The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-10-23
MoRMoNs ABANDON PoLYGAMY.
President Woodruff Says the Church
Means to Obey the Law.

Z
Means to Obey the Law.
SALT LAKE CITY, October III have
just bad 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.
"We are peculiar people in some re-
spects," he said. 'Wc have been out
here by ourselves for good while.
Many wrong impressions have gone out
about US. AL we ask is for the Amcri-
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 polvgamy. With
out the slightest hesitation President
Woodruff replied with emphasis:
''We 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 binding
upon us.
II have refused to give any recon-
mendations for the performance of plu-
raj marriages since l have been presi
dent. I know that President Taylor,
my predecessor, also refused. Since toe
Edmunds-T 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 special case One Of the bishops at
the head of a 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 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 no
more plural marriages since | have been
in this position, and yet a case has re-
Gently occurred which l will say to
you I do not understand at all.
1t is giving us a good deal of trouble.
Perhaps you have heard of it2' The pres
ident referred to the Hans JesperSon case.
Jesperson is Dane. He lives in Goshen,
at the head of Utah Lake. Recently
neighbor reported to the United States
authorities at Provo that he believed
Jesperson was sustaining the plural mar
riage relations with Mrs. Alice Horton
A deputy marshal went out and brought
in the Jesperson family and Mrs. Hor
ton All of them denied knowledge of
any improper relationship. At last Mrs.
Horton broke down and testified that
she was married to Jesperson on the Sth
of last April. She said that part of the
ceremony took place in the Temple at
Manti, and part of it at the Endowment
HHuse in Salt Lake City. This testimony
was given before the UnitedStates Com
missioner. Jesperson was convicted and
sentenced to FIVE years in prison for
polygamy and three years on another
charge. it is the only performance of
a plural marriage ceremony this year
which the courts have unearthcd.
1T seems incredible if it is true,
Woodruff said. lit is against al! Of my
instructions. do not understand it at
all. We arc looking into it and shall
not rest until we get at all the facts.