The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-10-03
ment of the Edmunds act. We report

ment Of the Edmunds act. The report
says that the commission on November
3, 1885, appointed a eanvassing board
OF Eve reputable citizens as a canvass
ing board. three Gentiles and two Nor
mons. This board made returns of the
votes cast for delegates to congress on
the sixth Of that month when IL was
found that John T. Game, Mormon,
had received 10, 1s3 votes, r. s. Bask-
ing, 3 ,S43, and s. II. Thurman. 5II.
Caine was therefore given certificate
of election.
Polygamy is not at the present time
openly practiced, says the report. ex-
cept. perhaps, In q few remote and out
of the way places but the non-Aormon
element insists that plural marriages
are solemnized clandestinely and prac-
ticed secretly in the larger cities aud
throughout the territory. This may,
or may not be true, the commission
neither affirms or denies this without
positive evidence all laws forbidding
the practice CT polygamy.
The report continues. The Nor
mons pronounced that unconstitutiOn-
al. There are grounds for belief, it is
stated, that polygamy is still practiced
by the church as saving ordinances
and that those who practice it are as
sured of q higher exaltation in heaven
with one wife.
Extracts are given from Mormon pa
persshowing that they still openly adyo-
cate polygamy; that teaching and
practice of polygamy have not been
discontinued as it is claimed by some,
is proven by the fact that since Sep
TENDER l, 1888, there have been in the
territory $50 convictions, for. bigamy,
adultery, fOrntcatiOn and unlawful CO.
habitatiOn and only two for bigamy,
The courts are commended for their
diligence and also for the mercy with
which their administration OF the law
has been tempered. The commission
er makes a number of recommendations
among them that jurisdiction of the
| polyRamous and several offenses with
out regard to the place committed
within the territory. be conferred on
/ the district courts; that the term Of
| imprisonment for unlawful co-habita-
ton be extended at least for two years
that it be made penal otIenSe for any
| woman TO enter into the relation with
any man known to have wife living
undivorced; that any person convicted
of unlawful co-habitation or living IN
the polygamous state shall be prohib-
tied from making a legal entry to
any public land and preventing the
immigration of persons whose religion
sanctions polygamy; that the con-
stitution should be amended so as to
forever prohibit polygamy; that con.
gress pass laws for the government
and conduct of the public SCHOOLS in
the territory of Utah; that the terri
tory be redistricted for legislative pur-
poses. The commission believes that
the limitation on prosecutions fol
polygamy and bigamy should be ex
tended and sentence to hard labor
should be added. The commission has
no doubt that punishment of women
for voluntarily entering into the pOlyg
amous relation would do much to les
sen her zeal for the peculiar institution
and thus tend to remove one of thu
! strongest bulwarks. The commission
also recommends that the Chinese anC
pauper immigrants be excluded from
the territory.
In conclusion of the report. the com
mission says congress should take m
backward step or even WAIVER in thu
enforcement of laws toward the Wip
ing out of polygamy.
, The report is signed by G. .. God
, frey, chairman, r. ). Robertson ant
Alvin Saunder.