| OCR Text |
Show There was no reason in law, common sense nor equity why "Mormons" as well as Gentiles and apostates should not have been appointed county and deputy registrars. But when Mormons have been appointed the selection in many instances has been "Hobson's choice" and made only when a non-"Mormon" of the requisite qualifications and intelligence could not be found. It would appear, however from the following dispatch, that the commissioners deem it necessary to apologize to the country for having appointed any "Mormons" at all: In an Interview ex-Senator Paddock, of the Utah Commission, says the criticism on the appointment of registration officers to register in Utah is unjust. "Mormons," who are monogamists, were appointed in a few small counties where no Gentiles or apostate "Mormons" could be found. Those counties contain an aggregate of 123,000 people. The apostate "Mormons" are even more hostile to "Mormons" than the Gentiles, and equally reliable. The appointments gave universal satisfaction to anti-"Mormons." Mr. Paddock is quite enthusiastic over the success of the Commission so far. He thinks much good will come of the Edmunds act, but an enlargement of the powers of the Commission by Congress will probably be recommended in order to reach other abuses almost as bad as polygamy, in the theocratic government of Utah. |
