The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-10-03

its president. Wilford Woodruff, declared
its opposition to further plural
marriages, and advised obedience
to- the laws forbidding them. In
1891, the Peoples or Mormon
party of Utah dissolved its political orga-
nlzatlon in contemplation of a reconstruct
ton of political parties in the territory
upon wider and more liberal basis, and
IN 1892 the legislative assembly passed an
act adopting the provisions of the Ed
munds law, and the Edmunds- Tucker
respectively, denouncing and Furnishing
polygamy as crime, and recognizing the
original exclusive Jurisdiction of the dis
trict courts in the territory (created by
Congress) to hear and determine all such
cases under that act.
THE UTAH COMMISSION.
The Utah Commission was organized
under the Edmunds law of 1892, (the
commissioners mean 1882, evidently as
one OF the agents to be employed
for the suppression of an obstinate
social evil. The members OF
the commission were in the
first instance appointed by President
Arthur from different political parties
conformabIy to that law, and at the same
time from as many as five states for the
reason as assigned that such persons
would be unlikely to be biased by the
dissensions which had so long disturbed
the territory. This precedent, SET by
President Arthur, has hitherto been sub
stantially followed by his successors.
For more than twenty years Nor
mon polygamy evinced neither DISPOSE
ton nor ability to redeem itself Indeed,
Tor more than half that period it was de-
faint of the law. It had confounded the
temporal with the spiritual authority,
and had become arbitrary and dogmatic,
wlthal it was defended and attacked oy
1mplacable local factions whose intoler-
ance seemed alike to inflame passion and
warp discretion. 1t was between these
factions, this Scylla and Chary bids, that
the Edmunds law projected the commits
sion somewhat as forlorn hope, to sink
or swim, as it might happen.
Early after the organization of the
commission its members were met by
leading local journals with scant' and
frigid courtesy. They were welcomed as
a sojourners for term of rest and re-
creation, of wonderment at the charms of
Salt Lake city and its surroundings.
But the welcome sensibly implied that
the commissioners, as intruders and
upernumeraries, should early renounce
their mission and return to their distant
homes in the states.
In the meantime a few Mormons. pro
tossing extreme JUNCTION and intermltting
feebly their resentment towards Con-
gress, discharged volley of law suits at
the commissioners charging them with
unlawfully obstructing the right of regis
tratlon and Of voting. Upon the final
States adiudged the suits to be ground
less, and the plaintiffs to pay the costs
attending them.
Next, an effort was made by q few
GentIles to procure a law substituting
Legislative commission invested
with pro-carsular powers, and ap-
pointive by the president and
Senate, Tor the Utah commission, but the
scheme, being despotic and un-American.
failed, as also did the kindred scheme to
dlsfranchlse the Mormons en- qedsse for
their mem bership in the Mormon church.
so 1t transpired that the local factions.
when not wholly engrossed in fighting
each other, turned their attacks alter
nately or simultaneously against the Utah
commission. Thus the commission was
made representatively responsible for
laws IN the enactment or judicial con-
structlon OF which it had no part. Under
changing conditions, however, these OBJ
stacles are passing away
Early IN 1891 the Mormon or Peoples
party formally and absolutely dissolved
Its organization. Soon after the Gentle
faction informally and partially followed
this example. The event was a triumph
ont OF which the new parties in the terri
tory, Democratic and Republican. were
formed, and which must in the early
future absorb the remains of the
GENTLE faction. The new parties
leaving the dead past to bury it's dead.
are now competing with one another for
the palm of local political ascendancy.
Each is asking Congress for radical legis
latlon-l. e., on territorial home rule or
70 Nv,
either OF those measures, during the pen.
dency OF either, the discon tinuance of thu
Utah commission.
(Note-Queer sentence, but it is written
as given above.)
The ninth section of the Edmunds law
creates the Office occupied by the Utah
commission and provides, as has been
seen, that the commission shall consist of
i've members, not more than three of
whom shall be of one political party. and
a majority of whom shall be a quorum.
The same section, adopting portions OF
the territorial law, devolves on the COM
mission the task OF considering
in part na0terid the germane
provisions of each of those laws. and of
deducing from them consistent and
effective system. Such a system is now in
operation. 1t contemplates a multifari-
Gus service-annually house to house
inquiry with view to an annual revision
OF the electoral registry by adding to or
striking names from 1.-THE endorsements
of the conditions of registration as Affect
ing voters-the act of registration: the
hearing Of objections to the right of anv
person TO nave his name retained on the
registry; the certiication OF the names
ad1udged to be wrongfully on the registry
to the proper election judges; the trans
mission OF the revised registry with the
attending affidavits of electoral oualifica-
ton to the county clerk, for preservation.
subject, however, to proper public and
private inspection; the transmission of
copies OF registries to the presiding iudges
OF election; the publication of other copies
with lists of the Offices to be filed bv cleo.
ton; the canvass of election returns: the
i1sulng OF certificates OF elections to per-
sons-elect; and the appointment of
numerous official agents by the commits
sion, as provided by law, to carry into
effect this varied, delicate and responsible
service.
Geographically, this service measures
the rugged mountainous length and
breadth OF Utah, 800 miles north and
south by 800 miles east and west.
The number OF officers appointed bv the
comlssion since the date of its annual re-
port, including those remainingeto be
appointed with reference to the approach
ing November election is 2, 1857.
This agency founded on brief words of
the Edmunds law, and being a growth of
less than twelve years in the hands OF the |
Utah commission, has, in the meantime,
withstood the shifting storms of passion |
and prejudice. In the meantime factions
have been disbanded, laws enforced, pro-
gress accelerated, and the morality of |
monogamy vindicated.
In truth the Office of the commissioners
has not been a sinecure. They have had |
much to think of, often difficult legal |