The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-10-24
moRMoNs ABANDON PoLYGAMY.
President Woodruff Says the Church
Means to Obey the Law.

Means to Obey the Law.
SALT LAKE CITY, October 12.-I have
just had an Interesting interview with
President Wilford Woodruff, the head of
the Mormon Church. He is eighty-two
years old, but walked briskly into the
reception room of the official residence.
He began at once to talk in & cheerful,
off-hand way.
ave are peculiar people in some re-
spects," he said. "We have been out
here by ourselves for a good while.
Many wrong impressions have gone out
about us. All we ask is for the Ameri-
can people to understand our situation
as it really is. l have no fears as to our
treatment at the hands of our fellow
citizens if we are understood.
1t was suggested that the people would
like to hear directly from the head of
their Church what the attitude is toward
the law prohibiting polygamy. With
out the slightest hesitation President
Woodruff replied with emphasis: $
ave mean to obey it of course. We
have no thought of evading or ignoring
this or any other law of the United
States. We are citizens of this govern
ment. We recognize its laws as birding
upon us.
81 have refused to give any recon-
mendations for the performance OF plu-
raj marriages since I have been. presi-
dent. l know that President Taylor,
my predecessor, also refused. Since the
Edmunds- Tucker law we have refused to
recommend plural marriages, and have
instructed that they should not be SOL
emnized."
Becoming more and more explicit as
he proceeded, President Woodruff told
of a special case. One of the bishops at
the head of stake, which is church
designation for large district, came to
him with the petition of a couple to have
the plural marriage ceremony performed
between them. The stake bishop repre-
sented that the parties fully understood
the risk they were running. He wanted
from the church a ruling on the course
to pursue. 81 told the bishop" said
President Woodruff, THAT it would not
do at all. There must be no more plu
raj marriages. l am confident" said
the president, "that there have been pt
more plural marriages since have been
in this position, and veta case has re-
Gently occurred which will say tc
you do not understand at all
1t is giving us good deal of trouble
Perhaps you have heard of it2' The pres
ident referred to the Fans Jesperson case.
Jespcrson is a Dane. He lives in Goshen,
at the head of Utah Lake. Recently a
neighbor reported to the United States
authorities at Provo that he believed
JespersOn was sustaining the plural mar
riage relations with Mrs. Allce Horton.
A deputy marshal went out and brought
in the Jesperson family and Mrs. Hor
ton. All of them denied knowledge oi
any improper relationship. At last Mrs
Horton broke down and testified tha
she was married to Jesperson on the 8tl
of last April. She said that part of tbC
ceremony took place in the Temple ii
Manti, and part of it at The Endowmen
Hcuse in Salt Lake City. This testimon!
was given before the United States Com
missioner. Jesperson was convicted and
sentenced to five years in prison fo
polygamy and three years on another
charge. It is the only performance o.
q plural marriage ceremony this veal
which the courts have unearthed.
ut seems incredible if it is true,
Woodruff said. "It is against all of m!
instructions. I do not understand it a
all. We are looking into it and shall
not rest until we get at all the facts
There is;no intention on our part to d
anything; but to obegsthe law" Resieen
lGenriles,. say that fhe Saints are no
worthy Of the slightesteredenee regard
ling their religion, although they may b.
upright enough in all other respects.
"To show you how / feel, said he, {"
will tell you frankly of my own case.
have three wives. I married them be
fore 1860, when there was no law what
ever regarding polygamy. l have no
visited the houses of my wives for fiv
years. I have kept entirely away be
cause I didn't mean to do anythin!
which might have the appearance o
breaking the Edmunds law. But / hav'
fed and clothed these families. | canno
repudiate the obligations 1 entered int
so many years ago.
1T seems to me-" he said, "that th'
law ought to have been made palmer il
one respect. 1t nigh: have marked ou
the course to be pursued by those wh'
had gone into this thing before tn,
enactment. That would have saved
great deal of trouble. If the provision!
had made clear the line of conduct to
ward plural wives there would not havl
been so many cases before the courts.