Show POLYGAMY POL IN N STATEHOOD ST DEBATE DEBA TE j Continued from Yesterday I r Now Mr President we have hurried hong with wih the preparation and real reat criticism of this bill bi very ver much in the same way the bill for tor the admission ot carelessly cr went ent along In the te other house hous ten years yer ago I turned to see ee what hat was wui done when Utah Uth became a a state states because b cause I wanted to understand why hy it was that in placing this tre te j I proposition before the people j i the Ue of the te United States the only words In the organic act which made Utah a state which would at all aU I relate to affect af alf ct ct or prohibit these practices I tices and constrain this secret irre mysterious and potter lOVer oWer of the Mormon hierarchy and their support of polygamy was as to be found in n a single line lne Provided That polygamous or plural rl I marriages are forever prohibited I II I wanted to find why it was w s that In in j I making malting a state of the Union the con congress i gress gross of the United States had so s Incon Incontinently incontinently rushed forward with wih this mat matter matter I ter tr and ad I thought perhaps an ln inquiry would relieve my ray doubt by showing matters mater which were more restrictive than this sing mild mUd prohibition Indi Indicated I was surprised to find that In Inthe inthe inthe the senate there was no debate on the statehood proposition The Rec Record RecOrd RecOrd I ord contains only about thirty lines to j t toll tl the story In the senate of the prof proffer j fer and nd passage of or the bill bl making making I a state Mr Ir President the In the sen aen senate J ate on this weighty proposition con contains contains the brief printed matter mater on the I near page of the volume In my hand j I Exhibiting There were two reports in Jn the house of representatives In 1893 so little litte and ill I consideration did i ithe the enate senate give to this very serious question and as a result of this care careless care careless less e s haste some o oc the consequences de detailed detailed tailed d here today have unhindered fol followed i lowed since Utah has s been a state In Inthe InA j A the house howse there there happened to be a ma majority majority and a minority report i The majority report was largely largel signed the minority report was wa made by the gallant General Generl Wheeler of Ala Alabama A Alabama I bama who was chairman of the com corn committee corni i and who desired to put some i ft kind of manacles upon the unhindered I Mormon church which was left lef free I in the majority report But the corn com committee ran rn the gallant glant gen general genEral eral Eral He lie n never ver away from any anybody anybody body He did diF not hot run away r from his hl proposition in m this instance but the house then tens seemed med to have been in an I amiable atmosphere of general consent very ery m much ch like that atmosphere which I is Js sought sou h to be b infused Inus d here when the distinguished senator s from Pennsylva Pennsylvania nia Mr Quay Qua daily daly rises and asks for fOI unanimous consent conse t that a day d y be be fixed for a vote voe upon n a bill i which has lias h s not nor no up been beEn amended and which Is only being discussed in one one aspect and aud much In any other and which requires the se serious serious serious rious discussion which it i ought to re receive receive receive as a much as the Utah bill bt ought to have received discussion In congress when that Mormon community was made a state of ot the the Union I said Mr President that the Utah bill bi seemed to 10 go by general generl consent t tI I find here that on page ITS 18 S of the Record of Dec Dec 12 1893 the present sen senator senator senator ator from Utah Mr Rawlins then being the delegate in the house of rep representatives rep from Utah and he more than any an man living seemed to hypnotize tze the house at that time Jn ln J getting the he organic act through the house of representatives but he seems to have bern bEn be of an opinion at that time some somewhat somewhat somewhat what different I take It i from his opinion opinIon opinIon ion now for he then said Governor Gov West Vest in his report The he house knew and the country countr LI knew that Governor West Vest had ha been bOen b en the st stern rn executive endeavoring to put putdown putdown putdown down the Mormon practices pr In Utah and to compel obedience to t the law taw then the in force I will wi not take time to read from the statutes at a large large volume 24 of the congress the entire entre act art known as the Edmunds Edmunda act at that time chapter but it I has basin hasin in Its Is first section sect n very yer important antipo which enable hus bus husband band lland and nc wife wie to testify for polygamy Section 2 provides for forthe forthe the issuance of attachments for or wit witnesses witnesses nesses and The statute also provides punishments for adultery which Is the Ule crucial provision P In any statute against polygamy my and andone andon one on which should be In every ever organic I art act and which should be In the stat Mat statutes utes of the states where the Mormons ar art are numerous before the state be ad admitted I The TIle statute also