The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-17

traitor. The silver canvas aided the
opponents of the hierarchy, and they |
swept the State with the greatest plur-
atty in its history. They congratu- |
lated themselves that they had crushed |
the church and state idea, they exc
Grated Mr.. Roberts and exalted MT |
Thatcher, but when the Legislature |
met they were faced again by the old !
influence, and it proved powerful
enough in their own ranks to defeat
Mr. Thatcher for the senatorship.
| Mr.. Thatcher found that those who
I had promised to uphold him quailed
before the agents of the presidency.
He lost heart, therefore, and last year
abandoned his fight, submitted to
trial by the church authorities and &C
knowledged their right to exact his po-
litical obedience. Thus the priesthood
eliminated the only remaining leader
of their own people who could nave
successfully opposed their advance.
Only the Democratic party remained
to be conquered to give the presidency
absolute supremacy. A decisive blow
was dealt to it when it's municipal
ticket was defeated in Salt Lake Clty
last year The principle cause or the
disaster was AN address in the Taber-
prophet Woodruff in which he de-
clared to the thousands of Mormons
assembled in the big Salt Lake Taner-
nacle:
God Almighty requires you TO unite
together; to unite in your temple Work
and unite in your politics. The DAY
has come when you must put aside
your democracy and republicanism and
as the Latter Day Saints unite, and
YOU will not be taxed to DEATH
This defeat shattered the last re-
manning force opposed to the church,
and the conclusive triumph was easy
of accomplishment. Whispers went
! out through the State early this year
( that b. H. Roberts was to get his re-
ward for his obedience to counsel. Then
f from regions where Mormonism is
strong came demand" for his NOM
g ination to Congress. w. II. King, the
D present representative, who found time
! last winter to leave his duties in Wash
|, Iington and preach Mormonlsm IN
D Brooklyn, withdrew from the race one
). bv one such leaders of the party as
s were known to be good churcnmen
;. took up Mr.. Roberts cause, and, de-
d spite last desperate rally of those
= who had led the fight for political free
d dom. he was nominated overWheim-
It ingly.
!, Immediately it was openly charged
- that he was defiant polygamist, who
o not only had not Obeyed the law
r against living with the three wives M
e possessed already, but had married an
1t other after the anti-polygamy mani
festo was issued AS proofs of these
n charges it was declared that one Of hi
" plural wives had borne him twins afte
l. statehood was granted and that DR.
1t Maggie c. Shipp, woman physician
q of Salt Lake City, had changed he
j. name to Roberts, and he lived at he
house when in the state capital. Thes
ID things were not denied by himself o
lie his managers.
re This revelation came at most I'm
s. fortunate time for the church leaders
,e for they were evidently totally UMPIRE
Id pared either TO enforce their own rul
re against polygamy or to attempt to jus
err tify it's practice. 1t brought TO tn
V front facts which showed that Their
is had been no cessation Of the practic
I'd in the church Mr. Roberts partisan
ed replied 10 the attack on him by sayin
TO that he was no worse than some of TN
I'D candidates on the Republican tickle
in nor than the leading church author
u tiles.
Moreover, it was boldly charged tina
riI President Mckinley had sanctioned Tn
u practice by appointing men to fedora
ed office despite protests tnaC lney wei
p still defying the law
he Probing deeper, it was learned thu
ID. in quiet way polygamy was again b'
lis ing taught to the young people OF tn
oh church through the Improvement En-
cir the organ of the young mems organ
er cations. 1t was also remembered tn;
n Angus NJ Cannon, president of Sa
nv Lake stake in the ohurch-one OF who:
rs plural wives is now a state senator
ty, had declared:
IS 1--WE still believe in the principle
plural marriages, as we believe in tt
gn practices of the patriarchs. You can
)er change a peoples beliefs But We SUI
ed nit to the law"
nv a Mrs. Freeze, leading woman
his the church, in an outlying district d
nm Tended polygamy last June as not On
,at being right, but a divine command
no God. Apostle Woodruff declared
an the same time that 'tthe belief in pol
tes eamy is as much a part of the Mormt
OF faith today as it ever was, and tn
ax- the young people could not deny tn
of part of their belief without denyil
the the prophet Joseph Smith
the President Snow himself, the pr
phet'' of the church, in September
m this year declared II believe in t
ign revelation given to Joseph smith
S a celestial marriage.