The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-08-26
GAINES SPEECH
In Defense Of the
Mormon People.
HE SIZES DUBOIS UP
And Tells of Utah's Present
Status
POLYGAMY is A DEAD ISSUE.
Our Delegates Argument In Favor
of the Substitute
Resolution.
HE SIZES DUBOIS UP
is A DEAD ISSUE
Our Delegates Argument In Favor
of the Substitute
Resolution.
Mr Gaines Speech.

WAsH1H6ToN, D. o., August 20
T3peciaI to The HERALD I'm the House
to-day. on the consideration of the
substitute for Delegate Dubois resolu-
ton calling for the number of pardons
granted persons convicted OF polyga-
NOUS practices in U tab and Idaho,
Delegate Game, of Utah, supported the
substitute resolution, saying that it
was perfectly plain that the original
resolution was for political purposes.
He earnestly favored the adoption of
the substitute reported by the COM
mittee, which would bring forth infor-
nation showing conclusively that the
pardon:rg power had been exercised only
in few cases, where the facts were such
as to Justify leniency, being the cases
of old and feeble men. He claimed
also that the information called for
would demonstrate under whose Ad-
ministration the laws had been most
rigidIy enforced. He pointed out the
fact that when the law of 1882 was con-
sidered by Congress, it was destined
understandingly that persons who had
contracted polygamous relations before
the law against polygamy was affirmed
by the Supreme Court, should not pc
disturbed, and the sixth section OF the
law of 1882 gave the President the power
to grant amnesty to certain class OF
offenders, but this had never been
done. No amnesty had been granted,
and the law had been enforced in the
most vigorous manner. The applica-
tions for pardon which had been favor
ably considered by the President. were
in all csses recommended by the United
States District Attorney, and generally
by non- Mormons. He declined to no.
tice the criticism upon the Presidents
action, or to reply to
THE INTEMPERATE REMARKS
of the Delegate from Idaho. He
briefly reviewed the efforts of the people
of Utah during thespast two years to
settle the so-called Mormon question
and bring that much abused Ter
ritory INFO harmony with the
rest of the nation. In doing
this. he traced the history of the Nor
mons from Nauvoo, describing what
thew had 10 endure in their migration
to Salt Lake Valley, and sketched the
growth of the Territory of Utah from
Inc first settlement of the Mormons to
the present time-a community num-
bering 100000 people. with material
possessions worth at least $25c, 900 GOO.
He said it was community with less
percentage of foreign born population
than many other Territories; that the
general morality, industry, sobriety
and thrift Of the people excite the ad-
mlration of every unprejudiced traveller.
There was not, on the earth, another
community where so many owned their |
own homes. where there were no aims
houses and no necessity OF any, !
where there was practically no county,
municipal or Territorial indebtedness.
He showed that it had been proven in
judicial proceedings that the Mormon
Church no longer gave
PERMISSION FOB PLURAL MARRIAGES;
called attention to the fact that the
Territorial legislature had declared in
favor of the just, humane and i'm
partial enforcement of the laws of the
United States against polygamy and
had enacted most stringent marriage
law.
Dealing at some length with the
constitution, under which Utah asked
admission to the Union, Mr.. Game |
pointed out tbs provisions iDcorpor-
ated therein, forever prohibiting polyg
amy and claimed that in adopt
ing the work of the conVen-
ton, the great body of the
Mormon people of Utah put them
selves squarely on record, and that |
it was the merest clap-trap to say that |
they were not sincere in so doing. He |
showed what very small percentage |
of the population those who had beer ,
IN polygamy were, and that this class
WERE FOREVER D1sFRANcH1sED
by the laws of the United States; that
before any citizen could vote he had to
swear that he had not violated the laws
of the United States against bigamy,
polygamy or unlawful cohabitation,
and that they did not mean to. Here
ferred to the fact that their opponents
were reticent to abandon the cry against
polygamy, which had served them SO
well in the past, and were now insist
ing that the great danger was the union
of church and state. In controverting
this. Mr.. Game quoted not only from
the preamble and constitution adopted |
by the Mormons, which declares thsre !
shall never be any union OF church and /
<etate, but from the doctrine OF the
church, as follows:
"We do not believe it Just to miugle |
religious influence with civil govern
ment, whereby enc religious society is |