provides punish punishment punishment ment meet for fornication makes stipulations la tons Hons in regard to 10 prosecutions for fot l lt t try ry anti and ant then imposes restrictions and regulations In respect of marriage cere ceremonies ceremonies ceremonies monies certificates of marriage ge arid and a d dt their t pIr use as prima fade facie face evidence eLn c with punishments for violation of such pro provisions provisions visions Those are a few of the te many drastic but as tt now i w seems scentS most necessary restriction upon the practice of polygamy polygamy amy am and restraints upon the power ot of this great Mormon organization But But at a t that time men seemed to be hope hopeful hopeful ful rul and optimistic and in this spirit the house discussed the question queston Thc Til distinguished 53 senator senator from Utah Uth then ben Governor West Yest In his report as ter territorial governor which I have In my hand says Governor West W st was much opposed to the church and to polygamy In his ad administration administration ministration In Utah The practice of polygamy has been abandoned by the church and the peo people pip pie Polygamous marriages are are for forbidden forbIdden forbidden bidden by b the authorities of the church The people or church party has been dissolved d It I seems to have gathered Its l it power together quickly again gan and the th conditions existing in the he ter territory t r are ar now in no wise different from those in vogue in the states of the Union Mr Ir Mr President resident I should like Uke to invite the the attention of the sen senator senator senator ator from Maryland Marland to one point r The presiding officer Mr Pettus Petus in inthe Inthe Inthe the chair Does the senator from Maryland yield to the senator from r tah tahIr Mr Ir c With pleasure Mr Ir Rawlins The senator emphasizes emphasize I th fact that the church or Peoples s I I party has dissolved That was accurate Before 1890 there had been beena I Ia a church hurch party par which was known kno n lo locally I cally eally aly as the Peoples party part It I i was I Ith th Mormon lorm n party j Mr McComas I remember that 1 I I I Mr The Gentiles Gentles were wee or organized organized t under what was known as the te I I i Liberal party In 1890 prior to 10 that I I proclamation the church or Peoples I I party met together and disorganized disbanded That was in pursuance of the general declaration that tat the people j should divide as they pleased But I r Ido rdo Ido do not think the governor ever in intended intended tended and I did not intend to tG to imply it by reading what the governor had said that the Mormon church had dis disbanded disbanded disbanded banded Mr McComas Oh no Mr President the words do not nob not say sy so I understood od precisely prel ety what the senator has ha so clear clearly clearIS ly IS explained The Mormon party and the party had been fac facIng Ing each other other and the te Mormon party parts party 1 had been dissolved and ad soon thereafter i ithe the alignment became that of r existing i political organizations as in the other I states tates of the Union but t I Peoples party or the church party parly was dissolved it would seem eem to be an implication cation from fr m the slon of ot Governor r West West had battled batted against the hierarchy hierarchy there that there was vas a tine when the potential control or of orthe the th church hurch party had been bf wiped out by the te n ef of the church party We now no find by the revelations of the senator from Idaho Id ho and the senator from tram Utah Utah that tat secretly quietly in m the councils of that hierarchy the resist resistless resistless resistless less control continued and ad we shall shaH sed se presently because I want ald to avoid be being b bIng being ing too to lengthy in my statement on this subject that the th Mormon church has been more and more effective perhaps If less Jess demonstrative In the control of the state than it was when it controlled the territory What was wag done in the house regard regarding lug ing polygamy It I was agreed that t thad thad had hd ceased Much of that is in tr t debate debat It I was said sald sat It was only an au economic question queston which need needs no 10 po political solution which needs nd drastic measures m ru res It I was said the act and the te like had worked their way vay too and polygamy had bad h d blanched in the face of the power of the government and In the face tace of the te competition for tor fora tora a livelihood with wih Gentiles Gentles The multi multifamily multifamily family man of Utah had given ghen before b or a cheaper cheape monogamous domesticity like that In the te other states of the Union This and much more like it I contented the house But Bu General Wheeler seems to have had his doubts doubt earnest earest man as a he lie was and when the com corn committee ran In away from their serious duty the chairman seems not to t have haveran haveran haveran ran away because he made a minority report on this matter mate and made mae it I es especially especially because of this put in the Utah statehood bill bi restrictions upon the t e Mormon church and polygamy polygamy amy It I appears from the minority o General of Wheeler in the house that the