Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
MIR. ROBERTS INTERVIEW.
Sharp Answer to His Public State
ments.

To the interview given out by Brigham
Fl. Roberts on arrival at Washington yes
terday, Rev DR. Wilbur f. Crafts, superin-
tendent of the reform bureau, today gave
out the following reply:
l. Mr. Roberts says so far as | know
| am not legally charged with any mis-
demeanor" Having been in Utah recently
the undersigned knows that it was the
felony" of adultery" with which he was
legally" charged by an Information
about the time of his hurried departure
eastward charge of which he would sure
~ have fastened to clear himself if ne
could, instead of taking advantage of the
immunity from prosecution that he could
expect because the district attorney in that
case is Mormon friend. (Mormons
shrewdly omitted grand juries from their
legal SYSTEM
Another technical sophistry of Mr.. Rob-
erts Is the claim that pOlygamy has ceased
word ''polygamy" technically and decep-
lively for the ceremony of plural marriage
which Is a masonic secret among Nor
mons, SO that Gentiles cannot offer any
considerable proof as to that Formally, but
there Is overwhelming evidence of polyga-
nous cohabitation, new. as well as DID, in
more than thousand children born since
statehood of women who are commonly
known as plural wives of Mormon men
whom they teach their children to call
papa Furthermore, the highest
saints of the church have recently
ressed to polygamous practices, and paid
small nneS In a court where they could not
wholly escape because the judge and prose-
cutor are nom ormons, for which viola
lions or state law they were not admon-
lshed, but rather honored by the church
Apostle Heber J. Grant preached in the
Tabernacle the Sunday following the pay
ment of his fine as a self-convicted Grim
maj The public should be shown the falsi-
" as well as absurdity of the claim that
polygamous relations contracted before
statehood, most of them in defiance of ma
tlonal laws, We're not to be disturbed
rink OF 1t, Mr.. Roberts and his apostolic
backer, Apostle Grant, with forty years of
poiygamy in Them" they say in Utah
10 pc allowed to make a religion of lust
Wnlle the younger under officers and pri-
Yates are TO be content with one wife, (Of
course course no one objects to any bigamist sup
porting the women he has wronged if he
ceases ms criminal relations.)
But the case is not one of reason ONLY
Legal proof exists that the pledges of
Mormon leaders, individually and collec-
lively, We're that old poly gamous relations
well as new ones, Should cease Tbn
official record of the legal proceedings by
which the Mormon church, after the anti
posygamy manifesto of President Wood
run, sought to secure the return of it's con-
tiscsleu property. contains this CONVERSE
tion between the MoTmons' counsel and
G frTor president words which were con-
VINO mas since succeeded to the office:
by Dickson of counsel for the church:
, -. your attention was called to the fact
that nothing was said in the manifesto
about the dissolution of existing poIyga-
nous relations. r want to ask you, Presi-
dent Woodruff, whether, in your advice to
me church officials. and the people of the
church, you have advised them that your
intention was. and that the requirement of
the church was that the polygamous reIa-
lions already formed before that should not
De continued; that Is, there should be no
ASSOCIATION with plural wives; in other
Words, that unlawful cohabtation as 1t is
named and spoken of, should also STOP as
wen as ruture polygamous marriages?
"A Yes, sir, that has been my view"
subsequently the Mormon people in con-
ference assembled Endorsed the manifesto
thus explained Mr.. Roberts himself made
written oath to cease all poIygamous rela-
tions, out the Mormon governor, In a pub
lie speech in the campaign, spoke of him
as "a man who does not deny that he is
living in violation of the laws of his state"
z But worse than the personal crimes of
Mr. Roberts Is his advocacy of polygamy
In two official periodicals of the church
shortly before the election. He must be
playing a very large trick with the little
word now when he says in yesterdays
interview Il denounce as falsehood that
now advocate polygamy." Well here Is
what he said so near to now as MAY,
1898, in his own magazine, the Improve
ment Era, organ of the Mormon Young
Peoples Society:
1--WE are driven to the conclusion by this