Show REPORT athe alib measures measure hurried through bai hyress congress during its closing hours t e no doubt been duly ported through the associated nuis dispatches 8 but there were a ottber PL IMber of reports made in both which did not r receive e the otice wee they deserved bec because a use of the and haste in which they thes ay were presented among arwas eWas the something interesting referred in f 6 to in a previous letter as likely y to occur before the session elded DRI ES this was no less than the report of the committee on terri thrift aroln ila refer reference e nce to the bill for the a sion r awon 0 of utah into the union fam state it would have been pre doted much earlier but for the rest auest Q of mr struble of iowa who port into to add something to the re arv lie he did not object to what the had agreed to but to thought something ought to be said i re I 1 resent the hostile feelings with 1 the opponents ponente op of ad siOn 8 ion regarded the movement in anth As the r port 0 rt remained some days the e hands hana of lof mr symes of colo who 0 was taken very sick it is ft clear that his illness was the ef dirt did of the ae report and mr springer Bp ringer ite he 1101 wish to be discourteous to the 1 members of the com w he did not dot hurry mr ad til time axe became came very precious chati abere i appeared to be danger at an all the report port would not be made boia today it was presented to the as authorized by the com wa following is a synopsis of the report of the committee on ter ri in relation to the admission sion of utah it commences by setting forth the doctrine that when congress organizes a territory and provides a territorial rit government for the people therein it is with the implication Y n PI that they shall have a S state t e go government and it is with this promise held out to them that they occupy and develop the public domain and their right to a state government cannot be denied when the proper conditions are fulfilled without bad faith on the part of congress unless there are circumstances that relieve congress from a duty that would otherwise be imperative the conditions in utah are then set forth and the statements made by the gentlemen who appeared before the committee in behalf of admission axe are virtually controvertible adopted b by the committee as incontrovertible facts the area population ula tion products manufactures mining interests schools churches moral status 0 of f the people finances of the territory etc are gi given v en with details and statistics that are of great value in a public document of this character with the deduction that the conditions exist which entitle utah to admission as a state and that it is of national importance that utah should have a state government the objections that have been urged arged by opponents are stated to be 1 the existence of polygamy 2 the power and teachings of the mormon church on that subject prom from the reports of the utah cammi commission the attorney generals report of prosecutions and other data the committee conclude that as compared with the entire population the indications are that not as much as one percent per cent of the whole popi pop dation and not to exceed two per cent of the present adult male mormon l population are in polygamous relations and that as polygamy is rapidly decreasing congress will be brought face to face with the question whether a territory will be excluded from the union tor for opinions entertained by a majority of the people the question whether polygamy is by the mormon church in made ade mandatory mandator or only permissive is then discussed Is discussed cussed the statements of both sides being summarized fairly the articles of faith of the church of jesus christ of lat saints are presented in full also parts of the arti artic cletOn leWOn governments ern ments and laws in ID general are quoted from the doctrine and covenants and sections 61 and 62 of the revelation on celestial Celesti aJ mar ariage wherein it is declared that if a man having a wife in the new and everlasting covenant desiro desire to espouse am another amther ther and the first give her consent then is he fie justified the facts that the utah legislature has never passed a law establishing n polygamy I 1 amy that th the e large maja majority of the mormon people I 1 never entered into it aud and th that the e utah legislature has recently enacted a law punishing the solemnization of a polygamous marriage are referred to on the one hand with the bare statement on the other hand of the opponents op ponente of statehood that polygamy is is regarded bythe by the mormons cormons as obligatory the committee leave the dispute to the consideration of the house with the plain reference that on a simple question of belief congress will not attempt to decide and that the members of a society or sect ought to know better than their opponents what their true belief is on any article of their creed also that this cannot well be made a basis of legislation that congress 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 ll 11 the provisions of the utah constitution on bigamy pd and polygamy are then cited and the question of good faith is discussed grounds for believing the Mor mow to be sincere in their intentions being set forth with the conclusion that should congress conclude that the people will carry into effect these provisions there can be no doubt that admission should be granted the powers of C congress 0 agress after admission are next taken up and the opposing arguments are advanced with a foil I 1 showing of the position that the constitution offered by the people of utah is in the nature or of a special compact that congress has the power to make such a compact and farce to enforce it after the admission of the state if the state should fall fail to carry it out this interesting and valuable document finishes with the following conclusion notwithstanding and in view of the fact that the present cresent congress is soon to expire and an d probably ro bably without opportunity on the C rd part of df the house to consider this su subject gee your committee deem it just to all parties barties concerned to present to the house affo se the condition of utah as to population resources development schools etc and the extent to which polygamy exists existe as above set forth together with the respective contentions as to the doctrines doctrin as of the mormon church and the good faith of the mormon element I 1 in i respect of the offer to make polygamy a crime by a constitutional provision not except with the consent of congress the athe indications are certainty certainly very strong that in the not distant future polygamy in feet fact will have ceased to 0 exist and when that time arrives if not soon sooner er admitted ad bitted the question will have to be met whether congress will exclude utah as a state because a majority oi 01 the people are members of the mormon church 4 having thus presented the situation as disclosed at the hearing the bill Is reported back with the m recommendation ommen dati dation on that i it t b be a placed ou on the calendar calen tax for consideration consider and a nd action thereon by the house such buch a report as this cannot fall fail to be of benefit to the people of utah it may be regarded as a great victory for the majority as against their unscrupulous malig ners and the delegation of so called liberals that came to the capital armed with ancient chent revelations and garbled extracts from private opinions wherewith to attack present conditions and misrepresent present alms aims and actions they precipitated this report they disgusted nearly every member of the committee they damaged their own cause they exposed the motives and tactics of the clique that wants to rule utah they gave a fine opportunity for the friends of statehood to set forth the facts and advocate the claims of the people and there is not a member of the committee who has not been favorably impressed with the hearing and has not been made more kindly than before to the territory of utah the laborers in the field for the political emancipation tion of the territory have done more towards the accomplish accomplishment me ut of their work by obtaining this report than they ever achieved before and as sure as the come and go and the sun rises after setting utah w attl before long be relieved of her depressing disabilities and stand in her place as a free and independent state an honor and a glory to the nation X washington D C march 2 1889 |