Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-19
SHALL UTAH Be ADMITTED?
The Subject Discussed Before the
Senate Territorial Committee.
A VERY SPIRITED DEBATE
Delegate Ca;nc Insists That the Appli.
cation In Made In Good Faith
Views of a GENTLE
Representative.
The Polygamy Problem,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-Thc senate COM
mittee on territories gave hearing to-day
upon the admission of Utah as state, to ex-
Senator Mcdonald, who discussed the legal
features OF the case and argued that the
power Of congress to compel submission to
any regulation with regard to the marriage
relation was not impaired by the admission
Of Utah as a state. He claimed congress had
no right to keep territory out of the union
Of states after its people had fulfilled the
conditions and complied with the require
ment prescribed for admission.
The committee took u recess Mt 2 o'clock,
after which Delegate Caine and Judge Jere-
miah Wilson addressed the committee on the
subject.
DELEGATE Caine said the people of Utah had
on four separate occasions asked admission.
One obstacle was polygamy. There was but
one point In the constitution adopted about
which there could be any question and that
the honest views of the 3,295 men who voted
to ratify it. This section makes pOlygamy
and bigamy misdemeanors, punishable by fine
and Imprisonment. He declared upon his
honor, as a God-fearing man, that the people
of Utah did deliberately and unreservedly
adopt that section in good faith as the law OF
the land and intended to enforce it in the
new state. Mr.. Caine defended his coreli-
gionists Of Utah against the charges brought
by various writers.
Those who oppose statehood for Utah, he
continued, care nothing for the religion or
morals of the Mormons. 1t is their politics
which they oppose. If you satisfy them you
must disfranchise every Mormon on account
of his religious belief.
Judge jeremiah Wilson also addressed the
committee. He eulogized the people Of Utah.
The Mormons had never broken II promise
nor betrayed trust and therefore their sim
cerity in this matter ought not to be ques-
toned.
Delegate Dubuis, of Idaho, addressed the
committee in opposition to the petitions for
admission. He admitted the population Of
Utah to be sufficient so far as numbers go to
entitle the territory to statehood, but de-
clared that this population was mainly. i'm
ported directly from Europe by the Mormon
church. Even with an inefficient police force
the number of arrests was enormously dis
proportionate to the population and the vast
Utah had been blessed with a superior
| climate and soil. She lay on a
direct line between the east and California
United with such advantages her taxable
wealth only aggregated S}5, ,OOO, 600, S5OOO,OOO
of which was railroad property not owned in
Utah, and $4,000, 600 Of which belonged to
the 10000 gentle inhabitants of that terri
tory. Her taxable wealth averaged only Sl57
per capita, while in neighboring territories it
ranged from $500 to 300. He asked to be
practice of Brigham Young or Joseph Taylor
was now admitted to have been wrong; and
argued that the course of the Mormons in
the future could be best judged by their past
| Crime was now ripe in Utah and the criminals
had the sympathy of the entire Mormon peo-
pie. If any reform was promised,
any abstenton from the practices pronounced
| by law to be criminal, the man who promised
| it was ostracised. The legislature refused
| to make provisions for the arrest and punish
ment of criminals and the United States gov
| ernment was compelled to bear the burden of
the local government of the territory The
new constitution was half trick, half a lie.
and those who presented it did not come as
free men to free men, but, with cring,
| ing and cowardice, proposed to bind
themselves for the future in a
way which was required of no. other state.
| The territory could not come in under this
constitution as an equal and the provision
against the amendment of her constitution
was therefore either entirely negatory or en-
| tirely wrong The gentiles did not believe
| two years OF statehood would elapse before
the constitution would be changed to meet
| the views of the church.
The committe adjourned for the day.