Evening star., 1899-03-01
The Roberts Case Raises the Question
of Mormon Pledges.
SHOWING OF The DOCUMENTS
The First Church Manifesto and the
Reputation That Followed.
MIR. ROBERTS STATEMENT


through records and documents to find out
exactly what the Mormons promised when
Utah was admitted to the Union, and what
construction they have placed on those
promises since. The record contains some
facts and statements not commonly known
and so far very lightly touched upon in the
public consideration of the subject.
The first move on the part of the Nor
mon Church toward preparing the way for
statehood was the manifesto of President
Woodruff of the church issued September
26. 1890. This address was as follows:
To Whom 1t May Concern:
Press dispatches having been sent, for
political purposes, from Salt Lake City,
which have been widely published, to the
effect that the Utah commission, in their
recent report to the Secretary of the In
terror. alleges that plural marriages are
still being solemnized, and that forty or
more such marriages have been contracted
in Utah since last June, or during the past
year; also that in public discourses the
leaders of the church have taught, encour-
aged and urged the continuance of the
practice of polyeamy. l. therefore. as presi-
dent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat
ter Day Saints. do hereby. in a most SOL
emn manner. declare that these charges are
false. We are not teaching polysany. or
plural marriage. nor permitting any per-
that either forty or any other number of
plural marriages have, during that period.
been SolemniZed in our temples, or in any
other place in the territory.
One case has been reported in which the
parties alleged that the marriage took
place in the Endowment House. in Salt
Lake City. in the spring of 1859. but | have
not been able to learn who performed the
ceremony: whatever was done in this mat
jer was without my knowledge. In cOnse-
quence of this alleged occurrence the En-
dowment House was by my instructions,
taken down without delay.
Inasmuch as laws have been enacted hy
Congress fOrbdding plural marriages.
which laws have been pronounced cOnstf-
Ition by the court of last resort. l here
by declare my intention to submit to those
laws, and to Use my influence with the
me nlbe rs of the church over which | pre-
side to have them do likewise.
There is nothing in my teachings to the
church, or in those of my associates, dur
ing the time specified which can be reason
ably construed to inculcate or encourage
polygamy. and when any elder of the
church has used language which appeared
TO convey any such teaching he has been
promptly reproved. And l now publicly de-
clare that my advice to the latter-day
saints is to refrain from contracting any
marriage forbidden by the law of the land.
WILFORD WOODRUFF.
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
The Mormon people in two successive
annual conferences. unanimously indOrsed
this manifesto. and pledged themselves to
make the advice of the president contained
in it the rule of their future conduct.
Not satisfactory.
At the time the Woodruff manifesto was
issued there We're in force in Utah the Ed
munds-Tucker laws, which prohibited not
only the forming of new polygamous mar
riages, but which also prohibited unlawful
cohabitation" Ghe technical term for the
offense of living in polygamous relations
already formed. 1nasmuch as the mani
festo did not expressly pledge the Mormon
pee pie to sever old Dolygamous relations, it
was not considered satisfactory when the
Mormon Church made an effort to secure
the return of the property which had been
escheated by the government on account Of
polygamy: and the Mormon leaders found
il necessary to testify under oath before
the master in chancery as to what was the
real purpoTt and effect of the manifesto In
the testimony of two of these leaders-Wil-
ford Woodruff, then president, and Apostle
Snow. who is now the president of the
church-the following statements are found:
Q. TO President WOodruf)-In the con-
cluding portion of your statement you say:
Il now publicly declare that my advice to
the Latter-day Saints IS to refrain from
contracting any marriage forbidden by the
law of the land Do You understand that
that language was to be expanded and to
include the further statement of living
or associating in plural marriage by those
already in the status?
A. Yes, sir: ] intended the Droclama ton
to cover the ground-to keep the laws-tO
obey the law myself. and expected the peo-
pie to obey the law.
By Dickson of counsel for the church:
q. Your attention was called to the fact
that nothing was said in the manifesto
about the dissolution of existing polyg
amous relations. ] want to ask you, Presi-
dent W oodruff whether. in your advice to
the church officials. and the people of the
church, you have advised them that your
was. and that the requirement of
the church was that the polygamous rela-
tions already formed before that should not
be continued: that is, there should be no
association with plural wives; in other
words. that unlawful cohabitation, as it is
named and spoken of, should also stop, as
well as further polygamous marriages?
a. Yes, sir. that has been my view.
Apostle tnow presidenD Shows testi-
mOny:
Q. Do you believe that the association in
plural marriage by those who are already
in ii is forbidden by the manifesto?
A Well. j cannot say what was in the
mind of President Woodruff when he issued
that manifesto touching that matter, but /
believe from the general scope of the mani
festO that ii certainly embraced the plural
marriage. because it is clearly an intention
as indicated in that manifesto of President
Woodruff that the law should be observed
touching matters in relation TO plural mar
riage.
@. You mean now the law of the land?
A. Yes. sir.
.. Do you understand now that the mani
festo covers that prohibition--the prohibi-
tion against the association in plural mar
riage between those who had already en-
tered into it at the time the manifesto was
given. as we'll prohibition against the
contracting of future plurais marriage re-
lations?
A Well do: I thought had explained
that; perhaps i might be unhappy in my
expression, but, as | said, the intention and
scope of that manifesto was expressing
President Woodruff mind in regard to
himself and every member of the church.
and that was that the law should be OBJ
served in all matters concerning plural
marriage. embracing the present condition
of those who had previously entered into
marriage. Is that plain answer?
Petition for Amnesty.
The next step in the movement was the
petition to the President of he United
States for universal amnesty signed by
President Woodruff and his counsellors,
George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as
we'll as by the twelve apostles, one of whom
Was Lorenzo Snow, the present president,
issued in December, 1891. This petition
says: We formerly taught to our people
that polysamy, or celestial marriage as
commanded by God through Joseph Smith
was right; that 1t was a necessity to mans
highest eXaltation in the life to come