The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-06-29
THE UTAH
COMMISSION
Under Consideration in
Che Senate.
TOBRDECIDED TODAY
Senator FaulEner's Address
s. Against its Continuance.
N0NNECEssITY FOR RETAINING 1T
Senator Vest Of Missouri Advances Some Able
Arguments for AbOlishiug ths Com
nfssion-The People of Utah
Are Able to Govern
Themselves.
TOBE DECIDED TODAY
Senator Faulkner's Address
Against its Continuance.
N0NNECEssITY FOR RETAINING IT
HERALD BUREAU.
Cor. 18th and G SITS, n. W.,
WASHINGTON. ID. c.. June %

WASHINGTON, ID. c., June %
The appropriation for the Utah commits
sion furnished no small part of the debate
today in the Senate. It was late in the
afternoon when the appropriation bill was
taken up. The first, item considered was
that relating TO the commission.
Mr. Faulkner Of West Virginia at once
took the floor and made a rafting fifteen
minute speech against the action of the
Senate committee in amending the bill as it
came from the House and reinserting the
appropriation for tue commission. ] send
you herewith a verbal report of Mr.. Faux
ner's remarks, which will no doubt be read
with interest in Utah. Said he:
MIR President:-Ye I-ssked the
chairman OF the committee on appropria-
tions to give the reasons to the Senate for
modifying or changing the provision Of the
bill. or the law, IS it formerly existed
IN REFERENCE TO THE UTAH COMMISSION.
So far as 1 have been able to understand
the object and scope and purpose of the
original creation Of the commission,
could see no purpose or benefit that could
result either to the country or to the terri
tory Of Utah in preserving and continuing
the commission in Office any longer Il
certainly was not the purpose or intention
OF Congress when in 1882 they passed 3 law
that ten years after its passage the Utah
commission should still be in existence
They found at the time this matter was
before Congress the territory was in the
hands Of polygamists absolutely, and en-
titely, and they determined after that
period to fit their stringent laws in refer
ence to the offense. In order to carry out
those laws they
ABOLISHED ALL TERRITORIAL OFFICES
of every description, aud they entered
into en- agreement to supply the vacancy
Ii al the territorial inferior offices which
were absolutely held by that law, by
creating a commission of five gentlemen
from other states or territories within the
territory of Utah TO be appointed by the
president
But that law further went on and contem-
plated that at the succeeding election that
was to be held under an entirely new cleo
lion law every man who exercised the
right OF the elective franchise was to take
an oath that be was not polygamist, and
any man who was running for an Office was
compelled to take the same oath. Then it
was expected the legislature was given the
right to pass such laws as every other ter
ritorial legislature had the right to pass in
order TO ill all the offices made vacant by
the Edmunds law. and which were subse-
quently filed by appointment under the
commission.
After all that had been carried out in
accordance with the views of Congress, we
find that when the legislature met under
these circumstances ia 1854, they passed q
law anticipated by Congress to carry out the
provisions Of the latter clause of the ninth
section of the Edmunds law. The governor
OF Utah, which is not the CAGE in any
other territory under the government of
the United States has the
ABSOLUTE VETO POWER.
He has not OILY the absolute veto power,
but may bv simply pocketing bib abso-
lutely deprive the legislative body of that
territory from the expression of any opin-
ion on a legislative matter. In the organic
act OF Utah it requires the signature OF the
governor in order TO give vitality to any
act Of the legislature, something that is IN
heard OF in the government of this country
or In any territory under the government
OF the United States.
without reason, without explanation,
as / am informed the governor simply
vetoed rnat bill in 1884 The legislature,
trying to carry out the provisions of the
act Of Congress again in 1856, passed a law
and again in 1899 they passed isw TO
carry out the provisions OF it, and provide
for The election OF officers in that territory
as Anticipated By the EdmunJs law aud
again in 1892 il did the same thing and the
governor has SIMPLY put it in his pocket.
What object aud purpose he had in pre-
serving this territorial commission created
In 1882 am at a loss to know He is not a
member of it or in any way affected by the
provisions Of the law Of the legislature
passed in pursuance of the Edmunds law.
s'Mr President l am opposed to any
kind OF commission sent from the state to
govern q territory. IL I had been in the
Senate when this commission was created,
under the ACT Of 1882, / should have OPP
posed it. There is not, 50 far as ] know.
an excuse for it. The last territorial leg
islsture passed as stringent a law against
polygamy. as the Edmunds law Itself
suppose it viii not be questioned here that
PoLTGAMY As AN INSTITUTION IN UTAH Is
DEAD.
do not know any gentleman who could
question i, because If he would go to the
records OF the attorney-general's Office here
in the city Of Washington no would ind an
application for amnesty for Gil these men
who were convicted by judges sppointed
during the Cleveland administration, in
which the authorities Of the church an
nounce the fact OF the abolition Of polyga-
my il the territory Of Utah, aud appeal to