Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-02-12
MOVE POLYCAMY
Ministers Alliance Directs Specific Fight
Against Utah NOrnOns.
WILL APPEAL TO CONGRESS FOR HELP
In Opening the Hostile Campaign
Evidence Is Set Forth 60 Prove
Existence OF Plural
Marriages.

Marriages.
SALT LAKE, Feb. 1.-THE Ministerial
Alliance OF Salt Lake has unanimously
adopted the report OF the committee OF that
organization appointed to investigate and
report Oh the alleged practice and teaching
OF polygamy by the Mormons at the present
time.
This report is to be used as petition for
the passage Of a constitutional amendment
prohibiting polygamy, and will be sent 10
the judiciary committees Of congress. The
report, 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 document contains numerous quoted
statements alleged to have been made by
Mormon leaders, in which the practice and
teaching Of polygamy is advocated and
urged. regardless Of man-made laws to the
contrary.
The ministers assert that the evidence is
In such shape that II could be produced as
evidence in court II 1t became necessary to
do so. Besides being sent to the judiciary
committees Of congress- the document, IL
is said, is to be extensively distributed in
the east to further the campaign for the
anti-polygamy amendment to the constitu-
tion.
The report. after quoting a number oi
Mormon leaders in favor Of the practice
dwells at some length on the colonization
schemes of the church. which, according Il
the committees report, have a twotolt
purpose.
Purpose of the scheme.
To enable the Mormons TO practice po
the scrutiny of their gentle neighbors.
| and to secure the balance Of political power
In the spsrsely settled states of the west
thus blocking the way of any proposed
hostile national legislation.
The report sums UP as follows:
The returns coming from parties who's
reliability can in every case be vouchet
for by members OF this body, show tn
/ following conditions prevailing at the pres
First-Polygamou cohabitatlon as evi
| denced by the birth of children or tn
concurrent testimony of neighbors, an
! sometimes by all of these, IS proven Z
lake Cityi LoSanp Bp,rham nSsS Cttv prove SSl
| Payson, Smithfield, American Fork, Price
| Sandy. Tooele and elsewhere in Utah, an
also In Paris and Montpelier in Idaho.
Second-That plural marriages have. bee
contracted since the church manifesto wa
issued Is shown by returns giving name
TONED places, some = of the the new aey' pIura s
wives not having come to a marriageabl
| age as early as 1880. the date of that docu
ment.
smiths Alleged Statement.
Third--That the Mormon authorities cor
nSs sG publicly ssSh and insist upon q
\ proven by public utterancas OF high OF
ncials.
Among the specified statements by churc
leaders on this question dwelt on In th
report is the following:
Joseph F. Smith, formerly chief cour
Selor nt 81 70 ,be pes,dent % snSw and md nov pres
icating a meeting house in Payson: "Tal
care Of your polygamous wives. We
not care for Uncle Sam now"
. President Smith to a reporter of the A.
sociated Prees made the following stats
ment:
l wish to declare emphatically that
never said any such thing, either at Pa!
son or any other place. I have expresss
} my sentiments as to the families OF me
that they should provide for and educai
and take care Of them In every prop,
way l say so now. but the remark a
made and the statement that l did SO
utterly and wtckedly false.
Mormon Organ Resents the Attack.
The News. the oficial organ of the Mo
mon church. tonight denounces the repo
of the Ministerial association as a mass
4 representations built on number of storie
many OF them grossly false most Of the
purposely exaggerated, and the whole r
n lated to very small portion Of the pop
I lstion of this state and of the Norm,
4 part Of it,
THE unreliabllity Of the tales told
. people upon whom these ministers depel
4 for the scandals in which they delight
says the News, "and the reports made
anti Mormons Of speeches delivered by Mo
a mon elders, has been demonstrated time a,
time again.
A THE plain and simple truth is that D
r lygamy is not taught OF encouraged by 4
authorities Of the Church OF Jesue Christ
Latter Day Saints and that plural ma
r riages are no longer solemnized, but th
men who contracted such marriages In [
1 past are expected to care for love n
support their families and would be r
garded as recreant to their faith and vi
lators Of their sacred covenants II tn
refused or neglected to do so; that the
y numbers are very small compared to I
: bulk Of the population; that the eneml
4 of the Mormon people are endeavoring
o make mountain out Of a mole hill; Ii
n while some OF them may believe there is
z little foundation for their foolish fears
d Mormon intent. some OF them know bett
I and are wilfully attempting to bear IA
h witness against their neighbors and to
d ceive the American public.
h The purpose OF this misrepresentati
d Is well understood and so is the wish whi
% im3els them"
= cIu- MII TIA nuAnor