Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-09-19
POLYGiiNY
Are The MOrmOnS Yet PraCticing
Their IieinOus D0ctrines
Tho Utah CommiSsi2n Seoms
to Think They DO.


Legislation in support OF Existing Laws
Against poiygamy.
SALT LAKE. Cry, Sept. 19.-The Utah
commission has forwarded to the sec
rettry Of the interior leagthy report
of its operations and proceedings for the
year ending Sept, /, 1890. The princi-
pal feature Of the report is the recon-
mendation OF further legislation in sup
port Of existing laws After reviewing
the elections held in Utah since their
last report the commissioners say:
"Durmg the year there have been FREE
quent expressions of the hope that the
church would III some authoritative and
explicit manner declare in favor of the
abandonment Of polygamy or plural
marriages us one of the saving doctrines
or teachings of the church, but no such
declaration has been made There is
little reason for doubling. so complete
is the control of the church over its
people, that if such declaration were
made by those in authority it would be
accepted and followed by large major
ity of the membership of the s9-e;.lled
Mormon church and a settlement of
tine much-discussed Mormon question
would soon he reached. On the Goa
tfary, in the teaching in the tabernacle
and i'll church organs every effort of the
government TO suppress this crime is de-
nominated persecution, and those
charged with ferreting out and prose-
cutting the guilty are denominated as
prosecutors Of the saints. The church
seems to grow more united from day t.
day lnder these teachings.
AT the general conference of the
church held at salt Lake, in April last,
Wilford Woodruff, u distlanchised
Iolygamist, was chosen prophet. seer
ami revelator, and president of the
Church OF Jesus Christ Of Latter-day
Saints in all the world. the first time
siuce the death of John Taylor, in 1887,
that that office has been hlldd. At the
same time George Q. Cannon was
thosea as first counsellor iii tie presi-
depcy and Lorenzo Snow as president
OF the twelve apostles, all &C them be-
ing disfranchised polygamist7. The
council of the twelve al oSt.cs was COM
pleted by filling vacancies. A large
portion of the twelve apostles and tn,
high dignitaries OF the church are poly-
ganlists, and ali are reputed TO be open
believers in the doctrine. Indeed, it is
believed that no one can be promoted to
oliicc IN the church unless he processes u
belief IN it as q fundamental doctrine
Thts Fear the LAW.
The report then quotes from spec, hes
Of President Woodruff, q. =. Cannoa
and others in support of the assertion,
and continues: at is the option of
the commission that nothing but
wholesome fear Of the penalties of tho
law leads them to even make a pre-
tense OF obedience to it in that there
never has been any change In the
gospel ordinances. The commis sion Is
in receipt of reports from its regissra-
zion officers, which enumerate forty
one lndie persons who, it is believed,
have catered into the polygamic rela
tiol in their several precinc,s since the
June revision in 1880. Crediting them
with one plural wife each would givo
eighty-two persons thus reported 6s en-
terirg into the relation forbidden by
law and said to be forbidden ly the
church authorities. The belief IL also
expressed that only small proportion
of the polygamous marriages are re-
Ported. as many Of the registrars are
members of the Mormon church. The
commission recommends that the
powers of the commission he 80 en-
larged as to authorize and enable IL to
lbSlC lthIENCllbIH WHICH HiflAl bt
ing upon the registrars of its appoint
ment in the performance Of their legal
duties
a Test-Odth Law.
The report also recommends the en-
actment of law similar to the Idaho
test-oath law. believing that it would
do more TO put an end to the teachings
and practice of polygamy than has yet
been accomplished by the partial en-
forcement Of existing laws"
stand Firm.
In conclus sion the commission repeats
what is said in its last report. that in
this matter the government and con-
gress should take 40 backward. or even
wavcrmg step, but should continue the
active and vigorous enforcement Of the
laws, and the improvement of them by
the amendment of such rs would make
them more effective. and by enacting
such other laws as experience may
show to be wise and more efficacious to
accomplish the desired end"