bad a right to make treaty
with State or Territory.
Mr.. Richards said that whatever might
be the opinion of the committee, the pro-
vision at least demonstrated the good faith
of the men, who formed the constitution,
10 co sll IN their power, ii permitted, to
bring Utah into harmony with the
country: The people of Utah! recog.
nized thst the country required it,
and they wished to meet the requirement.
They, however, proposed to accomplish ii
by more humane methods than those pro-
vided dy the present laws. He sketched
the cases of the Mormons, who have been
tried and convicted by the courts, and
showed by what he declared to be the indIs-
putable facts, that the parties were lille.
courts unable to produce evidence Of lille
gal c0-habitation, in fact had invented
constructive CO habitstion, and convicted
aud punished the offenders for this.
Members of the committee asked If the
stories, es Mr.. Richards relatec them, en-
bodied facts which we're conceded by the
prosecution.
Mr.. Richards could not say what would
be conceded, but said he stated what he
having been present as counsel for the de.
fense-Bnew TO be the truth.
ItHas proposed by Senator Plat and
others that the names of the prosecuting
ofhcers be taken with a view to INQUIRE of
them as to THAR version OF the matter, and
with this understap ding, the witness pro-
oeeded. Touching the marriage relation,
ne said much Interpretation existed By
n a # A.
tial" with plural" marriage. He ex-
planned the difference at great length. and |
read the Mormon revelations on the point. |
A celestial marriage might or might not |
be plural marriage. Under both, how |
ever, cohabitatlon with more than one |
wife was permitted. The celestial mar.
risge was made for time and for eternity. |
It was Lot true that plural celestial mar ]
riages was eDjoined upon the Mormons, i
the fact being that ii was merely permitted. |
There was no union of church and State. |
The tithing features OF the Mormon rsve!a- |
tion were originally for the government OF |
the community in Missouri. They were /
however, held by many Mormons to be |
binding now; but there was new no legal |
re requirements that tithes be paid. Contri- |
buttons were volunteered.
Answering the charge that Utah was
governed by hierarchy, he said there was
no such thing in the sense named. BE /
read from the doctrine and covenants of |
the church, the declaration avowing com,
plete distinction between civil and re, |
ligious authority, and went on to show /
that the church government went no |
further than the Withdrawal of fellowship
FOR traDsl ression. The kingdom of God |
YVES only 20 rule on earth when Christ
should reign supreme.
Ex SENATOR NJ DoEALD's VIEW.
Ex Senator Mcdonald followed Mr..
Richards, discussing the legal features of |
the case and arguing that the power of |
Congress to compel submission to any regu.
lstivns with regard 70 marriage relations