St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-13

country
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The house
today discussed the question of pinning
another star on the American flag. The
consideration of the bill for the admis-
sion into the sisferhood of states was
begun. The principal point at issue
was whether the enabling act should
contain proviso imposing pains and
penalties for polygamous marriages.
the contention on the one hand being
that the state should come in on an
equal footing with other states, un-
handicapped by such provisions; on the
other that. as polygmany had been
stamped out by federal statute, and as
the admission of the territory would re-
peal that statute. congress should make
it practically part Of the enabling act.
Mr.. Morse. of Massachusetts, on op-
posing the bill, took occasion to make a
vicious assault on Utah and Mormon
ism, recalling all the outrages of plural
marriages; the crimes of the Danites ::
the Mountain Meadow massacre; blood
atonement, and the revelations of the
endowment house.
Mr.. Rawlins, the Utah delegate. in
the course of brilliant speech cham
pioning the bill, replied to Mr.. Morse
and worsted the representative from
the Bay state very badly. He opposed
the amendment proposed relative to
polygamy as too complex, but expressed
a perfect willingness to accept simple
amendment suggested by Mr.. Powers,
of Vermont, prohibiting polygamous
marriages forever.
MIR. Carter, of Ohio, opposed the bill
on the ground that it gave a sparsely
settled
WESTERN TERRITORY
too much influence in the senate. The
general impression seemed to be that
his real object was to prevent the elec-
tion of two more free currency Demo-
Gratis to the senate.
The debate will conclude tomorrow.
AS most of the Republicans have with
drawn their opposition to the bill, it is
expected that it will pass by an over
whelming majority.
During the morning hour Mr.. Myer,
from the committee on naval affairs,
again called up the joint resolution for
the appointment of joint commission
to consider the rank, pay and other
questions relating to the personnel of
the navy.
MI. .Kilgore continued the obstructive
programme of last week, demanding
tellers on the motion to 60 into the COM
mittee of the whole.
Mr.. Myer stated that there seemed to
be much mIsinformation about the
scope and purpose of this resolution.
Its object was to straighten out the con-
fusion existing between the staff and
line officers of the navy.
The measure was discussed by Messrs.
Kilgore, Of Texas; Cummings, of New
York, and Everett, of Massachusetts.
Before any decision was reached the
morning hour expired and the bill went
over.
The house then resolved itself into the
committee of the whole for the consider
alton of the bill for the admission of
Utah. Mr.. kilgore, who opened the de-
bate in advocacy OF the bill, explaine d
the provisions of the bill. The princi-
pal DIVISION among the friends of Utah,
he said, was on the
QUESTION OF POLYGAMY.
Another point upon which there were
divisions was as to the land concessions.
The pending bill contained the usual
provisions regarding religion and it
granted the territory twice as much land
as has been heretofore given to terri
tories upon their admission to the Un-
ion. While Utah has the requisite pop
ulation and resources for statehood,
there was disagreement on this point.
Gentlemen on the other side could offer
no reasonable objection to the admission
of Utah. They must grant that the peo-
pie of the territory were intelligent, en-
terprising. law-abiding. He reviewed
at length the resources of the state, the
character of the population, the political