The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-15
1t Will Probably Be Con-
tinued.
THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Agree On the Senate Amendment Reducing
the saIarIcs-Delegate Gaines Able OppO-
sition-yarious causes Assigned.
HERALD BUREAU
Corner 18th and G Streets, N. w.
WASHINGTON. ID. O.. July IA.

five-headed commission which has 60 long
been source of discord in the territory.
If it had been month earlier in the session
they would probably have succeeded, but
the desire of the members in the House to
wind up business and get away led big
part to. accept the conference report on the
legislative appropriation bill, keeping the
commission in existence.
The resolution containing the appropri-
alton for the great department Of the gov
eminent expires tomorrow and the COM
mittees on appropriation of the two houses
were exceedingly anxious to reach an
agreement. The Republicans on the Sen
ate committee
WOULD NOT CONSENT
to the abolition of the commission, after
the concession they claimed they had al
ready made in reducing the salaries. The
conferees accordingly brought in report
asking the House to accept the senate
amendment paying the members of the
commission $4,000 per annum each. The
House conferees gained a small point on
the reduction of the contingent gain for
the commission from IS, 800 to 1000 This
was far from acceptable to MIR. Came and
he hurried to Representative Forney as
soon as the report was presented and in
sisted that he must have some time to
enter the solemn protest of the people of
Usah against the continuance Of the COM
mission.
Mr. Forney gave him Eve minutes at
first. and afterwards ten minutes more,
I u 10
his opinion Of the old commission and the
reasons why it ought to be abolished.
The members from the western states
gathered around Mr.. Game with keen in
terest while he was speaking aud fire.
quently
ApPLAUDED HIS TELLING POINTS.
He explained the provision under which
the commission was created, emphasizing
the fact that it was only to continue until
the legislative assembly should make pro-
vision for continuing them in Office The
whole purpose of the Edmunds act,
he declared. as far as it re-
lates to election, was to prevent
polygamists from voting or holding Office,
TO put the entire government of the terri
tory in the hands of the monoRamists and
until the first session of the legislative as
sembly of the territory; to authorized nom
resident commission to appoint the regis
tration officers aud election clerks The
language of the law made that very clear
that this board was not intended to be q
permanent one but was
MERELY AN ExPEDIENT
to accomplish a certain oblsct-to oust all
polygamists from the Offices they held and
TO fiji their vacancies by -polyganists
as an encouragement and inducement to
the latter to continue TO live within the
law it was never intended that this com
mission should be continued for any length
of time. much less to become q permanent
Institution.
"a great deal of credit, " said Mr. Game,
shas been claimed for the Utah commits
sion for the wonderful service it has rem
dered the country by the suppression of
polygany in Utah. Let me ask what these
commissioners have done in this regard.
The polygamists in Utah, after the passage
of the Edmunds law, neither attempted to
register nor to vote, and there has not been
e single conviction Of one OF that class for
illegal registration or Illegal voting from
that day to this. AS the commission had no
duties TO perform respecting Eolygamy out
side of registration and election duties, aud
as no polygamist ever claimed or attempted
TO exercise the right to register or vote, !
fail to see wherein the commission can
claim any credit for the suppression of
pOlygamy."
Mr. Game then read letter from Colonel
S. A. Merritt and Judge H. p Henderson
taking similar views to his own in regard
to the work of the commission, and Sc
verely condemning its position to create
discori among the people OF Utah. The
letter declares that from the day they first
came to Utah they had insisted upon exer-
cising legislative, judicial and executive
powers which it was plain to any responsi-
bic and candid mind Congress never il :
tended them to exercise.
Mr.. GAMES POWERFUL PLEA
wss followed by clear cut speech by Mr..
Washington of Tennessee, who called upon
the committee fer any good reason for
yielding to the Senate. "Ths commission, 7
he declared, a was absolutely useless. II
is an alien body, foreign body, aud one
MAINTAINED AT An ENORMOUS EXPENSE
to the people of the Union. In the name
OF economy, in the name of the Taxpayers
OF this country" said Mr. Washington
II hope this House will reject this confer
ence report There can be given nt
reason except that this bill should IL
rushed through to completion why