Evening star., 1901-03-13
49, 49, - ars-ss..s kaaJ 5gsSs, ~ p IS
Mormons Threw Safeguards Around
Practice Of rotygamy.
MEANING OF TEE. EVANS BILL
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Missionary campbesllll,'Explains Con-
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INTE ESTINGG REVIEW
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of TIE Evening Star
NEW YORK, March u, 1901
Rev VIM r. Campbell of Salt Lake City.
Utah, who has for nearly fifteen years been
a home missionary among the Mormon peo-
pie, and who Is temporarily In the east in
the interests Of the movement for the pro-
posed anti-poIygamy amendment to the
Constitution, submitted to an interview to-
night In regard to the Evans bill which has
just passeu the Utah legislature. go
In answer to a question as to the local
effect Of this new law, Mr.. Campbell said:
$50 far as the old poiygAmous relations are
concerned, 1t will make no, practical differ
ence in Utah. Ever since statehood was
given to Utah the Mormen Church has been
in position to prevent the prosecution Of
polygamists, and has done so all along
with the exception of very brief period
when it permitted the opponents of polyga-
my to bring a few of these criminals into
court for special PURPOSE. Even then it
let them off with nominal fines, which
were paid by contributions from the pock-
cts of the rank and file of the church.
While Mormon apologists have all along
been claiming that the courts were open to
the prosecution of such cases. these claims
were merely intended to deceive eastern
people who are unfamiliar with the Nor
mon situation, and VINO do not stop to think
what must be the inevitable effect of Nor
mon domination in any. community. It
must be remembered that the Mormons be-
lfeve in and practice polygamy from re-
ligious conviction. They believe that the
principle Is so sacred as to justify it's prac-
tice even when it is necessary to deceive
the whole world in order to carry out their
designs. To put it into their own words,
This Is vital part of our religion, the de-
cision of the courts to the contrary not
withstanding.' .5.-
Bluff Intended to Deceive,
During the controversy which led up to
the exclusion of that notorious polygamist.
Delegate Roberts, from Congress" con-
tinued Mr.. Campbell, "the Deseret News,
official organ of the mormon Church, chal-
lenged the opponents of polygamy to bring
the alleged polygamsts into court, assur-
ing us that the courts were ready to prose-
cute any case which we might choose to
bring. though evidently not expecting the
bluff to be called by any one, but hoping
thereby to deceive the entire country in re-
gard to the real conditions in Mormon
dom. But the Mormon editor did not have
the prophetic instinct to enable him to
foresee the work of Ghar'Fa Mostyn Owen
who, a genuine American citizen. did
his duty by filing informations against a
few of the notorious poiygamists of the
state after it had been made clear
that there was not a. single prose-
cutting officer in the state who dared to do
his sworn duty in thesface of the Mormon
hierarchy. For this act Of duty and Ameri-
can manhood Owen has been held I'D to
public eXecration by Mormon leaders from
one end OF the state to the other. During
the debate upon the Evans bill which has
now passed both houses, one member of the
legislature even went SO far as to express
the desire that Mr.. Owen, might pe ban
ished from the state r,.,-s.yl
Prosecutions Permitted.
But the informations having been filed
In cases 80 notorious, that all pretense
that there was any lack of evidence would
be too transparent to be Of any avail it
became necessary for the hierarchy to per-
init a few prosecutions or be given the
lie in regard to their own assurances that
the courts were open to the prosecution OF
such cases. To do the latter would at
once bring an anti-polygamy constitu-
tfonal amendment. in view of the state of
public sentiment throughout the country
at the time on account of the anti-Roberts
agitation. Hence the farce must be enact
ed. A few cases were put through the
courts, and those upon whom nominal
fines were imposed were rewarded with ad-
ditional ecclesiastical honors9 for such
martyrdom. However. even then the
most important cases were not permitted
to come up at all. For instance, Lorenzo
Snow. president Of the Mormon Church,
was at that time notoriousfy living in
adultery with his ninth wife, while his
legal wife and several of his other 'plurals'
were still living. Charles Mostyn Owen
made affidavit to these facts, rendering all
the evidence needed to establish his case,
even including technical court evidence to
show that one of the other wives living at
the time was his legal wife; but the county
attorney, Gentle though he was, was
nevertheless 'obedient unto the heavenly
vision (meaning Mormon vision), through
which he had received his official position
Hence Lorenzo Snow, the mouthpiece of
God, was permitted to go scot free,
W hn facf off of
them all: and now that the Roberts ,ase
is entirely disposed of, and the then exist
ing ex1gency having passed away, no more
prosecutions are permitted against any of
the good Latter Day Saints Hence there
Is no more need of this new law for the
r~otection of the old offenders than there
is need of a fifth wheel for wagon. So
far as those cases are concerned. this law
simply means that the time has come
when the Mormon hierarchy feel that they
have made themselves so solid with the
politicians as to make it safe for them to
throw off the mask in regard to the old
cases and advertise to the world the fact
that they now propose to live in those old
poly gamous relations contrary to their oaths
and pledges and in defiance Of the public
sentiment of the entire country and abso-
lutely regardless of the common veal
Real Eject of the Evans Bill.
When aske6 what effect, If any, this new
legislation could have upon the future
practice of polygamy among the young
Mormon people who are not now living in
that status, Mr.. Campbell replied: "Ah,
now you have come to the vital point!
Having shown you that it was entirely un-
necessary to pass the Evans bill in order
to protect the old po1ygamfsts, l think 1
have made 1t perfectly clear that all Nor
mon pretenses of that kind are character
fstic Mormon falsehe6ds.i If any further
evidence is needed to convince intelligent
persons that the law waYas not intended for
the benefit Of the old Eases. think such
evidence can be found, III the text Of the
bill as 1t has passed the legislature. For
controversy. the press can well afford to
reprint II the law sevssa Times # need be-