The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-27
AMONG THE MORMONS
President Woodruff on the Anti
POlygamy Laws.
PLURAL MARRIAGES FORBIDDEN.
How ConfiScatiOn is -Nisrepresenta-
lions the Hardest of All to Bear
The JespersOn Case.

SALT LAKE CRY, Utah, October 9.-The
head of the Mormon church is a Connect
cut Yankee. He is eighty-two years old.
He has the compactly built figure OF Grant
In the square face, the firm mouth, the
strong nose and the set of the eyes there
are "reminiscences OF the old commander
sufficiently strong to make strangers com
ment upon the likeness. President Viii
ford Woodruff is a great disappointment to
those who have imagined supposed typi-
cal Mormon. He doesn't wear his hair or
his beard long, but cropped. He isn't oily
in speech; on the contrary, he is plain al
most to bluntness. There isn't trace of
the sanctimonious in his manner. Matter
of-fact is the mental trait most pronounced.
THE OPTICAL RESIDENCE
4 OF the head of the Mormon church is a
solid-looking mansion, block east of the
temple. Brigham Young designed it,
called it the Gardo house, and lived in it
till he died. Then the property passed into
the possession of the church. When the
government took possession of the church
property, a couple of years ago, the Nor
mons claimed exemption for the Gardo
house on the plea that it was used for the
parsonage. This view the court refused to
sustain. While the temple was given back
20 the Mormons the Gardo house remained
In the hands of the receiver. Rather than
have the furniture and the handsome in
terror suffer from careless tenants, the
church rented the building for SO month.
1t is used as the office of the president, but
otherwise remains unoccupied until the
supreme court passes on the contiscation
act.
Dressed in full suit of black with white
ohoker, President Woodruff walked briskly
into the reception room of the Gardo house
No suspicion of WEAKNESS showed itself in
his manner, although he had been presid-
ing all day at the great annual conference
of the Latter day Saints. He shook hands,
sat down and began at once to talk in a
sheerful, off hand way.
1--WE are peculiar people in some re-
spects,' he said. I'VE have been out here
by ourselves for a good while. Many
wrong Impressions have gone out about US.
All we ask is for the American people to
{ understand our situation as it really is
have no fears as TO our treatment at the
hands of our felloW-citizenS if we are un-
! derstood. But in some way it seems as if
the other side got the first hearing and we
not seem to be able to overcome the mis-
representations
1t was suggested that people would like
to hear directly from the head of the church
WHAT THE ATTITUDE Is
toward the law prohibiting polygamy.
Without the slightest hesitation Presi-
dent Woodruff replied, with emphasis:
eve 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 government We
recognize its laws as binding upon u.s.
There was no careful selection of words
in the reply to the question. The president
spoke rapidly and decisively, repeating in
different forms the idea that as the head of
the Mormon church he acknowledged the
supremacy Of the laws of his country. AS
If to make the practical effect of this posi-
ton plain, the president went on to say:
Il have refused to give any recommended
tons for the performance of plural mar
riages since Ihave been president. l know
that President Taylor, my predecessor
also refused. Since the Edmunds-T Tucker
law We have refused to recommend plural
marriages. and have instructed that they
should not be solemnzed."
Becoming more and more explicit as he
proceeded. President Woodruff told of a
special case. One of the bishops at the
head of q stake, which is a church designa-
ton for a large district, came to him with
petition Of a couple to have the plural mar
riage ceremony performed between them.
The stake bishop represented that the par
ties fully understood the risk they were
running in view of the law prescribing
!. penalty of five years for entering into the
IpolygamCus state. Nevertheless, they
We're willing to take the chances. He
wanted from the head of the church rul-
ing on the course to pursue.
II told the bishop" said President Wood
ruff, ''that it would not do at all. There
must be no more plural marriages.
THE PRESIDENTS DECLARATION
that he had given no recommendations
needs but brief explanation. The cere-
monies of the Mormon Neutrality-suspicious.,
marriages and endowments-takep place in
the Mormon temples, of which there are
three in Utah. To obtain the admission to
the temple and the performance of any of
the ceremonies, the applicant must carry a
recommendation signed by the bishop of
the ward in which the applicant lives.
That recommendation must be counter
signed by the bishop of the stake and by
the higher officials. Cutting of the recon-
mendatious in good faith ought to have the
effect Of stopping plural marriages. Presi-
dent Woodruff believes they have stopped.
In view Of his posi-, ion and policy it is diff
ficult 10 see how such marriages can take
place except upon misrepresentation and
willful disregard of the presidents instruc
ton.
~ am confident" said the president,
''that there have been 10 plural marriages
since have been in this position. And yet
a case has recently occurred which will
say to you do not understand at all. 1t is
giving Us q good deal of trouble. Perhaps
you have heard of itln
The president referred to the Hans Jes-
person case. Jesperson is a Dane. He
lives in Goshen, at the head of Utah lake.
Recently, aneighbor reported TO the United
States authorities at Provo, that he be-
NIleyed Jesperson was sustaining the plural
marriage relation with Mrs. Alice Horton.
A deputy marshal went out and brought in
the Jesperson family and Mrs. Horton.
All Of them denied the knowledge of any
improper relationship. At last Mrs Hor-
ton broke down, and testified that she was
married to JeSperson on the Sth of April
last. She said that part of the ceremony
took place in the temple at Manti and part
of it at the endowment house at Salt Lake
city This testimony was given before the
Unite States co nmissioEer, and Jesperson
was bound over for the graz d jury on the
charge of polygamy. The developments
occurred only a few months ago, but the
case has at once become a celebrated one.
1t is the only performance Of plural mar
riage ceremony this year which the courts
have unearthed. If the woman's testi-
mony is true, it proves that plural mar
riages are still being celebrated in the
temples, and that the law is being ignored.
President Woodruff brought up
THE DISPERSION CASH
without waiting to be questioned about it.
He spoke with much warmth. He seemed
to feel keenly the position in which he was
placed by such testimony. When he