Show WHAT THE commissioners 1 HAVE TO SAY wn WE publish today to day the full fuli text test of the latest report of the utah commission to the secretary of the interior it does not differ materially from tile the report which came by telegraph and was printed at the time in the DESERET NEWS the advice and counsel given by the commissioners to the general government is entirely outside of their province but is all of a piece with the assumption of legislative and judicial powers which has characterized their course almost from the beginning of their official career they are no more authorized to present points for congressional legislation than to rule ruie on the validity of laws or add to existing statutes clauses of their own enactment all ot of which they have done with a gravity thad that would do credit to an equal number of able abie owls owis I 1 the commissioners attempt to give figures as to the number of polygamous marriages in six counties of utah since the passage of the edmunds edmunda act but by their own showing those figures are utterly unreliable first because they have been obtained from certain registration off officers leers many of whom are desirous of misrepresenting facts and jumping at conclusions that have no warrant in truth second because these figures are only of persons whom they have reason to believe had entered into the relation third because the commissioners admit that they have no aicia offic official tal tai data on which to base a statement because the I 1 record of mormon marriages if there is one in the territory is a sealed scaled book to all the world I 1 these three reasons are enough to place the seal of dubiety and unreliability upon this attempt at giving figures on the increase of po polygamy 1 I 1 we do not care to review the ion lon long iong and wordy report in detail I 1 it is not of very great importance but we will quote one sentence which is worthy of consideration it is this every orthodox mormon every M member ember in good standing in the church believes in polygamy 4 of agamy as a divine revelation I 1 this article 0 of f faith is as much an essential unessential and substantial part art of their creed as their belief in baptism baptism repentance for the tho forgiven nes acs C ss of sins hins and the like ilke if this is nota not a clear admission of the religious character of mormon polygamy 9 then it is not possible to make one if plural mama c is part of our creed as a is it not an establishment of teti religion 1 gidai f 1 anle not con congress gress f orbid ddn din by th the constitution to juarb any law respecting it or to prevent the free exercise thereof and with this candid admission how can these commissioners consistently urge upon the national legislature the passage of laws still further calculated to interfere with the free exercise of our religion and to deprive of the rights of citizens a whole comm community unItS because of their belief bellef in that which they deem a divine revelation but consistency is not a shining virtue in any body board or individual that engages in a crusade against the religious system commonly called mormonism 1 l we place the commissioners ners report on rc re cordas printed by authority as it will do for reference ence and may beusee ua for that durpos a at t some f future time meanwhile we can take a broad smile at the modest bid put forth by the commissioners not only for continuation in office but for a hand in the appointing power to important offices inthis in this territory |