The evening times., 1899-03-13
NOT WILLING TO
DISCUSS POLYGhMY
Mormons i'm the Utah Legisla-
ture Ignore the Subject.
Church Influence Sidetracks TrOu
bleSOme Factor.
No Provision Made tn Legitimatize
Children born i'm Plural Marriage
SINCE Statehood Was Conferred.

salt Lake. Utah. March l3.-Polygamy
was TOO grave a question for the Utah Leg
islature TO touch upon at the session which
has just closed here after long deadlock
over the Senatorshp. No attempt was
made either to repeal the law against CO.
hab:taiion with more than one wife, which
b. II. Roberts has confessedly violated, or
10 legitimaJize children born in plural
marriage The legislature Of 1898 passed
4 law making legitimate all the issue Of
polvsanous marriages born before Janu-
AIRY l Of that year, but, although Mr.. Rob
erts' twins and the children of many other
prominent Mormons have been born TO
plural wives since that time, no effort was
made to extend this statute.
The evident desire to let these questions
alone has excited much comment among
he Geutiles here. When Roberts was open
ly charged during his Congressional can
vass with violation Of the cohabitation law,
he declared il had "crept' on the statute
books by an inadvertence," and like
some Of The blue laws Of Connecticut ii had
not been enforced, because there was no
public sentiment that demanded its eXecu-
ton"
The Mormon Church authorities took a
similar position and authorized editorials
in their organ declaring that the only
promise OF the church was that no po!yga-
nous marriages should be allowed in the
future. President Snow and other high
church officials also said emphatically that
il was never intended by the nation that
polygamous ties formed prior to 1880 should
be broken.
In view OF these declarations it was oX-
pected that the legislature, which was
Overwhelmingly Mormon, would repeal the
Law in question, leaving only the other law,
forbidding future plural marriages and 50
free Roberts and his fellow Mormon lead
ers from the charge OF continued breaking
OF the law. Had the church demanded lis
repeal undoubtedly the Legislature would
have obeyed.
II is learned, however. thar none OF the
Mormon Legislators CareG 10 take up The
matter All admitted that the law was en-
acted with fun knowledge Of its meaning
by Mormon Legislature IN 1882. and re-
enacted by the Mormon State Legislature
al 1897. Vet none wanted il enforced. and
there was no movement for its repeal.
State senator Martina Hughes Cannon
who Is a polyEamous wife OF Angus NJ
Cannon. SAYS that she made an effort Il
obtain The repeal OF the Law b-t had be y
Iold by persons on whose judgment sht
relied thai il was best not TO agiJare III,
subject President AQuiia Neb ker of ths
senate however. took the gen .-al Nornor
view when he sad thai Il Gas Il L ntlnd-
ed 10 enforce this Law IN casns % ro'yga-
my. but it would he Us.Iul 70 qua
against immortality.
II is also learned thai represeuta ives q
The Mormon ChuIOa Gs.cCuTa-s . Eov +.
meHt for repeal ia The interest 4 Z Do
cts. taking ths gToGud l-ai re a. EJ.o.
should moi be- touched until me Na.ioaa
House OF Rep-esentaI.vrs had de ila
whether or not to un>eat he pres nt r p
roseUtGIive. II was ,feav-d taa- pea
would arouse intense opposition on IN,
part of rae Geufi!es ard n gh. ~ cipi ,
an open HGht against the Gu IN
The failure TO provide for cni'dr bo 1
IN polygamy has caused mos surprise
however. The Protestant m.H.sI T. o. 20,
Stale gave statistics early in !S,N 20 sho %
that more nan Iwo thouss nd O. Ile e Ia.
tie ones had been born To Z urai wiye.
since JANUARY J. 1896. and they d care h
number i almost doub Ell nov. Pr siden
Snow himself has a baby less Than jhr-,
years old. alleged to be The child Of hi
last plural wife. II ne should die befOr,
the next Legislature meets this child cou {
not share IN his property Other hIgi
churchmen are similarly situated
An instance OF The hardships cau-ei h,
the continuance of poiygamy and the fai'-
ure 10 provide protection for tue children
is found in the case OF Mrs. Lillian Ham.
liz Cannon, fourth wife of the late apOs.
tie. Abraham H Cannon. Her child VA.
born late in 1896. has been recogn zei b,
George Q. Cannon's family as one o. them
but is not mentioned in the papers re at.
ing 10 its fathers estate.
In territorial days fhFr. MAS :: cra-rrt,
which legitimarized all children born il
polygamy. This WAS repealed by the Ed
nunds-T Tucker act OF 1887. The State iav
OF 1896 restored The old territorial sia ut,
up 10 the beginning Of the period OF Stat
hood. That il should not be continue,
now indicates the desire OF Mormons no
10 arouse any more national opposition.