Show UTAHS MISSION The Report Made by the Committee tee on Territories IT IS A VERY PAIR STATEMENT Jfr Springers Contribution to Our Doom LiteratureSome Facts that are Beyond Question Blow is the report from the House com mittce on territories as submitted by Mr Springer on March 2 The committee on territories to whom was referred the bill H It 4120 for the admission of the state of Utah into the Union on an equal footing with the original states having had the same under consider ation have instructed me to submit the following lowing report thereon Utah is asking to be admitted as a state under a consiitution some of the provisions of which and the circumstances under which it was made and by whom made will Tae hereafter considered DUTY OF CONGRESS AS TO TUB ADMISSION 01 STATES It is certainly to the interest as it has been the policy of the general government to create states out of the territory belonging to the Federal government whenever there is a population within a defined locality sufficient to justify a state government and of such a fixed character and possessing such qualities and interests as to justify conferring the exclusive power to control local affairs The admission of new states into the Union adds to its strength as a nation and it may be said therefore that it is not merely the privilege of Congress but the duty of Congress to convert this public domain into states as fast as population popu-lation and conditions will justify TUB moor OF THE PEOPLEOF A TBIIRITOUT TO HAVE STATE GOVERNMENT But itis not only the duty of Congress to bring in new states it is the right of the people to have a state government when the conditions exist Wbea Congress creates a territory and a territorial government for the people who may inhabit it it is with the implication that they shall have a state government and shall be part and parcel of the nation in every respect and especially have a voice in its affairs With this promise held out to them they occupy and develop a part of the public domain do-main and when they have fulfilled these conditions their right to a state government cannot without bad faith be donied unless there are other conditions existing that relieve re-lieve Congress from the duty that would otherwise be imperative In the consideration of this subject your committee have carefully examined into matters relating to the population resources re-sources and mat rial developement of that territory and the social status of the people The proponents of this constitution as well as those in opposition have been fully heard statistics have been carefully and elaborately prcseuted and considered and the facts about to be stated herein are undisputed un-disputed They are not only asserted by the proponents but they are freely and frankly admitted by the opponents and are fully sustained by record statistics The population of Utah is now about 210000 The yearly productions may be summarized summar-ized as follows Grain and hay products S 041900 Vegetable and other garden products 15SO0X Cattle 1500000head value llfD00 Horses SO000 head value lOOOOOOC Shoep 2400000 head value laOOOOO Swine 1000 bead value WOOOC The annual yield of farm and garden products and profits of stockraising and of the wool clip is ostimated to be not less than 18aW000 The manufactured articles for 1SSS are valued at about 59000000 The output of the coal mines of Utah last year exceeded in value over 5003000 The output of precious minerals in 1S83 at seaboard value was 10905SS1 The total business transacted in the territory ter-ritory exclusive of railway and telepraphi business amounted to something like f 130 000000 The transactions in real estate in Salt Like county alone for 1SSS as they appear by the records of that county aggregated 535500058 There are 1140 miles of railway in operation opera-tion in Utah and several new lines in course of construction and projected Telegraph lines connect all the principal settlements and the telephone and electric light are extensively used in the larger towns o The real estate is valued at not less than 110000000 the aggregate of property is placed at 250000000 exclusive of mines which arc untaxed The records of the land office show that thane have been since its opening in lbG9 8157 homestead entries for a total acreage 01 10002093 acres and 11050 preemption filings for 1320520 acres cash entries j r3J 1 led numbered 3297 for 323829 acres and desert applications 2573 for 503333 acres timber culture 1051 for 127 bGG arces a total of 20134 entries and applications for 12309551 1 acres 1 The private ownership of lands in the I territory is generally in small tracts The average is not to exceed seventy acres to each owner The territory is conspicuouslj free from land monopoly The people generally gen-erally own their own lands holding titles from the government MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIE < f The manufacturing interests are varied and of increasing magnitude Among hese are flourmills woolenmills sawmills l planingmills papermills clothing boot shoe hat glove hosiery silk broom brush J