Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-24

Irtutht thsNssT
Here Is given the testimony of
Presidents Woodruff, Cannon ard
Smith and Apostle LJrenzo.5now De.
fore the Master ia Chancory In the
churcil tHes.
The Megolng Ia not a statement
made by the Commission. IL is the
sworn statement Of the beieiB and teach
lngs OF tbo highest dignitlriea OF tho
Mormon Church two weeks after they
placed before the General Conference
OF their Church ami hat unanimously
adopted their denunulation OF the
Utah Commission a. liare, because 1t
said ~ ~ report that they believed and
taught that doctrine.
IL Ia the te.tlnony OF the thfcaiigni.
tarius who affixed their names 10 the
"DeclamtiOn OF the First Presidency
saying Of the Commission's report:
ST II utterly without foundation In
truth.r
IL may be aided that this Joseph f.
smith who spoke 40 certainly upon
this subject had
NOT BEEN VISIBLE
In the Territory for nearly oIght years
until the meeting OF that conference.
During that time he had been fIgi.
tive from Justice, Ia hiding ON "the
upderground," evadlng the officers OF
the law, and upon his full confession
that ho had been guilty Of tho prao.
tice OF this very doctrine, and hia
earnest appeal Tor clemenoy, and
solemn promise 20 obpy the law In
the future, had just received tho par.
don from the Executive which per
mittej him 10 be present and attack
and denounce as falAificfs representa-.
tivcs OF this government who had
been on the ground from six 10 eight
months OF every year OF the eight
years during which he was fugitive
and IN hiding In other parts OF the
world.
The Utah Commission would call
attention TO the fact, which II osteoms
no cause for regret, but rather some.
thing TO be gratifled with, that In all
three OF the public and official declarn-
tions OF the church which marks Its
change OF front M TO the heretofore
cardinal doctrine VI lis creed, the ac,s OF
tho Commission are given rs the reason
for their PRONUNCIATION. The Comm H.
sion considers this fact stronger evi.
dence than IL could elsewhere adduce
10 prove that the work IL waa GALLEY
upon 10 perform has been well and
thoroughly done.
The Commission credits the church
with all that can reasonably be claimed
for II from the official declarations II
has promulgated.
Much credit has been assumed by
the Mormon Church and people for
their cnange Of from. on the subject Of
pOlygamy and their asserted willing
submission and obedience to the laws
oil the general government, and pro-
found reverence for tho rulings Of the
courts OF the country. In this connoc.
ton II may not be Improbable TO recall
certain fncts which may have had
potent influence In producing that
change OF front.
II ia u matter OF history that by rea.
son OF their peculiar practices they
were
DRIVEN FROM ONO, MISSOURI AND
ILLINOIS.
When they migrated to the mountains
they were left TO themselves from iS47
to 1852, and there openly established
ana practlsed Polygamy, not then made
n crime by statute, but a practice In
violation OF the common law Of the
country, and Of the sentiment Of the
civilized world. In 1859 tho practice
came under the bpn OF the penal laws
Of the nation, by the enactment
Of what Is know as tho Poland law,
but these people openly defied aud sot
that law Mt naught, and the courts for
twenty years found II impossible TO on.
force II or TO punish for ite violation, by
reason OF the united action OF tho peO-
pie In preventing the execution OF the
laws and process Of tue courts.
The country demanded
MORE STRINGENT LAWS,
and the Edmunds law was passed In
1882, giving the courts more power, adj |
ding the penalty OF Acknowledgement, |
and authorizing the appointment Of |
the Utah Commission, whose powers |
nre limited to the provisions OF one |
small section Of the law. The courts |
were busy, and became ablo to make |
their power felt, aud the work Of the |
was progressing, but both |
were always confronted with the |
united and determined opposition Of |
the Mormon people acting under |
shrewd ana able leaders. The people |
Of the country were impatient at the |
slow progress made, nnd further |
legislation was had In what "a known |
AZ the Edmunds-rucker law OF |
1887, which strengthened some OF the /
weak points Of the former law.
The opposition was still active, unit.
ed md determined. Hundreds ana |
perhaps thousands were convicted and |
went TO the psnitentiary as convlcts |
rather than submit 10 the law. Thou. |
sands submitted TO be deprived OF |
rather than give up this |
sJ-oalled "iivine principle" and sacred |
right No spirit OF inspiration came |
upon the minds OF their spiritual ad- |
visers. to suspend the operation OF the
practice which was causing all this |
No signs Of submission 10 |
The laws OF the lani, no reverence for |
the authority OF tbs government were
visible, but In Nil Utah those laws |
were denounced ns wicked aud uncon. |
stltutionnl and their enforcement as
Al iasi, In the adjoining Territory of
IDAHO,
the legislature passed measure prac- |
ticAlly DISTINGUISHING all psrso us who |
gave adhesion TO the Mormon Church.
Later, the same, or n similar provision
was incorporated Into the Constitution
under which Idaho was admitted into
he Union as aBtate.
Gases were Irrigated under one or
both Of these provisions OF disfran-
which IN duo course OF
lime reached the Supreme Court Of the