The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-28
AMONG THE M0RM0NS
What the Utah Commission Has DiSc0V-
cred During the Year.


port of the Utah commission has been /
received by Secretary Noble. The report |
says the commission, on November :&l. |
1888, appointed n canvassing board OF five |
reputable citizens, three of whom were |
Gentilcs and two Morrnons. This hoard |
made returns for votes cast for delegate |
tn congress the 9th of that month when |
IL found that John +. Cainc, Nor |
mon, had received 1O,12s votes, X. y. |
Boskin 3,4S4, and l.. II. Thurman 511 |
votes. Caine was given the certificate at
election. With hut one exception. the rs'-
port states, therc was fraud i'm the con- |
duct OF the election. The commission
has, continues the report, followed i'm
the footsteps of the first Utah
commission, which recognized the
fact that congress, i'm creating il,
desired il To use it's best cnsicavors tn wipe
out and extinRuish polygamy and as far
tendencies. With this purpose in view,
OF election selected, when possible. those
belouginR to the non Mormon element.
Judges of election two out Of three, from
the Gentle class. In some places. how
ever, there were no Geniiles To MI the POI
sitions. This course, the report states,
has had the effect Of Decreasing the Nor
mon vote.
the report says .p"lygamy Is not
AT the present time openly prac-
sicS , s.Ssps 6; e., pc,nrSs in few ,.c rrss n
Mormon element insists that plural mar
riagcs are solemnizcd clan,lcstincly and
;hronehout the territory. This may or
may not he true. The commission
neither afilr'ns nor denies IL in the ai'-
seuce of positive evidence. Doubtless
| many members of the Mormon church
never have practiccd and never intend To
,a nee, no s m"s iev a In ss nrn.sice mS
but from the standpoint of their faith and
creed they accept IL as n revelation from
God through the prophet. seer and rcvela-
| tor, Joseph Smith. ratified and approved
by the great president, Brigham Young.
| and that whoever desrs,s tn do 80 should
have the right to comply with this orsii-
| All laws forhidding the practice Of y,o-
| lygamy. the report continues, the Nor
| mons pronounce elnconstit,itional. There
are grounds for belief, il is stated, that Is-
| lygamy is still taught by the church as n
saving ordinance. and that those who
nr.s;:icc y are assured OF higher cxalsa.
| tion in hcasen than thosc who con's"t
| Extracts are given from Mormon papers
showing that they still openly advocate
| y,olygaIny. That the teachings Of the
| practice of polynany have not been dis
continued. as claimed by sop,e. Is proven,
the report says. by the fact that since sep
| tember I. 1sss. there have been in the ter
| ritory of Utah 351 convictions for bigarny.
adultery, fornication and unlawful cohab-
II plural marriages are now celebrated.
| says report, il il done in the secret cham
beers Of the temple. IL polygamy is prac-
burglar guards his ho,iss,-breaking and
the thief his larcenics. Those who are
| convicted OF polygany regard themselves
and are regarded 10y their friends as mar
tyrs and think il no Disgrace to bc sent tn
the pcfitcntiary. The courts are COM
mentlst for their vigilance and also for
the merry with which the mandates are
tempered.
| The commission. i'm view Of the present
condition of the territory regards po-
| lygamy. does not think Utah should Ia
admitted as n state, and should II
he. the commission says. il would
| not he long before the Gentle cls.-
Inent with its advanced civilization.
| its trade and traffic would he driven from
| the territory and the Mormon tl,s.os.racy
be made supreme. The committee makes
| IA number of recommendations, among
them that the jurisdiction of all polyg
amo,is and several offences without re.
gard To place committed within the terri
tory. bc conferred on district courts; tina
the the term of imprisonment for unlaw
full cohahitatiou bc extended to at lcas,
two years for the first and three years foI
the second oircnsc: that IL bc mad. I.
, penal oifcn-e for any woman to enter
, into the marriage relation with AN,
man. knowing him to- have "A wifi.
] living undlivorcs.d. coupled with the pro
visioi, that in eases where TIA. polygau,on
wife is called "a witness against her hus
band her testimony could not bc used IL
I any prosecution against her. and like pro
| hat IA,