sash door and molding factories inn glass soap glue chemical furniture I cooperage refining and smelting works foundries potteries machine shops lime j kilns brickyards cementyards etc MINERAL RESOURCES The mineral deposits include gold silver lead zinc and copper the finest marbles white and colored granite limestone and various building stones there are also antimony an-timony sulphur gypsum manganese and t beds of asphaltum ozokerite ochers besides be-sides petroleum natural gas etc The precious metals have yielded during the last seventeen years the sum of 134992030 Ii I which is evidence of their richness and J permanency The coal beds and salt deposits de-posits arc practically inexhaustible and C t new discoveries of valuable minerals are made every year i SCHOOLS l The territorial legislature has provided IS a system of public schools and for the support It sup-port thereof which is summarized as follows 4a fol-lows the particulars being taken from the statutes of Utah and from the report to a Congress for 18S3 of the commissioner of schools appointed under the provisions of the act of Congress of March 3 1887 I There are twentyfour counties in the x territory in which there are 344 school districts and in these districts there are 4CO public schools There are 041 teachers and assistants and t of these forty are nonMormons The school population between the ages of six and eighteen years is 54943 of which 47371 are Mormon and 7532 non s i Mormon The number of scholars enrolled is 329SS of which 30721 are Mormon and 2207 non Mormon Com Report pp 9101 RI now SCHOOLS ARE MAINTAINED These schools are supported as follows By a territorial tax of 3 mills on the dollar dol-lar for payment of teachers Trustees are t elected by the taxpayers in each district tI = and these trustees are authorized to levy s and collect an additional tax of onefourth of 1 per cent for general school purposes and by a vote of a majority of the taxpayers tax-payers in any district a further tax up to 2 per cent may be assessed and collected for school purposes Com Report pp 2 34 The value of district school property is 5427o521 CIbidt p12 7 The amount paid for school teachers and appliances for schools for the year ending June 301888 was 293035 IoW p15 The text books used in ihelJ schools areas l are-as follows Bancrofts readers Harring L elemen ta graded speller Appletons t 1 hahrr NloTmhlpq Snrnorrintt copy books Michaels system of penman ship for fourth reader and higher grades of pupils Krusis drawing series pathfinder series of physiologies consisting of No I childs health primer No2 hygiene for young people and No3 Steeles hygein physiology grammars Barnes short studies in English Reed and Kelloggs higher lessions in English Barnes primary history of the United States Stephens Ste-phens music readers Harpers arithmetics UNIVERSITY In addition to the foregoing there is the University of Deseret which is in part supported sup-ported by territorial funds It is open to all and forty students yearly are admitted upon condition that thev become teachers in the district schools Ibid p 24 All of the abovementioned schools are nonsectarian no denominational tenets are taught Ibid p 0 1 DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS 7T Of these the Mormons have n s Other denominations n n In the Mormon schools the scholars enrolled en-rolled are 020 Mormons and 10 nonMor mons In the other denominations the scholars enrolled are 2277 Mormons and 3773 non Mormons Ibid p13 It is very apparent from the statistics above given that the provisions for education educa-tion are worthy of the highest commendation tion and the results prove their value These results briefly stated are as follow low taken from the report of the Unite States commissioner of education for the year 1881 The average duration of schools in Utah in a year is 140 days Only twelve states and one territory and the District of olumbia have a higher average viz Days Connecticut n ISO Delaware < 154 Illinois 149 Iowa nnn 148 Massachusetts nn n 17 8 Michigan n n 15t New Jersey L 100 New York o Ohio 155 Pennsylvania n n n 146 Rhode Island 186 Wisconsin 175 District of Columbia 100 Idaho 150 ILLITERACY The fruits of this school system are shown in the fact that the percentage of illiteracy is lower than the average of the country and there are thirteen states and territories that show a lower percentage of persons who cannot read Connecticut and Utah have the same namely 337 Leaving out of view persons of color the following table from the last census report gives the comparison of illiteracy in Utah as compared with the aggregate of the states and other territories Age and natlonallty who Utah US cannot write Per I 1er cent rent Native white 10 years and over 5Y Ji Foreign 118 120 Whltes IOto 14 years 107 119 White 15 to21 41 72 Whites 21 years andover R9 114 It can not be and is not disputed that the educational facilities in Utah are of a high order of excellence and the effect is shown in the statistics above presented ciiunciiKS Of churches other than Mormon there Lre shctY5ve Din the territory