The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-12
P0LYGAMY STILL EXISTS
SALT LAKE MINISTER'S SAY 1T Is
TAUGHT AND PRACTICED.
Report Of an Investigating Commit
tee, which Is to BE Sent to Com
gressiOnaI Committees.

SALT LAKE, Utah, Feb. 1.-THE Minis
terial Alliance of Salt Lake has unanimous
~ adopted the report of the committee APP
pointed to investigate the report on the al
legged practice and teaching of pOlygamy
by the Mormons at the present. This re-
port is to be used as petition for the pas
sage of a constitutional amendment pro-
hiblting polygamy and will be sent to the
Judiciary committees of Congress. The re-
port, which is quite lengthy, sets forth that
positive evidence can be produced that
polygamy is both practiced and taught by
the MOrmons at the present time in open
defiance of the laws of the State. The docu-
ment contains numerous statements alleged
TO have been made by Mormon leaders in
which the practice and teachings of polyg-
amy is advocated and urged, regardless of
man-made laws TO the contrary.
The document is the outgrowth of numer-
Gus meetings of the alliance, resulting sew
eral months ago in the appointment of
committee to investigate thoroughly the re-
ports of continued practice of poygamy.
such evidence to be used in the campaign
Tor constitutional amendment against pO-
lygamy. the ministers assert that the evil
dence IS in such shape that il could be
produced evidence in court if it became
necessary to do so. Besides being sent to
document, II is said, is to be extensively
circulated in the East % further the cam
paign for the anti-pOlygamy amendment
to the Constitution.
The report, after quoting a number OF
Mormon leaders in favor of the practice of
pOlygamy and giving the dates of the same
dwells at some length on the colonization
schemes of the church, which, accord
ing TO the committees report. have a two
fold purpOse-namely, to enable the Nor
mons TO practice polygamy where they
| " he from M
tile neighbors." and to secure the balance
OF political power in the. sparsely settled
States of the West thus blocking the way
of any proposed hostile national legisla-
ton. The report sums up as follows:
THE returns. coming from parties whose
reliability can in every case be VOuched for
by members of this body. show the follow
ing conditions prevailing at the present
time:
"First-Poiygamus cohabitation as evil
denced by the birth of children or the ac-
acknowledgement of parties concerned or con-
current testimony of neighbors and some
times by all Of these. is proven to continue
Logan, Brigham City. Provo, Payson,
smithfield, American Fork, Price. Sandy,
I Toole and elsewhere in Utah, and also in
/ Paris and Montpelier, in Idaho.
''Second-That plural marriages have been
! contracted since the church manifesto was
/ issued is shown by returns giving names
! of parties in several of the above-men-
toned places some of the new plural wives
not having come to a manageable age as
I
"Third-That the Mormon authorities con-
tinue to publicly teach and insist upon the
rightfulneSS OF pOlygamy is abundantly
proven by public utterances Of high Off
| Among the specific statements by church
/ leaders on the questions dwelt on in the
/ report is the following: Joseph Smith,
] formerly chief counselor to President Snow
and now president Of the church, said in
1895 while dedicating meeting house in
/ Payson: Take care of your polygamous
! wives. We do not care for Uncle sam
! President Smith. to a reporter. made the
/ following statement in regard to this sec
/ ton of the report: Il wish to declare en-
/ phatically that / never said any such thing
/ either at Payson or any other place. L
\ have expressed my sentiments as TO the
/ families OF men who contracted plural mar
/ riages. years ago. that they should provide
/ for and educate and take care of them in
I remark attributed TO me about Uncle Sam
/ 1 never made and the statement that l did
/ so is utterly and wickedly false.
/ The News, the official organ of the Nor
/ man Church, tonight denOunces the re-
! port of the ministerial association as a
/ mass of representa- tons built on num-
\ her of stories. many of them grossly
| false: most of them purposely exaggerated.
/ and the whole related TO very small por-
\ ton of the population OF this state and of
\ the Mormon part OF II. The unreliab illty OF
/ the tales told by people on whom these
ministers depend for the scandals in which
! they delight says the News, and the
i delivered by Mormon elders and others,
has been demonstrated time and time
again. The plain and simple truth is that
/ pOlygamy is not taught or encouraged
/ bv the authorities of the Church of Jesus
+ Christ of Latter Day Saints and that plural
marriages are no longer solemnized, but
/ that men who contracted such marriages in
Z the past are expected TO care for. love and
/ support their families and would be re-
garded as recreant TO their faith and VIE
. lators of their sacred covenants if they
refused or neglected 10 do so; that their
I numbers are very small compared to the
( bulk of the population; that the enemies
I of the Mormon people are endeavoring TO
/ make a mountain out of a mole hill; that
T while some of them may believe there
/ i a little ground for their foolish fears
of Mormon intent. some Of them know
/ better and are wifully attempting 10 bear
/ false witness against their neighbor and
| to- deceive the American people. The pur-
/ pose of this misrepresentation is well I'M
! derstood and is the animus which i'm
| peIs them"