Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1887 — MORMONISM. [ARTICLE]

MORMONISM.

Report of a Majority of the Utah Coinmission on Affairs in That Territory. Successful Working of the Edmunds Law—Recommendations of the Commission. [Washington special.l C. L. Godfrey, A. B. Williams, and Arthur L. Thomas, constituting a majority of the Utah Commission, have filed their annual report with the Secretary of the Interior. A memorandum at the close of the document says that Commiss oners Carlton and McClernand, dissenting from many of the views expressed therein, do not sign the report. The population of the Territory is estimated at 200,000, a gain of nearlv 60,000 since 1880. The valuation of the property assessed is given as $35,665,802. On April 1 the total Mormon population of Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado was 162,383, officially classed as follows: Three first presidents, 11 apostles, 65 patriarchs, 6,444 seventies, 3,723 high priests, 12,411 elders, 2,423 priests, 2,497 teachers, 6,354 deacons, 81,283 members, and 46,639 children under 8 years of age. The total church population of Utah was 132,297. The titnings in 1880 was $540,000. The strength ot the non-Mormon element, which owns onethird of the assessed property, is estimated at 55,000. The different religious denominations have now in Utah 62 churches, which control 37 schools, with an aggregate of 6,668 pupils and 230 teachers. Since the passage of the Edmunds law in 1882, 541 persons have been indicted for unlawful cohabitation, and 289 were convicted. The number convicted of polygamy was 14, many of the persons in dieted having fled to escape arrest. The report commends the officers of the Federal courts in Utah for their enforcement of the law, and says: “The Mormon leaders and their obedient followers have made no concession, and the issue is squarely maintained between assumed revelations and the laws of the land.” The report then cites the already published results of the August election under the registry law, and of the Mormon convention and election in June, in which a constitution was adopted with a view to application to Congress for admission as a State. The Commission regards this action as an effort to free the Mormon Church from the toils which the firm attitude of the Government and the energetic course of the Federal officers have thrown around it, and opposes its consummation. During the last year the names of sixtyseven men have been reported to the Com-

mission as having entered into polygamy. The Commission renews its recommendations of last year, and also recommends that authority be conferred upon the Governor of the Territory to appoint the following county otric rs: Selectmen, clerks, assessors recorder.-, and superintendents of district schools. In conclusion the Commission submits that, in its opinion, the results which have followed from tbe passage of the Edmunds act have been very beneficial to the Territory. It has provided a fair, honest, and ordeilv system of elections, and it is universally concede;! by Mormons and nonMormons that there has been no charge nor oven rumor of irand in connection with the registration of voters and the conduct of elections since the Commission first commenced its work.