holding church property of the value of 540001 and having 103 ministers These are Catholic Episcopalian Presbyterian Methodist Congregational Baptists etc THE MORAL STATUS OF TUB PEorLE OP UTA1I The population of the territory may be classified generally as follows Mormons 170000 NonMormons 40 < XO It is universally conceded that no locality equally populated with Utah is freer from the vices that afflict communities than this territory It is singularly free from saloons houses of prostitution and the like and it is undisputed undis-puted that the people generally are moral industrious and lawabiding While this is true as to this population as an entirety it is especially true as to the Mormon portion of it Their characteristics in these respects re-spects are indicate by the following Governor West in his report to the secre tar of the interior for 1SSS says 11 shall not arraign the Mormon people as wanting in comparison with other people peo-ple in religious devotion virtue honesty sobriety industry and the graces and qualities that adorn beautify and bless lifeDr Dr Miller editor of the Omaha Herald says To the lasting honor of the Mormon people and system be it said that for twentyfie years such machines of mora infamy as whisky shops harlotries faro banks and all the attendant forms of vice and iniquity Tore totally unknown in Utah Bishop Spaulding in the Fontm for March 1SS7 says The Mormons are sober industrious and thrifty Mrs Emily Pitt Stevens editor Pioneer a womans journal writes Utah is the wisest and best governed of any large section of people in the United states In great Salt Lake City there is less of rowdyism drunkenness gambling idleness theft conspiracy against the peace of society and crime generally than there is in any other city of the same popu lation in the country if not on the globe The testimony of Bayard Taylor the illustrious lustrious traveler and author is Tne Mormons as a people are the most temperate of Americans They are chaste laborious and generally cheerful Governor Stevenson of Idaho in his re oort to the secretary of the interior for 1858 says Paris Bear Lake county has a popula tion of about 1500 all Mormons and there is not a saloon or gambling house or anj other place where intoxicating liquor is sold and this is I am told the casa in all he towns in Idaho where these people have exclusive control The governor of Arizona bears similar testimony and it appears that the moral character of the Mormons is good wherever they reside THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE TBIWI TOUT I That the affairs of this territory have been well managed in the past is suffi ciently evidenced by the fact that there iso is-o territorial indebtedness except 150000 which was created about a year ago under an act of the legislature for public institu tions The legislature had appropriated 123000 for an insane asylum 75tHX for a reform school i000 for a capitol building 20000 for an exhibition building 80000 for the university building 20000 for a deaf mute asylum 23000 for an agricultural college and the debt of 5150000 in 5 per cent bonds was created to meet balances due on these i appropriations There has been no case of official embezzlement embez-zlement or malfeasance in office during the twentynine years of territorial government govern-ment From what has now been stated it is apparent ap-parent that all the conditions exist in Utah in a marked degree necessary to entitle en-title the people of that territory to have a state government and it is equally apparent appar-ent that by reason of geographical position posi-tion her immense agricultural and mineral resources her accumulated wealth and the general intelligence and industrious and energetic character of her people it is of national na-tional importance that Utah should have a state government Your committee will present however TUE OBJECTIONS THAT AlE URGED AOINST AI U1SSION These objections are 1 The existence of polygamy 2 The power of the teachings of the Mormon church on that subject The facts in respect of these will be presented pre-sented in their order It is not denied by the advocates of admission admis-sion that polygamy is practiced in that territory ter-ritory But they claim that it is not obligatory I obliga-tory upon the members of tho Mormon church that it has been gradually dying out until now there are comparatively few who are living in polygamous relations and that this few are chiefly past the meridian of life They claim that polygamous marriages mar-riages have ceased to be solemnized that in the near future polygamy will have i ceased to exist altogether and is even now radically dead and that it is unjust to deprive the many of political rights because a comparatively few are viola vio-la ting the law in this regard yoii ommitteeJhcmforn DrefientJuIcb l facts as have come to their knowledge on this subject for the consideration of the < House The Utah commission in 1882 when both males and females voted found that there were 12000 persons of both sexes who were I orhad been in polygamous tiweOCI those who had been but