The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-20

slOus LII ouppOIL VI tuiS oUOWluS n0
cited the committee to the fact that
tions in Utah, together with the fact
| that the law officers were armed with
unusual powers to arrest offenders, to
say nothing of the further fact that the
officers were endowed with the commits.
sion fee system which stimulated their
desire to hunt down offenders; yet, not
withstanding all this, the Attorney
General in his latest report could only
say since 1882
Blk LONG YEARS OF PROSECUTION,
most of that time waged in the spirit of
hostility and malice-that ten cases of
polygamy were recorded in the courts
of Utah. The speaker disposed of the
cry of Church and State as unworthy
of serious notice; 81 ch thing did not
exist except, perhaps, in the fertile
Imagination of active politicians who
were forced to that conclu sion because
the Mormon voters were unwilling to
use their franchise to clothe them and
their class with political power. This
was all there was to it, which, have
no doubt, some of the committee were
already con vinced Of.
A very interesting part of Mr.. Rich
ards argument was now reached +,
namely, his reference to that part of
| Governor Vests late report to the Sec
rotary of the Interior setting forth how
| the Mormon Church influence entersd
the domain of finance, as we'll as poll
tics, in that non-Mormons could not
become stockholders of u. @. M. l.,
that they were prescribed on account of
| their religious status The speaker here
produced the affidavit of Mr.. Weber,
| the present superintendent, which Ger
| titles the fact that non-Mormons
(naming whom and stating the amount
of stock they hold) are stockholders.
| And by way of disproof of another
EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT OF THE
GOVERNOR
IN his late report in reference to the gas
company incorporation, that the Nor
mon Church built and operated gas
works, the speaker produced Mr.. Eller-
beck's denial of the same as already
published in THE HERALD.
Mr.. Warner, now the commander of
the G. A. R., the Republican member in
whom the opposition Ands sympathy,
piled some questions. He asked if it
were not true that the church held one
third of the stock. The answer was
"yes"; that it had come into possession
of the same partly by donation and
partly otherwise. How much had been
donated, Mr.. Richards did not know,
but what had been donated came FROM
private parties. This silly question was
asked by one of the law making power
whose name 1 did not learn: do the
articles of incorporation show how
much of the stock is held by mem bers
of the church," The gentleman was
informed that such could not be the
case, as the corporation knew no
church. Mr.. Warner, however, was
armed with copy of the articles of in
corporation giving the names of the
seven original incorporators.
Mr.. Beskin here inquired if they were
not members of the Mormon church.
Mr.. Richards answer was that he did
not know them all, but he did not know
that any of them were non Mormons.
The manner in which Mr.. Richards
criticised Governor Vests report Aadt
evidently moved him. He very alb
ruptly broke in with the question,
That's not the original organization of
2. G. NJ. l., pointing to the articles of
incorporation referred to by Mr.. Rich
ards. When told that they were. the
Governor wanted to know if u. q. M. |.
was not in operation previous to the
time indicated by said articles. What a
PITIABLE SPECTACLE FOR THE GOVERNOR
to make of himself AS was remarked
by Mr.. Richards, the Governor no doubt
believed the stuff the agitators had
crammed him with, but is it not pity,
nevertheless, that SO prominent an Off.
cial should permit himself to be stuffed
in any such way, especially when it is
remembered that he is the successor of
Eli H. Murray
Mr.. Richards, resuming his argu
ment. criticised further the Governors
report up .he exacting powers of The
church r. members in the matter
of dollars and cents.
Mr.. Baker, no doubt, by way OF con-
6rming his own apprehensioDs, asked
the speaker if it were not compulsory
to pay tithes to the church..
mo. sir" was the answer; "tithing
is voluntary donation. Some church
members pay tenth, some much less,
and others nothing at ell. The Gov
ernor, seemingly, like a great many
other people," he said, believes all he
is told, and has therefore fallen into
eggregious errors"
The priesthood ruled the church,
was another of the Governors griev-
ances. Mr.. Richards informed the
committee that the priesthood were
composed of the members generally,
and Tor that reason he did not hesitate
to say that the Mormon Church was
the most democratic religious institu-
ton in the world. The arbitrary
power of the Governor of Utah was
then touched upon by the speaker;
and the committee were informed, per-
haps for the first time Git being generally
understood that such men take no
pains to inform themselves on matters
they are not directly interested in or
concerned about), that the Governor of
Utah could by the stroke of the pen
aunul the unanimous act of every
member of the Legislature. Not salts
fed, however, with
| THIS oNE-MAN POWER,
Governor West had modestly asked
that the privilege be granted him to fill
by his own appointment the few offices
| - III f,rr ~