Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1882 — THE MORMONS. [ARTICLE]

THE MORMONS.

The Work of the United States Commission. Ten Thousand Polygamists Disfranchised. lion. Alexander Ramsey, Chairman of the United States commission appointed under the provisions of the Edmunds bill to carry out the new law in Utah, recently arrived home at St. Paul on a short vacation from his labors, and was interviewed in regard to the progress of the task of making polygamy odious. “I loft Salt Lake,” said Gov. Ramsey, “for a short rest and visit homo, fcho commission having completed the registration of the voters for the Territory of Utah, Thirty-five thousand persons, men and women—the women vote there, you know—were registered, and 10,(XX) polygamists of both sexes were disfranchised The census of 1880 showed that there were 144,000 people in the Territory, and it is estimated that there are now about 100,000, of whom 120,000 are Mormons and the balance of 40,000 anti-Mormon. Of this population, which registers 35,000 voters, the Mormons claim that not to exceed from 5,01 K) to 7,000 are non-Mormons, while the Gentiles assert that their voting strength is from 7,000 to 10,0(K>. At a very early day after the arrival of the commission, leading polygamists came to us and said they desired to assure us they would make no attempt to be registered, nor would thev make any attempt to vote, and would do all in tlielr power to assist us. In a general way I think they kept their word. In fact, tbo Mormons conducted themselves fairly, as far as we could learn. We have, beside completing the registration, appointed a County Register in each of tuo twenty-four counties of Utah and selected a Register for each voting precinct, so that there are about 200 of them. We now have to appoint three judges in each election precinct, making about G<>o judges. With regard to these appointments, 'there has been a good deal of nonsense in the papers about the commission favoring the Mormons, while the fact is that there are whole counties where none hut Mormons reside, and, as the law is intended to make polygamy odious and does not disfranchise a ' non-polygamist Mormon, wc could not do otherwise tl.an do just what the law does—recognize that class. Ho far as the elections are concerned, they will of course be carried by the Mormons. Of course the Mormon vote, which is at least two and a half to one Gentile, will elect the Delegate to Congress, and the polygamists, knowing that their man and officers generally will be chosen, can well afford to acquiesce in their own disfranchisement. I heard it said that the present Mayor of Halt Lake City,"Mr. Kane, stood a good show for the Mormon nomination mid election. ” "What will be the general effect of the law as it pertains to the elections! 1 ” “It will take pretty near all the wealthiest men of the Mormon church out of politics and make polygamy odious, especially to the rising generation, who will dislike to bo disfranchised on arriving at their majority. The old fellows now thrown out will be looked upon by many as martyrs, and in fact so cons der themselves already. Ho far as the general effect of ihe law is concerned it cannot now be determined what that will bo, for it is, of course, an experiment.”