were not then in polygamy there were 3000 leaving 900 men and women then 1SS2 in polygamy How many of these were men and how many women can only be estimated The < estimate has been made that there were oran or-an average three women to one man and this is probably a low estimate and would show that there were not more than 2 250 men in polygamy in 1SS2 and probably less than that number It is asserted by Mormons who should know that they have no knowledge that there have been any polygamous marriages for several years There is no evidence that there have been any in the past three years but it should be also stated that the nonMormons allege that the absence ol I nllggtr evidence to the contrary is because such marriages are secret But the fact nevertheless never-theless is that thoro Is no evidence that I such marriages have been solemnized since that time The probabilities are in the light of the stringent legislation by Congress Con-gress and the active prosecutions that there have not been If that be true then the number in polygamy polyg-amy through death and otherwise must have been greatly reduced since 1SS2 and must be comparatively small now The only additional evidence on the subject sub-ject is found in Ex Doc No 447 first session ses-sion Fiftieth Congress a report by the at torneygeneral of the convictions for polygamy polyg-amy and unlawful cohabitation under the antipolygamy acts of 18S2 and the amendment amend-ment of 1887 An examination of these acts will show that Congress went as far as was reasonably reason-ably possible in granting power to prosecuting prosecu-ting officers and the courts to ferret out and convict persons who were in polygamous polygam-ous relations The result as stated in that report has been that there were convictions as follows lows For polygamy since November 18S4 10 persons were convicted For unlawful cohabitation between April 18S5 and September 1SSS 453 persons were convicted This indicates very strongly that the fact is as claimed that polygamy is rapidly disappearing and that compared with the whole population but a small portion not as much as 1 per cent are men who ever were in polygamy and not to exceed 2 percent per-cent of the present adult male Mormon population are in polygamous relations If it is thus rapidly disappearing and Becomes absolutely extinct as a fact as the indications certainly are that it soon will be Congress will be brought face to face with the question whether a territory will Be excluded for opinions entertained by a majority of the people The facts above stated are given to the end that the House may determine whether the violations of the law in this regard are sufficiently numerousto justify rejection of this application to be admitted OTHER CONTENTIONS In connection with the existence of polygamy poly-gamy as a fact there are other contentions which will be here stated The parties advocating admission insist that less than 1 per cent of the population I are men in polygamy that the doctrines of their church do not command polygamy but only permit it that while by the creed of the church it is permissible it is only permissible when there is no ei law of the state to the contrary and they propose to make a law by a constitutional provision whereby it is forever prohibited and they have placed such a provision in the consti tution which will be hereafter noticed On the other hand it is claimed that it is not permissive merely but obligatory and that this offer to prohibit it forever is onlj a device to secure admission j and that after being admitted the state will amend that constitution and then Congress will be without power to restrain or control These are the respective contentions and we now proceed to state what has been of ferred in support of them respectively IThe Mormons present their church creed as it is taught in their churches and Sunday schools for the purpose of showing that obedience to the laws enacted bj the state is enjoined by the church The articles of faith are here given in fullThey also present the following On governments and laws in general as found in their Book of Doctrine and Covenants The article named is here presented 2 To show that polygamy is not obligatory obli-gatory but only permissive when not prohibited pro-hibited by the laws of the state they present pre-sent paragraphs 01 and 02 of the revelation in relation to celestial marriage which areas are-as follows 61 And again as pertaining to the law of the priesthood If a man espouse a virgin vir-gin and desire to espouse another and tho firs give her consent and if che espouse the second and they are virgins and have vowed to no other man then he is justified he cannot commit adultery for they arc given unto him for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else 01 And if he have ten virginsgivea unto him by this law he can notcommitadultery for they belong to him and they are given unto him therefore he is justified 3 Further to show that polygamy is not commanded and that they may therefore there-fore without any conflict with their duties as members of that church