senator from Utah must have h ve hyp hypnotized hypnotized pretty nearly all al of the com corn committee and he says that the argument before the committee of the senator from Utah then a a a delegate had changed the situation of affairs but that he h still adhered to his belief belef that something must be done to restrict Mormonism They had something to fight f ht with wib outside the statehood bill bl M hoped to become a state In the Union They had the act of the Utah legislature which dos does not find a place In the statute books of Arizona book Arzona and New Mexico Mexico o but a very ver strong provision Section 12 1 of the constitution which had been adopted by the people of Utah when they knocked at the I doors of ot congress for admission pro provided provided vided I Section 12 I 1 Bigamy and nd polygamy being considered Incompatible with wih a Republican form of government each of them is js hereby forbidden and de declared declared dared a misdemeanor Any An person erson who shall violate this section shall on conviction thereof Be De punished by a fine of not more than thant 1000 and imprisonment for a term terni not t less Jess than six six months nor more than three years in the discretion of the court This section shall be construed as operative oper without the aid of or legis legislation laton lation and the te offenses prohibited d by this section shall not be barred by any statute of limitation within three years after af r the commission co of of the offense nor shall the th power of pardon I thereto until such suc pardon shall be ap approved approved 1 proved by the president p of States I Not by byC a Mormon governor go eror mark you the president of the United States Another section of or that Utah constitution made the foregoing f pro provision provision provision vision irrevocable able As A General Wheeler then said the people of Utah asking admission had thus closed the door against the repeal of that that drastic measure to restrain polygamy in Utah and the senator from Utah will wi bear me tue out because I dc not mean to recite recie i it It tp the Ahe sen senate ate that a statute Immediately follow following ing practically pr followed the same s me line providing severe penalties for offenses In the same direction What have we here when senators or members of the house come to frame an omnibus bill bi for three states They do not pot find such a provision in either of at the territories where the Mormons have such a where they are important as they are arc in the state st te of Idaho from the statement of or the senator sen en senator ator from Idaho to a degree For New Mexico with fewer Mormons and Ari An Arizona Arizona Anzona zona with many man Mormons there Is no j Of cm f such fuch a provision in hi the con constitution conI I of or ether cither There is no pro I I I I t I i I I I Vision even of legislative le isia enactment so I far as aa as we can here find out There is nothing done cone except to insert par this tiis t is single line of utterly idle prohibition of oC the celebration of the theries rites ries of plural marriage marrage which means nothing noting is s simply wind and sound without sense without substance Now Mr President following the line lne of oC objection of the chairman General Generl Wheeler proposed an amendment and I Iwi will viii wi read a part art of It I But said taId al constitution shall shan prohibit pro polygamy or dual du I marriage and polygamy polygamy amy or dual marriage shall be de declared dared cared by such such constitution to be fel tel felony telony ony un and punishable by a fine of not less than 1000 or more than and anel confinement in the tiu th penitentiary for not less lesi than one year or more than five years ear Even that provision framed by a gal gallant gallant gallant lant soldier perhaps not a lawyer re related related simply to the celebration of mar marriage marrage marriage rage In easy frame of mind the house hous accepted much less accepted this proviso of a single line lne Provided That polygamous or plural marriages are forever prohibited prohibited led And without report or consideration apparently on the record without dis dEs discussion In the senate the Utah bill bf passed and the statehood bill bi was sent I to the th president for his signature I When they came to frame frame this bill billin bi billin in order to meet m e the confessed pres pros presence presence ence and an d growth pf f Mormonism in Art All Arizona zona and the lika Uk danker In New Mex Mexico lex ico io those thos tho who framed the statehood bill bI were in such sucu suc a n great hurry hur that they added only that single line lne and no more Provided That polygamous or r plural pluri marriages are forever prohibited I i wish to know Mr r President If this weak wea salve has such a soporific effect upon the mind of any senator as a it i seemed to have upon the mind of my friend frIed the senator from New Hamp Thump Hampshire shire who thinks it quite quie effective Suppose that line lne also had been omit omitted omi omitted ted because It I Is like a parenthesis something w which can be omitted with without wih without out altering alering the sense I say most respectfully of the te sen senate senate senate ate of that t at time that tat when this |