The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-05
Stirs Up Utah Politics In Live
ly Fashion.
Born to the Woman Who Was
Elected Senator.
FATHER HEAD OF ZION
Polygamy Practiced as De.
VOutly as of Yore.
Older Wives Give Away to
Younger Ones.

SAT- Lake City, Titan, May 5.-That
the Latter Day Saints are living their
religion" in all parts of the state, which
means that they are still practicing
polygamy, is evident to any ordinary
Intelligent observer who spends a few
weeks in Zion. The practice is by no
means confined to the poor and lowly
in the outlying settlements. High
church officials are living with several
wives in as many different sections of
their cities, utterly careless of the SOL
emn pledges under which they were re-
ceived into the citizenship of the Union
when Utah was admitted as a state.
A few months ago it was Apostle
George Teasdale, of Nephi, an eccles-
iastic of 20, who had a girl bride be-
sides four older wives. A little latter
Apostle John w. Taylor introduced
Miss Christensen, of GunniSOn, Utah.
who had just become a mother, as his
wife. The apostle already had at least
two in Salt Lake City.
THE CASE FPRESIDENTC CANNON
Now the biggest churchman in Zion
is said to be living up to what every
member of. the Cannon family so thor
oughly believes in and breaches. Presi-
dent Angus NJ. Cannon is a very much
married man, even in a polygamOus
state.
State Senator Matte Hughes CCan-
nom, who, it will be remembered, was
voted for for United States senator at
the recent session of the legislature,
can only claim a one-SiXth interest in
the churchman at the outside, yet il
has been a matter of common repute
in her neighbOrhood for some time that
he spends most of his time with this
youngest and most attractive of his
spOuses.
DR. Matte Paul Hughes was a young
and attractive doctor of medicine pre-
siding over Deseret hospital, in Salt
T oil in
sade against the polygamists was al it's
height. 1t was while devoting herself
to the sick in this institution that she
met the big ecclesiastic, who already
had three wives. DR.. Cannon decided
that the shelving of the three elderly
women would be an easy matter, and,
notwithstanding the Edmunds law, he
took to himself the doctor for a wife.
SENT TO THE PENITENTIARY.
In 1886 President Cannon was arrest
ed for polygamy and DR.. Matte disap-
peared. The three elderly women went
on the stand and Swore they had lived
with the churchman for many years.
Besides DR.. Matte Paul Hughes Mr.
Cannon had two other young wives
who also disappeared at the time. As
a result of the trial, Mr.. Cannon served
term in the penitentiary.
After a time Mrs. Cannon returned
to her friends, with her daughter Eliz-
abeth, now a beautiful girl of IA. Two
years later the young physician was
she fed to Europe and spent a few
months in the hospitals and colleges
there. When she returned she brought
her son, James.
DR.. Matte Hughes, as her profess
sional sign reads, was elected to the
state senate the year of the Bryan
campaign. She ran against her hus-
band, who is as rabid for gold as she is
for silver. and beat him by a good ma
jOrity- She has represented the Salt
Lake district for two terms. At the
opening of the session just adjourned
her health. usually robust, was the
cause of some anxiety to her friends
She talked of resignation as soon as a
successor to United States Senator
Frank ]. Cannon was elected.
ONCE AGAIN IN RETIREMENT.
The junior senator from Utah is a
nephew of Senator Cannon, but she
didn't give Frankie" as heels known
in the family one vote. Early in the
session she declared herself for A. w
McCune, the millionaire candidate, and
neither the bribery charges nor her own
health was sufficient to make her de-
sert him.
Through the long deadlock she re-
manned faithfully at her post, but now
that the struggle is over she has gone
into retirement for the third time, TAX
ing her two children to a quiet Califor-
mia town. Her neighbors say she Will
not return for about two months, and
that when she does she will bring
younger child than the two who ac-
COMMANDED her her trim.