Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-12-17
SITTING THE TEsrinoNY.
ealt Lake Tribune.

The testimony Of the Mormon wit
nesscs 10 the recent naturalization
cases has attracted good deal OF at
tention III the country at large, and
by no means favorable attention Ell
iher. Americas citizens are shocked
=. tho wanton disregard OF truth dis
played by these witnesses, and indlg'
pant at their presumptuous claims
and wicked assumption OF tempo
raj aud alien government IN this
country. Two instances will be Civ.
on here, the first from the Chicago
Tribune:
THE MORMON CASH.
One Of the last witnesses in the
Mormon case, which IL now ended,
WAS J. Z. Talmsge, who was called
by the Mormons in snrrebnttal. Mr..
Tslmage, who was literally educated
IN Lehigh aud John Hopkins Unver.
stiles, and who IL now = professor in
the Mormon College, was relied up
on by the Mormons TO sustain their
position in the matter Of naturalizng
aliens OF their faith, but the damag-
ing admissions made by him only
served 10 still further weaken il. He
testified that he never taught the stu
dents to obey the law of Congress
forbidding polygamy, because in his
belief the law is unconstitutional, not
wi,hstanding the Supreme Courts de-
cision to the contrary. Prof Tai.
mage further testified that nearly CIV.
cry prominent leader OF the church
had been or is nov polygamist, that
!. was the duty Of every polygamist
to do all in his power 70 keep the
practice secret, evade arrest and defy
The law, and that IL he were polyg.
amist he would do SO.
Tho testimony OF the witnesses for
the prosecution in this case was over.
whelmlng, and it has been reinforced
by nearly every witness called for III,
defense. Mormon bishops, elders
missionaries aud laymen have no
hesitated 10 declare their disloyalty
to the Federal Government aud thei
determination to violate the law o
Congress, TO affirm their belief in 20
lygsmy and their resolution to prac
tfoe il, and to Justify the murders anS
a2saasinations of those who have VIC
lated the infamous oaths they took !,
the Endowment House. 1t has heeI
established out OF their own mouth
that the Mormon hierarchy is an enc
my to the Government aud the insti
tutlops oil the country. The evidene'
on this point is not only direct bu
cumulative, and tho strongest featurt
OF it all is the confirmation OF all an,
more than was charged by the Gen
tile witnesses. Whatever may b
the outcome OF this particular case
Mormonism stands self-coufessed @
hostility to Republican institution
and self-eonsioted OF treason. What
ever course NAV be taken in solving
the difficult problem of polgamy
remains for Congress to adopt som
radical legislation which shall enahl
IL at least 10 assert and maintain III
authority OF the Government in utal
A late Issue of the New York Com
mereial Advertiser has this common
on Apostle John Henry Smiths r,
cent testimony:
Perhaps the most interesting state
msnt which has been made in III
Mormon investigation IN Sall Lake,
that of Apostle Smith, that Mormo
could not take second wife witkou
tho consent OF bis first. This at fir.
seemed TO indicate that the first vii
was a ''viclim" only in the imagins
,ion OF non. Mormons. Tho cross Q,
animation, however, brought out ihs
the alternative presented to the hr'
wife was consent or eternal damns
ton, anil ia case she chose the latte
her consent was no longer necessar,
The "willing subsection" Of Mormo
wives in Utah is a good deal like II
"willing slavery of negroes in Ind
ana under the old apprentice la
which Grandfather Harrison qu,etl
supported. Here the negro had Il
alternative OF signing away his fire.,
dom Tor life, or being sent hack 10 h
old master in Kentucky aud bein
licked in the bargain.