The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-03
Debate Over the Commission


The Congressional Record of Feb. 25
contains the full text of the debate in the
Senate over the appropriation for the
Utah Commission. Much Of it is very in
teresting reading, and some references to
it will not be out of place.
The appropriation bill as it came from
the House, most of our readers are aware,
contained a provision aDolishing the
Commission and imposing its duties on
the governor, chief justice and secretary
of the territory, without additional COM
pensation. The Senate Committee on APP
preparations proposed to strike out that
provision. To this Senator VEST, in
very able speech. demurred. He
denounced the Commission as a
useless appendage to the terrific
rial government, a needless ex-
penditure of public money, and a sign
that the territory was held as conquered
province Notwithstanding the proofs that
the people are willing to obey the laws.
Senator CCLLoM contended that the
Commission had very much to do with
bringing about the change in conditions
and repeated the usual stories about ssde-
fance OF the laws OF the United states''
and the doubt that polygamy was yet
driven from the Territory. He argued
strongly for the retention of the Commits
sion until Utah should be admitted as a
state, either by itself or connected with
some other territory He also argued
that the Commission was necessary to
the control and maintenance OF the
Woman S Industrial Home.
Senator VEST put some pointed cues
tons about the Home, eliciting the fact
that there were only three women and one
child in the alleged institution, but Mr.
CULLoM didn't care whether there were
three or five hundred women there, he
wanted the commission retained. Senator
DUBOIS also wanted it continued and gave
a pretended account OF the condition of
politics in Utah, stating that ''the Nor
mons have not participated in politics I'M
til within the past two or three years;'
that 'sno Liberal ever voted for Mormon
end no Mormon ever voted for a Liberal;"
and that ''all the nom Mormons and GEN
tiles are in party called the Liberal
party"
Senator DAWES said the most and Of
ferred the strongest opposition to the
amendment, supported by Senators PAD
DOCK and PLATr, the latter contending
that if the people of Utah insisted on the
abolition of the commission, it was evil
dence that it was unsafe to admit Utah as
a state and that it was doubtful whether
they were exercising good faith in refer
ence to polygamy. He also expressed his
lack of faith as to the permanent aban-
donment OF that practice and of political
power by the Mormon church.
Senator STEWART desired to introduce
an amendment to the effect that all ap-
pointments of officers in the Territories
hereafter should be from bona fide resi-
dents thereof, but this was voted down as
new legislation, also another amendment
giving the legislature power to pass an
election law which would supersede the
Utah Commission, over the governors
veto by two-thirds vote.
Senators german and CALL each made
a spirited speech in favor of abolishing
the Commission and the fitness of the peo-
pie of Utah for self-government, and de-
nounced that had denied them that right.
Senator CAREY argued for'the retention
of the Commission. The amendment was
finally rejected by a vote of SO to 20 and
the Commission retained. $40, 900 being
appropriated for their salaries and ST. 900
for expenses, including clerk hire, etc.
Over the appropriation for expenses a
long debate ensued, for the reason that it
included provisions for the purging OF the
registration lists and the re-apportion-
ment Of the territory. The first of these
was adopted. the second rejected by the