The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-09-25

trines and Covenants, Dor has the count
less arguments in its favor been withdrawn
from the hands OF the people or their
teachers. What avais it then to say the
doctrine is not taughts Since the report OF
! 1891 was made some of the highest author
tiles in the Mormon church have been
called upon to testify in the United States
district court in what Is known as tine
| Church Escheat Cases.
The commission will let their testimony
speak for itself upon the binding force OF
the revelation, the effect OF the manifesto
and the value to be placed upon the unani-
nous vote of the general conference OF
the church.
Here the testimony is given, followed by
a lengthy review of Mormon history, the
Edmunds law etc. For thirty i've years
polygamy fourished in Utah, and for
! twenty five years of that time in defiance
of the penal laws of the land. The COM
mission was organized. and in eight years
time the steady and inflexible enforcement
of tie laws, aided, perhaps, by fear OF
furthur disfranchisement, compelled the
authorities of the church to abandon their
cherished doctrine and openly declare their
Willingness to obey the laws, and the Utah
comm ission was the only agency referred
to as the reason for issuing the inspired
manifesto
Where, before, in the history Of the
world has been recorded any stance OF a
powerful church with numerous and devot-
ed followers, giving up an article OF faith IN
their creed, given TO them as they aver. and
many doubtless believe, by a direct reve-
lation and as q command from God. upon
the advice simply of the head OF the
| church, with perfect unanimlty aid With
out evsn a manifestation of discomfort!
Such is the marvellous condition OF this
! important change. 1t is said by the church
| organ that the manifesto when read to the
conference was adopted by one unanimous
uplifting of hands in the tabernacle. 80 lar
| as can be seen. by those living among THESE
people the only visible manifestation OF
discomfort or of belief or unbellef in the
divine inspiration of the manifesto, is seen
in the continuation of the practice by mem
bers of the church in defiance of law and
of the manifesto, "a shown by the fire.
quent arrests, indictments and convictions
! for polygamous offenses.
| 1t would seem to clearly demonstrate
that the charge made against the church,
that 1t seeks and exercises temporal as
! well as spiritual power and through church
| Influences dominates it's mem bers and will
lingly or uDwiilingly compels compliance
with the will of those who govern the
church is well grounded.
That the church has taken this step only
few months since, While still claiming
the doctrine ''divine command" would
seem to be no reason why the government
should at once withdraw all the safe
guards it has confronted and surround
these people with, or deliver over to them
the sole and complete political power OF the
territory Time proves all things"
IL should not be forgotten that at
one time the military power Of
the nation, and for thirty years the most
restrictive legislation and Its vigorous en-
forcement, has been required to bring
| about this very condition they claim now
to exist Every step has been gained over
an intense and united opposition led by
those same men who so free to de-
nounce others, and SO loud in their sell
praise.
There seems to be q misapprenson in
some quarters as TO the functions OF the
commission and even congressman appear
to think it liz charged with the enforce
ment of penal laws against polygamy, and
it was lately said on the floor of the House
that no convictions had resulted from its
work.
This commission is not a court to prose
cute cases of polygamy. 1t cannot compel
witnesses, and might fail to establish the
absolute verify of any case. Its functions
| are confined to the electoral provisions OF
the law.
That it has reports which indicate that
polygamy is not wholly abandoned is the
truth Is it to be wondered at that peo-
pie which has been taught sor so many
years that polygamy is divine principle,
that the principle is still divine and merely
suspended by an advisory proclamation,
should have some members who Will prefer
the divine command which Is In accord
with their lustful proclivities rather than
comply with the advice which would cut
| off the source of their highest felicity not
only in this life, but In the kingdom their
faith teaches them awaits the devotee who
/ ives 40 TO the ''divine command" which
lnioins the practice of polygamys
| Is it at all a matter of surprise that, in a
territory of many thousands of square
miles. whose settlements are il valleys $50
| lated from each other, and many of .hich
are inhabited wholly by Mormons who.
whether polygamists or not, are eli firm
| believers in this tenet of their church
| faith, and will neither betray their neigh
| bors n or bear witness against them, but on
the contrary will use every effort to con-
ceal the facts, ii Is supremely difficult
to obtain absolute proof of facts which the
whole community may believe TO eXists
Common repute throughout the territory,
would bring conviction TO most minds, but
without giving weight to that. the commits
sion has information which compels it to
believe that the practice of polygamy
has not wholly ceased.
A distinguished judge of the United
States district court for Utah, making a
statement in favor of the claimants for
statehood or home rule, before the house
committee last February, instanced 1.-The
case of a young man who had married as
his plural wife young woman whose
father did not know of the marriage until
it was found that his daughter was preg
4 nant with child, which child was born as
late as JULY With such secrecy surround
~ Tc 70 Tto1a
stand why the commission is expected to
furnish direct, formal and conclusive proof
of the cases it reports. That the church
has formally spoken against the further
solemnization of such marriages; that @
large number of its members apparently
accept it as final, and profess willingness
to obey the law, is gratifying. and TACT
the commission is glad to record.
But that polygamy still exists ard that
! there are many cases constantly coming TO
/ the public knowledge OF ass ociation be
! tween polygamists and the plural wives
they had protested to have put away, IS a
! fact that, in the face OF the STATISTICS pre-
scented, can hardly be controverted. The
cases of arrest for unlawful cohaoitatlon
have of late been very numerous, ana men
! of prominence in the church are found
among the number.
Possibly this is due to the weakness COM
mon to the majority of mankind, but what
ever the cause, the fact RENAME.
/ Much stress was laid in the statements
before the congressional committees upon
the fact that no convictions for polygamy
have lately been had, as if that finally dis
posed of the question.
The convictions for unlawful cohabita-
ton, which means living in poiygamy, are
numerous. and would dou btless be more
numerous were it not for the fact that it Is
so difficult to convict. Not all the acouit-
tails are had upon the ground OF innocence,
but in many cases because the plural wife