Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-28
Is POLYGAMY DEAD 2
Digest Of the Report Of the
Utah Commission.
MORMON QUESTION ANALYzED.
Plural Marriages Still Advocated
Openly and Practiced in
Secret.
Associated Press Dispatches 10 the HERALD.


Associated Press Dispatches 10 the HERALD.
WASHINGTON. September 27.-The an.
nual report OF the Utah Commission has
been received by Secretary Noble. The
report says the commission, November
Sd, 1888. appointed a canvassing board
Of five reputable citizens, three of whom
were Geniiles and two Mormons. This
board made returns of the votes cast fol
Delegate to Congress on the h of that
month, when it was found that John T
Caine (Mormon) had received 10,127
votee, R. N. Baskiu 3,484 votes, and s.
R. Thurman 511 votes. Csine was given
certificate of election. With but one
exception, the report states, there was nc
charge of fraud in the conduct of the
election.
The commission has, continues the re.
port, followed in the footsteps of the first
Utah Commission, which recognised the
fact that Congress, in creating it, desired
to use the best endeavors to wipe out and
extipguish polygamy, and, as far as pos
sible. all polygamous influences and
tendencies. With this purpose In view
the commission, in appointing Regis.
trars of Election, selected when possible
those belonging to the nom Mormon ele-
ment. and always appointed the major
ity OF Judges of Election, two out oi
three, from the Gentle class. In come
places, however, there were no Gentiles
to fill the positions. This course, the
report states, has had the effect OF de.
creasirg the Mormon vote.
PLURAL MARRIAGES.
Touching the question of polygamy the
report says: Poygamy is not, at the
present time openly practiced, except
perhaps in few remote and out -of-ths.
way places; but the nor-Mormon ele-
ment insists thBt plural marriages are
soIemnized clandestinely and practiced
secretly in the larger centers and through
out the Territory. This may or may not
be true. The commission neither aft rms
nor denies it in the absence Of positive
evidence. Doubtless many members OF
the Norman church never have practiced
and never intend to practice polygamy,
and perhaps many OF them per Sc DO not
believe of the practice, but from the
stendpoi1 in their faith and creed they
accept it as a revelation from God
through the prophet, seer and revelator,
Joseph Smith, ratified and approved by
the great President Brigham Young, and
that wtosoever desires to do so should
have the right to comply with this ordi-
nance of the church.
All laws forbidding the practice of
polyRamy, the report continues, the
Mormons pronounce unconstitutional
There are grounds for belief, it is stated,
that polygamy is still taught by the
church as saving ordinance, and that
those who practice it are assured OF
higher exaltation in heaven than those
who content themselves with one wife.
POLYGAMY STILL ADVOCATED.
Extracts are given from Mormon pa
pers. showing that they still openly ad-
vocate polygamy. That the teaching and
practice OF polygamy have not been dis
continued, as claimed by some, is proved,
the report says, by the fact that since
September J.. 1888, there have been in
the Territory OF Utah 357 convictions for
bigamy, adultery, fornication and unlaw-
ful cohabitation, and only two for polyg-
amy. If plural marriages are now cole
brated, says the report, it ia done in the
secret chambers of the Temple. If
polygamy is practiced it is with the se-
crecy with which the burglar guards his
house breaking, aud the thief his lar
cenies. Those who are convicted CT
polygsmy regard themselves and are re-
garded by their friends as martyrs, and
think it no disgrace to be sent to the
penitentiary. The courts are COM
mended for their vigilance, and also for
the mercy with which their mandates
are tempered.
The commission, in view of the pres
ent condition of the Territory as regards
polygsmy, does not think that Utah
should be admitted as a State. Should
1t be, the commission says, it would not
be long before the Gentle element, with
its advanced civilization, it's trade and
traffic, would be driven from the Terri
tory and Mormon theocracy be made
supreme.
TINE COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS.
The commission makes q number OF
recommendations, among them that the
Jurisdiction of all polygsmous and sexual
ofenses, without regard to place, COM
mitted within the Territory, be conferred
on the District Courts; that the term of
imprisonment for unlawful cohabitation
be extended to at least two years for the
first, and three years for the second of.
Tense; that it be made penal offense for
anywoman to enter into the marriage rela.
tion with any man knowing,him to have q
wife living, undivorced, coupled, how
ever with the provision that in cases
where pologamous wife is called as q
witness against her husband, her testi-
mony could not be used in any future
prosecution against her, and like
provision as to the husband ;
that a person who refuses
to take oath that he or she is not cohab-
iting with moro than one husband or wife
In the marriage relation, as the case may
be, shall be excluded from making loca-
tion and settlement upon public lands
that the laws with reference to the i'm.
migration of Chinese and the importation
Of contract labor, paupers and criminals,
be so amended as to prevent the immi-
grafton of persons claiming that thei,
religion justifies the crime of polygsmy
that the Constitution ehould be amended
80 as to further prohibit polygamy; that
alaw should be enacted creating board, to
consist of the Governor the Utah Commits
sion and Secretary of the Territory, to
apportion Salt Lake City into aldermanic
and councilmapic districts.
1t also recommends that the commits
sion be authorised, in its discretion, to
cause to be made annually new regis