Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-10


bespeaks policy Of local administra.
ton. Hence, the registrar hearing oh.
iectious to the right Of continued
registration muot noed be a resident
NJ the precinct In which the
hearing takes place; therefore, ana.
logically, the person making the oh.
lection should likewise be a resident OF
II, and for the further reason. because
ns such he would presumably be- better
Informed respecting the right chnl.
lengcd than n he were not. Yet II has
occurred IN the stress Of party rivalry,
that non.resldents Of the precinct, per-
haps strangers 10 II aud personally
irresponsible, have, M the agents Of
political committees, caused 10 be pre-.
scented numerous such objections, TO
the vexation and hindnnce OF electors
and the obstruction Of the course Of the
law
An adequate and effective remedy
for these abuses claims serious atten.
ton, aud, M conducive thereto, the
commission, IN the event Of IT, con.
tinuancc, may 10 Understood AZ suy.
costing an amendment Of the existing
laws covering aud giving effect To tue
following propositions:
Firt--Thnt the commission shall be
authorized 10 issue instructions, con.
formally 70 the condition. Of such
authorization which shall 10 binding
on the REGISTRAR, or, that tho func.
lions OF the registrars shall les limited
TO the acts Of registration and TO the
taking OF ailldavits Of electoral qualiii.
cation and transmitting the evidence
Of the same ~ now required by law; or,
that the election judges snail, tx.
cluslvely, bc authorized 10 deal with
all objections or challenges TO the right
Of PERSONS 10 be- registered or 10 vote,
or, that an intermediate tribunal DO.
tween the election judges mud the
registrars shall be established with ex.
elusive Jurisdiction for that purpose.
second-Thnt any act of tho registrar
Improperly hindering Or any neglect VI
duty by him delaying tho lawful efcc.
tuailon OF the right to 10 registered OF
10 vote, or any wilful or unauthorized
act committed or omitted by him Ia hll
capacity ~ a registrar, shall, In any
such case, bo deemed punishable
offence.
roLYuANy.
Having discussed the Institution aud
practice OF polygamy ~ affecting the
individual, the family, society and tn,
| State In former report, ] shall add
nothing here ON this subject except 10
say that my Views az expressed Ia thai
report remain unchanged. My i'm
mediate purpose IN 10 notice the do
crease Of polygamous marriages IN
Utah 10 their present point OF virtual
cessation. The evidences Of this fact
direct aud Indirect, moral and official,
are ~ numerous m they fhould be
convincing. pause TO dwell ON u few
/ VI them.
In 1857 convention Of delegate,
chosen with remarkable unauimity by
n Mormon constituency VA Utah me
mDrialiScd Congress 10 admit the Ter
ritory as state, under constitution
framed by tho convention which In
hibitcd bigamy aud polygamy and re-
peal or change OF the inhibition with
out the approval thereof by Congtcs.,
aud which also suspended the opera
tiOn Oi any act Of pardon IN behalf Of
any person convicted OF any Of thost
oiicnscs, unless such net had brcn
approved 10y the President OF III,
United States.
Whatever the consistency OF those
provisions with the fundamental doe
trinc- Of the political equality OF tn,
States under the Federal Constitution
still the PROVISIONS arc important, n,
manifested In the most solemn manner,
In n disposition On the part Of the
MormOnH In Utah 10 recodo from
| polygamous practices.
Tie Legislative Assembly OF thu
the Territory " Utah, mt It's session In
lSss.SD, resolved tnat II wna stu favol
OF a lust, humane and impartial en-
forcement Of the laws" against sexual
oiicnscs ain the smu manner thai
other criminal laws are enforced under
the Constitution aud laws Of our c1un
try 10 the end that such Oficnsoh may
be eifectually prevented" At IN,
same session the Assembly passed a
law Regulating marriages. clabot'
stely devised and bristliug with penal.
tles nRainst any iDrOad by pOlygamy.
| In 1890 ccclesinstlcs and lhymen OIL
the Mormon Church, resident In Utah,
assembled In imposing numbers Mt thu
Mormon Tabernacle In salt Lake City
and there, through President Wilford
Woodruff, As the heaa Of tho Mormon
Church, deliberately avowed their dis
sent 10 future plural marriages ant
their purpose to obey tho laws prohibit
ingt hem.
Aud, M affecting tho question Of die.
tntion by the head Of the Mormon
Church ia political affairs, II may be
said that In the recent general election
several OF tho prominent dignitaTies Of
the Church were defeated at the pOlli
by lay member. OF II.
Early In the present year (ls0l) tn,
l all NaN0 la.s - Dan.
ple's Party" declined 10 make noml
nations for public office, aud. dlsbRnd
Ing the party, united according 10 theil
lnolinations, with the Democrats Ol
Republicans seeding from tho Lib
ernl party, In organizing distinctly,
Democratic aud Republican parties In
the Territory. The Liberal party
alone, OF former political organization
In the Territory, survives. These facts
while marking the dissolution VI tn,
Peoples party, nnd tho rise Of new
parties, also forecast the early dissolu'
ton Of the Liberal party NJ au event
inevitable In the order Of progress.
Thus the Territory, under new con,
ditions, IA about IA leave behind the
bitter fouds that NO long embroiled IL
people AMI retarded their homogenety
aud pacifications. Thus the Territory
has at length arrived ut u point promiH
ing permanent deliyeranco from tn,
tolls Of blRotry and factions, upon the
higher plane Of concert with the Ma
tlonal parties upon the lines Of theii
competing Issues, and for the common
welfare. This advance has been at
teuded with more delicacy and dliii'
Guilty than some times falls to the lot OF
I = a.