in good faith and in entire harmc y with their belief prohibit it as proposed they present and urge the fact heretofore mentioned that avery very large majority of the adult males never did enter into polygamy and thej urge this fact as conclusive that the doctrines of the church do not require it 4 They further present the fact that a law has been enacted by the Utah legislature legisla-ture prohibiting such marriages and inflicting inflict-ing penalties on any person who shall solemnize them The other side to support their conten tion to wit that the church does command polygamy produce extracts from the same revelation above quoted from But the portions thus cited relate to celestial marriage which is the marriage of a man and a woman for time and eternity and docs not necessarily include polygamy All of this revelation will be found in the printed report of the hearing Your committee do not feel called upon to give an opinion as to the interpretation of this documents as each member of the House will form his own judgment upon his own analysis of it hit being the purpose of the committee in this report not to express opinions as to the meaning of church creeds but to deal only with such matters outside of mere belief or opinion as affect the subject under consideration The Mormons say they do not believe polygamy is obligatory The nonMormons say they do so believe Tae Mormons say they do not believe the church is superior to the state The non Mormons assert that they do = so believe The Mormons say that their church tents ten-ts require them to obey the laws enacted b y the state notwithstanding any teaching of the church The nonMormons say that heir church creed does not permit them to do so Where it is a question of belief and a dispute as to what the belief is it can hardly be expected that Congress will undertake ertake to settle the dispute and take that sette as basis of legislation It would hardly undertake to legislate in regard to a belief that was avowed certainly would not venture so far as to act against or because of a belief that is disputed dis-puted constitution offered contains the following owing provisions The sections relating to bigamy and polygamy are here inserted i It is manifest that if this constitution is accepted and the provisions above quoted are enforced polygamy must cease to exist and cannot be practiced in Utah The objection that is made is not to the provision itself but it is asserted that it is not intended in good faith to enforce it No fact has been brought to the attention of your committee to support this assertion What is relied upon to maintain it is the octrines of the church hereinbefore referred ferred to as interpreted by tho nonMor mons the contention being that persons who belong to that church cannot in good faith carry out and enforce this prohibition of polygamy This rests in belief and argument gument and not in any fact On the contrary the Mormons say that they do intend inn good faith tocarry out this provision and a evidence of that rood faith they point to the facts hereinbefore hereinbe-fore mentioned viz that the makers and v tifiers of this constitution were never in polygamy that the doctrines of their church do not require polygamy that by leir church creed they are required to obey the laws of the state where they proscribe pro-scribe a rule of conduct that they have already al-ready passed laws prohibiting plural marriages mar-riages and punishing whoever solemnizes such marriages They point further to the fact that the < few Mormons who are in polygamous relations rela-tions took no part in framing this constitution constitu-tion and that the nonpolygamous Mormons Mor-mons who did frame it and who are urging urng it here requested the nonMormons of the territory to unite with them and offered them representation in the convention To such facts a these they point as evidences of their intention in good faith to < execute thisprohibition of polygamy If considering duly what can be offered against their sincerity in this regard and what they present evidencing sincerity Congress should conclude that they are proceeding in good faith and will act in good faith in carrying into effect this provision pro-vision there could be no doubt in the mind of any one that admission should be granted for that would end this question I which has so long vexed the country forever for-ever THE POWER OF CONGRESS ArTEU ATOIISSION This contention that the Mormons who have made and ratified this constitution are not acting in good faith and that they do not intend to execute its provisions as to polygamy is coupled with the legal proposition pro-position that if Utah is admitted Congress will then be powerless to deal with polygamy polyg-amy and it maybe practiced with impunity The question thus presented is of such importance im-portance that your committee submit for the consideration of the House the respective respect-ive contentions on that subject The argument of those who assert this proposition is in substance as follows That when a state is created its sovereignty as to all local