Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-10-04
UTAH COMMISSION REPORT.
Some Facts Regarding the Practice
of POlYgamY.

Some Facts Regarding the Practice
of Polygamy.
The annual report of the Utah commission
has been received by Secretary Noble This
commission, under authority of congress-
has general supervision of all elections in
the territory, and specially intrusted with
the enforcement of the "Edmunds Tucker
act" of March 3, 1887 The report, touch
ing the question of polygamy, says: "Poyg-
amy is not at the present time openly prac-
ticed, except perhaps in a few remote and
out-of-theway places, but the non
Mormon elements insist that plural
marriages are solemnized clandestinely
and practiced secretly in the
larger centers and throughout the territory.
Doubtless many members of the Norman
church never have practiced and never in
tend topractice, polygamy, and, perhaps
many of them per SO do not believe in the
practice, but from the standp ont of their
faith and creed, they accept it as a revea-
ion from God through the prophet seer and
revelator, Joseph Smith, ratified and ap-
proved by their great president, Brigham
Young, and that whoever desires to do so
should have the right to comply with this
ordinance Of tn church, All laws for
bidding the practices of polygamy the Nor
mons pronounce unconstitutional. There
are grounds for belief, it is stated, that
polygamy is still taught by the church as n
saving ordinance, and that those who prac-
tiss it are assured of higher exaltation in
heaven.
The courts are commended for their vigi-
lance and also for the mercy with which its
mandates are tempered. The commission
in view of the present condition of the terri
tory as regards polygamy, does not think
that Utah should be admit ed as state
| The commission makes number of rec M
mendations among them that jurisdiction
of all polygamous and sexual offences, with
out regard to the place, committed within
| the territory be conferred on district courts;
that the term of imprisonment for unlawful
cohabitation be extended to at least two
years for the frs, AMI three years for the
second offence that 1t be made penal of
| fencs for any woman to enter into the mar
riage relation with anv man. knowing him to
have wife living, undivorced, coupled, how
ever, with the provision that in cases where a
polygamous wife is called as n witness
against the husband, her testimony could
n be used in any future pros 'cui III against
her, and like provision as to the husband
| that no person who refuses to take an oath
| that he or she is not cohabiting with more
| than one husband or wife in the marriage
relation, as the case may be, shall be exclud-
ed from making location and settlement
upon the public lands; that the laws with
| TeleFeuCe W lilllllBIdtIOHOl VI CulHeSe ana UNe
importation of contract labor, paupers and
criminals, be so amended as to prevent the
immigration Of persons claiming that their
religion iustif1es the crime of polygamy: that
the constitution should be amended so as
to forever prohibit polygamy; that law
be enacted creating a board to consist of
the governor, Utah commission and the sec
retdry of the territory, TO apportion Salt
Lake city to aldermanic and councilmanic dis
tricts 1t also recommends that the commission
be authorized in its discretion to cause TO be
made annually a new registration instead
of revision of former lists; that congress
pass laws for the government and conduct
of the public schools in the territory of
Utah, that as soon as the result of tn, 18th
census IS known, the territory be re-dis-
tricted for lPgisl tive purposes,
The commission believes that the limitation
on prosecutions for polygamy and higamy
should be extended and sentence Of hard la
Dor should be added. The commission has no
doubt that punishment of the women for
voluntarily entering into the polygamous
re'a alton would do much to lessen her zeal for
the peculiar institution and thus tend to re-
move one Of its strongest bulwarks.