Show P ADD09i y POLYGAMY A Member of the Utah Commission p Talks of the Mormon Address < Nebraska State Journal May 12th I ExSenator A Paddockwas interviewed here today touching polygamy and the Mormon question The S Senator is a member mem-ber of the Utah Commission and may betaken taken as authority upon the subject Asked for his opinion as to the address tothe President Presi-dent and the people of the United States by the Mormons in which I TJDTt ALLEGE MANY WBONGB And demand their address and in which the work of the Commission denounced Mr Paddock said in brief My belief is that the main object sought to be accomplished by the address is a revival of religious en thusiasm among the Mormon people so as to make apostaoy or schism in the church on account of the proceedings against the practice polygamy more difficnliif not altogether impossible The Edmunds bill has been enforced with so much vigor and success the sentiment of the country is so unanimous in support of the determined policy and recent decisions of the Sdpreme Court have been so pronounced in favor of the law and its methods for suppressing polygamy that many good and strong men had begun to think and say to each other that it would be BETTEB TO DISCONTINUE TIm PRACTICE Severalpersons under indictment pleaded guilty threw themselves on the mercy of the court promised not agajn to offend and many were released with slight punishment All such performances were bitterly denounced de-nounced by the Mormon press and people In my opinion the mass meeting the address ad-dress which is mainly a defense of the polygamic covenant and the demonstration against the enforcement of the Edmunds law for that is all there is of it were gotten up to counteract the influences at work inside in-side and outside the Church against polygamy po-lygamy Being thus considered the move ment has been a great deal of success The Mormon people certainly could not expect to satisfy the President of the country by an appeal based upon the divine reign and sanction of polygamy that the Edmunds law is a bad law that the Congress which passedthe actthe Supreme Court which affirmed it and the officers who have executed exe-cuted it have all been parties to a monstrous wrong but by such argument and denunciation denuncia-tion of all who have been connected with making Qr executing the law they have undoubtedly un-doubtedly temporarily at least STIFFENED THE WEAK KNEES Among the brethren and increased the difficulties diffi-culties of the situation I believe the action will have the contrary effect from that hoped for by the Mormons or by some of them and will demonstrate the necessity for still more stringent legislation Regarding the denunciation of the Commission and its acts the Senator said that no set of officers charged with the responsibility enforcing a law in Utah affecting the institution of polygamy and determined to do their duty were ever more conservative in all their acts or less influenced by prejudice than the Commission Com-mission Proofs of this are abundant The Commission have decided important questions ques-tions in accordance with the Mormon view believing the same to be right thereby drawing draw-ing upon themselves criticisms from the Gentile press and people They have stood BETWEEN THE TWO EXTREMES And have often been unable tosatisfy either but have always endeavored to secure the best results from the Edmnijds law TO far as they had to do with it a11 VAfc t ir efforts have been successful througC 1 10 Cpmmis Biuii Iian pot5aoarK l t1o capeCu and confidence confi-dence of the liberal Mormons and the best sentiment among the Gentile element in Utah In the report the Commission has recQmmended an amendment to the Ed mnnds law and it is because these amendments amend-ments are unpalatable and if adopted by Congress would greatly strengthen the movement against polygamy that the Mormon Mor-mon indictmemt against the Commission is so strong He thinks the amendments will be adopted and that President Cleveland and his administration firmly uphold the laws for the suppression of polygamy in I Utah 0 |