The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-12

i misdemeanor.'
 Is polygamy practiced by your peo-
 pie now?'
 "There Is no polygamy in the Mormon
 church to-day, as polygamy is defined
 in the statute laid down by congress.
 Please note the exact words, first of the
 code to enable the people of Utah to | form a constitution and state govern
 ment, and to be admitted into the Un- l ion on an equal footing with the origi- | nal states; that perfect toleration of re-
 ligious sentiment shall be secured, and that no inhabitant of said state shall | ever be molested in person or property
 on account of his or her mode of reli- | gous worship, provided that polyga- | nous or plural marriages are forever prohibited.
 Article of the constitution of Utah
 reads: The following ordinance shall be irrevocable without the consent of
 the United States and the people of this state. Perfect toleration of religious
 sentiment is guaranteed. No inhabi- tant of the state shall be molested in
 person or property on account of his or her mode of religious worship, but po-
 lygamy or plural marriages are forever
 prohibited
 Article "A of the constitution, section
 ?, reads: All laws of the territory of
 Utah now in force, not repugnant to
 this court, shall remain in force until
 they expire by their own limitation, or
 are altered or repealed by the legisla-
 ture. The article of the government
 and legislation association of Utah, en-
 titled, An act "to punish polygamy and other kinds of offenses" appealed Feb
 ruary 4, A. D., 1892, in so far as the same defines and imposes penalties for polygamy, are hereby declared to be in force in the state of Utah..
 According to the wording of the en- abling act and the constitution, I make bold to say that there is no polygamy in Utah and none practced by Nor mons, for there have been no plural marriages since that act was adopt cd"
 Tt Is charged that there have been many plural marriages since Utah be- came a state.'
 Without any fear of successful deni- al, I wish to say that there is not a word of truth in it. President Snow has told me privately and he has said pub licly, that he would dsfellowship any elder wo would perform such mar raige This ought to be said also: The statutes of Utah require marriage license, and the license must be returned within three days under penalty of one thousand dollars. The records are open to the public at all times and they can i,,p ,t thair ,,1a one has been married illegally 1t should not be a hard matter to find it out
 What about the poygamous children born recently in Utah?'
 'I know of no polygamous child haV- ing been born in Utah since we have been a state. I do not say that there have been none I simply mean I do not know of any. It is possible that some of the younger men who had plu- ral wives before statehood, men like Roberts, for example, Have had child, or even children, born to them during the last few years. do not say that is a fact, but that it Is possible. This whole question is one that nature will take care of in few years and, there fore, it Is safe to say that polygamy is a tltdu lsSue, III Spllc Ol lHe ylJB Sldle- ments made by our opponents"
 What was the understanding among the Mormons regarding polygamy when the constitution was framed?"
 There was fair understanding, both In Utah and in Washington, that polyg amous marriages should cease. but that there should be no interference with ex- | sting relations I could give you the | names of men who were then in con- gress, but who are now In high posi- Iions, who understood our position | clearly and we understood theirs also, 1 namely, that polygamous marriages | were to cease and existing relations were not to be disturbed. And we have sept our agreement. Polygamy is dead [ ssue'
 ''Is polygamy, as the east understands t, practiced in Utah%'
 "When Utah came into the Union in S95 there were a number of men who lad previously contracted plural mar 'iages; they did not put away their wives, nor were they required to do so y the act of congress, nor by the state Several of these men were ilSiHUSIS bl tIP CulIStllulIplldl GOnNeu- ion, of which John Henry Smith, lnown to be a polygamist, was made president. Brigham H. Roberts was lso member of that convention, and lelped to frame the constitution"
 "It is rumored that President Snow, he president of the Mormon church, is
 polygamist as we understand the word in the east-that more than one voman claims him as her husband"
 That is fact. His legal wife has led, and he lives with one of his other wives, but only one of them, though he rovides for the others" T have heard somewhere, MT Pen ose. that you have more than one 5ife" T have never denied it. I have two lives whom l married in 1861; I live 'ith my legal wife, and provide for the ther one'' What position does your church take l regard to MT. Roberts, the Mormon !  We take absolutely no interest in the l natter. He stands on his own merits ; ur church is not a unit in political latters-a number of our leading men { poke against Roberts and voted gainst him." - What about his plural wives?"
 "He has three wives, all of whom he larried before the manifesto of 1890. r s..,- l