matters is complete and supreme that the people may then amend the state constitution or make a new one at will that the legislature is free to make such laws as it may please and therefore that i Utah is made a state with the above quoted provision in the constitution the people may at pleasure make a new constitution consti-tution permitting polygamy or may omit to make laws punishing it and if this occurs oc-curs Congress will be powerless to interfere inter-fere The opposite contention is as follows It is argued that this provision is in the nature of a compact between the Federal government and the state for the violation of which Congress would have adequate and peaceful remedies Ve have been referred to compact similar in principle that have been made with numerous states such as the agreements agree-ments or stipulations with many states that the right to tax in certain instances should not be exercised for five years The case of Louisiana is cited in which it was required that trial by jury should be provided for that the laws should be printed in the English language and much stress is laid upon the case of Nebraska in which it was provided that slavery should be prohibited forever and it is argued that if Congress could make such a provision for Nebraska as to slavery it could make such a provision for Utah as to polygamy that if Nebraska had violated the agreement in respect re-spect of slavery Congress would have found a remedy and that a remedy would be readily found if Utah should violate her agreement as to polygamy a ro It can hardly eO conceived that Congress imposed such conditions as above alluded to from time to time during a period of eighty years with the understanding that for violations vio-lations of them there wo Id b3 no remedy I must have been understood that Congress would find a remedy for breach of such a compact although no remedy was ever provided pro-vided for What tho remedy would be would doubtless depend upon the circumstances circum-stances of each case I The remedies that have been suggested in the present case in the event of such action ac-tion as it is asserted might happen are that representation in the Senate and House of Representatives could be denied that mail facilities and federal courts could be withheld with-held and the like And it is further urged that if there is any doubt as to Congress having the power to interfere that doubt may be removed by a stipulation for a remedy rem-edy that is to say by Congress tendering admission oupon such terms as to remedy as may be deemed to be adequate and require re-quire Utah to accept those terms by an ordinance or-dinance adopted by the people as a condition I condi-tion precedent to admission as for example exam-ple that if Utah should amend this const tution in respect of the provision against polygamy Congress might assume control just as though no state government had ever been created This in substance are the respective contentions on this subject The makers of this constitution while asserting their purpose in good faith to put an end to polygamy further insist that admission ad-mission as a state would not only bo the most effectual means of accomplishing this but that if Utah becomes a state the people will soon cease to be Mormon and anti Mormon and will divide themselves between be-tween the political parties and thus the strife on the Mormon question will be buried under the political issues that are common to the entire country D CONCLUSION Notwithstanding and in view of the fact that the present congress is soon to expire and probably without opportunity on the part of the House to consider this subject your committee deem it but just to all parties concerned to present to the House the condition of Utah as to population resources re-sources development schools etc etc and the extent to which polygamy now exists as above set forth together with the respective contentions as to the doe trines of the Mormon church and the good faith of the Mormon element in respect of the offer to make polygamy a crime by a constitutional provision not repealable except ex-cept with the consent of Congress The indications are certainly very strong that in the not distant future polygamy in fact will have ceased to exist and when that tine arrives if not sooner admitted the question will have to be met whether Congress will exclude Utah as a state because be-cause a majority of the people are members of the Mormon church Your committee present herewith a report of the arguments before the committee on this subject Gentlemen of the highest character representing both sides of the controversy were invited to appear before the committee and present such facts and arguments as they might see fit to do A careful persual of these arguments which ire made part of this report will serve to inform the House and the country fully a to the conditions existing in Utah at this time Having thus presented the situation as disclosed at the hearing the bill is reported back with the recommendation that it be placed on the calendar for consideration and action by the Horn e |