Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-18
STILL PRACrIClNG POLYGAMY.
Utah's Mormons Growing More United
Every Day.

The Utah commission has forwarded to the
Secretary of the Interior lons report OF it'
operations ana proceedings for tho year ending
September. 1890. The commissioners say:
During the year there has been frequent
expression of the hope that the church would, in
some authoritative and explicit manner, declare
in favor OF the abandonment of polygamy, OF
plural marriage, as one Of tho saving doctrines
or teachings of the church, but no such declar.
alton has been made. There is little reason
for doubling. so complete is the control of the
church over its people. that If such a deciara-
ton were made by those in authority it would
be accepted and followed by a large majority
of the membership of the so-cailed Mormon
church and a settlement of the question would
soon be reached. On the contrary, in all the
teachings in the tabernacle and the church
organs every effort of the government to sup
press this crime is still denominated as q per-
secution and those charged with ferretng out
and prosecuting the guilty are denominated as
Prosecutors OF THE SAINTS.
1.-THE church seems to grow more united
from day to day under these teachings. AT
the general conference of the church hold at
Salt Lake City in April last MILFORD Woodruff, o
DISTINGUISHED polygamist. was chosen prophet,
seer and revelator and president Of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in all the
world, the Lrgt time since the death Of John
Taylor, in 1897, thai that Office has been filed.
At the same time George q. Cannon was chosen
as first counsellor in the first presidency and
Lorenzo Snow president of the twelve
apostles ali of them being DISTINGUISHED po-
lygami5ts.
''The Council OF the Twelve Apostles was
completed by filling all vacancies. A large
dignitaries of the church are poiygamists and
aH ,axe reputed to be open believers in the
doctrine. Indeed, it is believed that no one
can be promoted to Office in the church un-
less he Processes belief in it as fundamental
doctrine"
that nothing but wholesome fear of the PEN
alties of the law leads them to even mako a
pretense Of obedience to it, and that there has
never been any change in the gospel ordi-
nances.
PoLY6AMY STILL PRAcTIcED.
The commission is in receipt of reports from
its registration officers which enumerate forty
male persons, who, it is believed, have entered
into the polygamic relation in their several
precincts since the June revision in 1882
Crediting them with one plural wife each
would give eighty-two persons thus reported as
entering into the relation forbidden by law and
said to be forbidden by the church authorities
The belief is also expressed that only a small
proportion of polyganoUs marriages are re-
porteu. ms many OF the registrars are members
of the Mormon Church.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
The commission recommends that the powers
OF the commission be so enlarged as to au-
thoriZe and enable il to issue instructions
which shall be binding upon the registrars of
its appointment i'll the performance OF their
legal duties.
The report also recommends the enactment
of a law similar to the Idaho test oath law
believing that it would do more to put an end
to the teaching and practice of polygamy than
has been accomplished by the partial enforce
ment OF existing laws"
In conclusion the commission reports what
1t said III its last report that in this matter the
government and Congress should take no back
ward or even wavering step, but should con-
tinue the active and vigorous enforcement of
the laws and the improvement by the amend
ment of such as would make them more effect
i've, and by enactlng such other laws as expe-
rience may show to be wise and more effica-
cious to accomplish the desired end.