The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-13
YEST OATH LEGISLATION.
Idaho's Legislature Will Repeal
the Law on That Subject.
THE TROUBLE IN KANSAS.
POpuIist House VIII Be Recognized
By the Senate Today.
The Governors Message Is Read in the
House-In Montana Democratic
Caucus dominates Clark for Sem
ator-PoiiticaI Notes.

BOISE CITY, Ida., Jan. 12.-ISpecial. i
The most important feature of the legis-
lative proceedings today was the report of
the house committee on privileges and
elections recommending the passage of a
substitute for the Story bill repeating the
Mormon test oath legislation OF last ses-
sion. The substitute follows the lines Of
the original bill, but extends its pro-
visions to section three prescribing the
qualifications of electors which had been
overlooked by the author of the measure.
The purpose of the bill is to remove what
has been termed the retroactive feature OF
the law which prohibits anyone from
voting who, since Jan. L, 1888, has be-
longed to a church which teaches or
taught polygamy, or who practices or
advises or has practised or advised polyg
amy, and leave only the direct consti-
practice or teaching of the offense. The
committee in its report says:
Your committee considers this legisla-
ton as OF the first Importance in view of
the position taken within the past two
years by the so-called Mormon church.
In October, 1890, manifesto was issued
by authority of the church and afterwards
confirmed by the church conference IN
which it was declared to be the policy of
the church to abandon further practice of
poligamous relations. For over two
years it has been constantly claimed by
representatives of the Mormon church
that said manifesto was issued in good
faith, while those high in authority out
side of the church have represented that
members and adherents of this church
have generally obeyed the laws of the
marriages and pOlygamOuS cohabltatl0n.
Your committee would further call atten-
ton to the fact in support of these state
ments that the president of the United
States has recently, in consideration of
evidence placed before him of the absolute
good faith OF the members of - Mormon
church in the matter of tie aband amert
OF 10 ygamy, issued pso>...lnat on
granting full amnesty and pardon to III
persons liable TO the penalties of the act
OF Congress by reason Of unlawful CO.
habitailon, under cover Of Dolygamons or
plural MARI age, who have abstaIned from
unlawful cohabitaJlon sincs Nov. 1890.
We are clearly Of opinion that members
OF the Mormon church have been acting
and are still acting in good faith in the
matter of the abandonment of polygamy
and pOlygamouS relations. On account
Of those relations, and the persistency,
not only in their continued practice, but
also in their assertion OF the right to Drac-
tice them, the legislation upon the sub
ject was considered an imperative neces-
sity. Now that these relations have been
abandoned, and the object of the law has
been accomplished. we think that all re-
strictions should be removed, excepting
those required by the constitution. Under
the constitution, bigamists and polyg
amists are not permitted to exercise the
franchise, neither is any person that be-
limos IN any pbr1T.0n f1Tcro n i1oT1on rr in
corporation which teaches bigamy, ETC.,
and under the provisions of the act as
amended, no person VIII be qualified to
vote at any election, who belongs to any
such church, organization or association.
If, however, the claims of the Mormon
church are true, that church has abso-
lutely abandoned both the practice and
teaching of polYgamy and no longer per-
mits plural or patriarchal marriage. Ali
members thereof who are not bigamists or
pOlygamist can exercise the franchise.
The Acknowledgement OF a large class of
people is matter of utmost concern and
should not be continued after it has been
made satisfactorily to appear that the OBJ
ject of the restrictive legislation has been
fully secured.
The bill was considered in committee OF
the whole, some minor amendments were
adopted, and a recommendation that the
bill pass was reported.
The Lewiston Normal school Dill was
favorably reported by the educational
committee.
a constitutional amendment was pro-
posed by Mr.. Barrett, OF Bear Lake, pro-
viding that district attorney shall be
elected for each county.
A large part of the time of the senate
was occupied in reading bill introduced
by Mr.. Stewart, of Ada, providing gen
eral rules for the government of towns
and cities. A resolution favoring the ap-
pointment of a committee to visit the asy-
lum for the insane was laid on the table. !