| Show UTAH COMMISSIONERS REPORT FROM ROM the Washington dispatch which appears in our telegraphic columns column it that the Utah Commission has madea made a very ex- ex extreme ex extreme reme and partisan report to the Secretary of the Interior As the dispatch is made up from the report Itself and not from purported inter inter- interviews interviews interviews views or alleged revelations of mem mem- members members members bers of the Board it may be relied upon as giving the salient features of the recommendations of the Commission Com Com- Commission mission The position is taken in the re- re report report re report port that Congress in creating the Commission desired it to use its best endeavors to wipe out and extinguish polygamy and andas andas andas as f fir fr r as possible ble polygamous i influences influences nfl u- u and ten denotes And It Itis itis itis is stated that this was the ground around on on which the first Utah Commission proceeded That this is utterly untenable although the first Utah Commission may have taken it we need only to read the ninth section of the Edmunds Act which created the Commission But if we desire further evidence the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States In the case of Murphy et al vs the first Utah Commission will place the fallacy of the position of that body beyond all reasonable doubt The functions of the Utah Com Com- Commission Commission Commission mission are comprised in the ap- ap ap appointment of all registration and election officers in Utah and giving certificates certificates of election to members members- members elect elect of the Legislative Assembly Just that and nothing more All the thereat rest Is assumption assumption If the gen gen- cren- cren tiemen comprising the Board think they are required to act as mis mis- missionaries missionaries to wipe out and extinguish polygamy their notions are purely imaginary therein not a line nor Bor a aletter aletter aletter letter in the Act At creating their of- of offices offices of offices and defining the duties thereof that gi gives vas even a suggestion of su such h han an idea And as to wiping out polygamous influences and ten ten- tendencies tendencies tendencies the act in question specifically specifically forbids their doing anything i 4 to prevent any persons persona voting on account of his belief in The Act of 1887 which con con- continuE'S continues con f the Board until an election law shall be he passed by the Utah Legislature added to it the author author- authority authority ty in connection with th the Gover Gover- Governor Governor Governor nor and Secretary of the Territory i to redistrict the Territory and apportion apportion ap- ap apportion portion the representation thereof z in the Legislative Assembly That duty having been performed tw two years ago nothing remains for the Commission to do more than is specified specified fied fled in the Act of 1882 and which we have described t The confession of the Commission Commission Commis- Commis Commission sion therefore that in appointing Registers they have in every case when when- possible selected those be- be belonging belonging be belonging longing to the non-Mormon non ele- ele element element ele element ment is a practical acknowledgment acknowledgment acknowledgment ment of and unfairness and of action that is totally un un- unwarranted unwarranted unwarranted warranted by the Act of Congress ss defining their powers and is at vari varl- variance variance ance with its evident spirit and in- in intent in intent 0 tent That Act forbids the denial dental o 0 the suffrage to men Dlen who believe in inthe inthe inthe the rightfulness of but do not engage in its practice an and inferentially they are protected in inan an all other rights of electors The inference drawn by the Com Com- Commission Commission Commission mission that if Utah were admitted admitted as a State it would not be long be- be before before be before fore the Gentile element with its advanced civilization its trade and traffic would be driven from the ther r Territory and the Mormon theocracy be made supreme is utterly with with- without without without out foundation or premise and andis andis andis so is so ridiculously absurd that even persons so poorly informed as many of the Com Commission r are in r regard gard to Utah affairs ought surely to have refrained from mak mak- making making ing and uttering it The statement is nothing but an echo of the non non- nonsense nonsense non sense of certain rabid and untruth untruthful ful persons in the Liberal faction that nobody believes and is only manufactured for consumption abroad Thereto There is not an flU intelligent Gentile who owns property and does business in Utah who believes Any such euch monstrous balderdash What the Commission means by recommending that the jurisdiction of all aU sexual offences be conferred on the District Courts we do not know fir fr it is vested i in n those courts at present If it means to make the Jurisdiction exclusive we see no rea rea- reason reason reason son for that unless it would be to prevent non non- non Mormon Mormon r to vile vUe houses and similar offenders from being prosecuted In the lower courts The proposition to prevent persons s T Tr r y yV J V i r living in polygamous relations from acquiring title to public lands is only a partial endorsement of the Liberal policy and would amount to very little if made a law So 80 with the advice to Congress about immigration etc The proposition to re-district re the Territory make a new registration every year instead of a revision punish women as well as men for polygamy and add hard labor as aswell aswell wen well as the extension of the term of punishment to the penalties tor for un- un unlawful unlawful un unlawful lawful cohabitation are very era Lib Lib- Liberal Liberal and and eral in their complexion ex- ex exI exhibit ex exhibit I hibit the animus and partisanship of the framers of the report One recommendation con conveys veys falsehoods too gross and and malicious to pass without notice It is that on preventing Mormon im- im immigration immigration im immigration migration and it argues that there is far greater reason than for fer ex- ex excluding excluding ex excluding for closing our OUT doors as a nation and forbidding citizenship to the hordes who are brought here to swell the ranks of an organized body which teaches them in ad advance vance to hate our govern govern- government government government ment denominates its executive makers makers law judges and prosecutors as persecutors t etc tc We denounce this as untrue in every particular and must confess our surprise that some members of the Commission permitted these misrepresentations to be officially made There is no Latter-day Latter Saint or Mormon who has come from abroad to these shores who has been told in a advance vance or after his ani arrival val by any authority In the organization organization tion to which he belongs to hate the Government or do anything of the kind alleged by the Utah Commission There are some of that Board who may believe this because they really know nothing about our people or their faith and ana have been told it by Mormon anti anti But Rut there are others who must know better and they are to blame for not preventing the publication of these libels Whatever errors Congress may hav have been led into by just such mis mis- misrepresentations misrepresentations misrepresentations representations as are set forth in this official report and however the chIef officers of the Government may also have also have been thus misled until the peo peo- people people pIe of Utah have been oppressed and debarred from many rights and privileges the Constitution and Government of the United States have always been upheld and sub sob submission sub submission mission to them have been taught by the leaders of thi this organization The proofs of ot this are ample and the charges and insinuations of the Commission are but shame shame- shameful shameful 1 ful r repetitions petitions of ot calumnies that have been scores scoreR of times complete complete- completely m lete- lete ly Jy refuted t However we understand the mo mo- motive motive motive tive that lies behind all aU such reports i tha that have been made to the Secre Secre- Secretary Secretary Secretary tary of the Interior also alEO the pur pur- purpose purpose purpose pose tha is kept in ill view We do donot ti not believe it will have the effect desired Congress knows too many facts to te be deluded with Mor anti mon fiction And whatever car car- cartain certain certain tain Republicans may desire to ef- ef effect effect ef effect we do cio not think that legislation which is in the nature or of persecution and proscription will be enacted at the bidding of 8 a body which has assumed so many un- un authorized un-authorized t authorized powers and hopes to J continue indefinitely the easiest sinecure within the gift Kift of the Gov Gov- Gova Government Government a of the United States |
