Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-04-03
cIHnlSte1S' Long
Lost Appeal
TEXT Of Document Sent 10 Washington BY OfaA P'eac0efS
Weeks cago Just Come 10 Lighf-A Seized Of Gtlsd1-
formation and Misrepresentation Proposed "4Ienedy
II, polyoanlp and PolpgamoaS Capitalization"

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rltory Of the United States" one case
was prosecuted under this law--that Of
Reynolds--w hich was carried up to the
higher courts, and after several years
was terminated. But the law failed to
lay any restraint upon polygamy and
| polygamous Cohabitation. Juries IN
most cases refused to iudict and when
they di1 secure an indictment no con-
viction could be secured. Pulygamists
still carried on their high handed viola
lions Of law. ?
on March %, 1852, Congress made an
other attempt TO eXtirpatc thu evil by
passing the Edmunds bill, but b was in
eifectual, as II was practically without
any serious penalty
II finally became necessary for Con-
| gross q take hold OF this gro wing can
| Ger with vigor and decision, and on
| March 8, 1887. the Edmunds-T ucker law,
| as II was called, was enacted, impOs-
| ing heavy fines and imprisonment In
| the penitentiary for polygamy and UNI
| lawful cohabitatlon. Instead OF
| Loyalty accepting the law the Church
arrayed itself against II and solidly
| proposed resistance The leaders Of the
| Church eXhorted the people in their
| rublic religious meetings TO disobey the
| law and submit to fine and impr'lson-
| ment, rather than yield to Congress.
| Some of the leaders, in their dislOyilty,
fed rather than obey the law. The
| president Of the Church. John Taylor
CIed In Concealment Those who could
rot hide went to prison, taking the con-
sequence OF their disloyplty on the
expiration Of their Imprisonment they
were met at their homes with bands OF
music, public acclaim, and were re-
parded as martyrs. Coy West visited
the pententiary and offered amnesty
10 those who would abandon Iolygamy
and obey the law Apostle Lorenzo
Snow, recently president of the Church,
and now deceased in behalf Of his fell
martyrs CD declined the OTTER, pro.
posing to go on In disobedience to law
and take the consequences.
The time came, however, VIII en- the
leaders Of the Church became cor WINGED
that open dsobedienee must sui fer the
penalty Of violated law. u loecame
necessary, therefore, to adopt sol ne new
method of escape Prest. Woodruff
successor TO Taylor decided 10 issue
manifesto.
on oct. 6, 1890, this manifest 0 was
adopted by the Latter-day Saints In
conference assembled. The pre- gnant
clause Of this manifesto read:
Il now publicly declare that II y adj
Ice TO the Latter-day Saints Is to re-
frain from contracting any ma"rlage
forbidden by the law Of the land. (See,
report of seml-annual conference Oc-
tober, 1900
At the hearing before Master in q han
Gerry G. f. Loofbourow, on Oct. u 20,
1891, In the matter OF the escbeated pro-
perry OF the Mormon" Church VIII ford
Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and josef f.
Smith--successive presidents or the
Church-testlfied under oath TO the eff
feet that the above advice" meant not
only no more new plural marriages. b ut
no more living in unlawful coha bita-
tion with plural wives taken preuiosls
to that date.
Thus the impression went abroad. and
the government was caught by II, that
rolygamy and unlawful Capitalization
had been abandoned, abrogated It was
understood by those outside Of the
Church that the manifesto claimed to
hc from God and had all the authority
with "Mormons' that their other So
called revelations had.
Then came the petition for statehood,
followed later by the amnesty procla
nations Of Priests, Harrison and Cleve-
land. These were issued on the oath
of the Apostles and Prophets of the
church, that polygamy had been aban-
doned Following the proclamattons OF |
amnesty, steps were taken TO secure |
statehood The time had come. as was |
supposed, IN the estimation OF Congress, |
i'm view OF the pledges and oaths, 10 |
- I,a h.,l nrul,f gh
they had long sought-statehood and |
Congress passed the enabling act. This |
enabling act was first prepared by |
Gen. Joseph Wheeler. then chairman |
OF the committee on territories His |
draft was rejected because TO prohibit |
polygamy in most unquestioned terms. |
would be O reflection on the intelli- |
gence Of that people (See interview.
New York Journal, Dec. %. $3.50. SO. |
upon the assurance OF those who were
supposed 10 know, that all unlawful |
practices had ceased forever, all refer
ence 10 polygamy and polygamous Nv
ing In the enabling act was cut down 4
TO nine words They are.
Provided. That polygamous or plural
marriages are forever prohibited IAN
act 10 enable. etc, approved july l6, |
lSpi: section ~,
The Constitution under which Utah
became state simply repeats the mild
statement OF the enabling act. This
Constitution says.
but polygamous or plural marriages
are forever prohibited Constitution
OF Utah, Sec.--).
When II was charged that the Nor
mons wefe flagrantly violating the
pledges given in accepting amnesty
and, further, that the leaders them-
selves were "liying their religion since
statehood day; that. in direct opposl-
ton 70 the Interpretation OF the mani
festo before the master IN chancery.
polygamous children were being born
on all sides: that two OF the Apostles
of the Church, Abraham II. Cannon
and Gearge Teasdale, had each taken
him n new wife, subsequent 10 the
these, and the like
charges were made, and the evidence
adduced TO prove them. the Deseret
Evening News. the official organ Of the
President OF the Mormon" Church,
took it's stand IN these words.
IAN that preceded these instruments
is extraneous." Deseret News, Aug.
20, 1881.
These instruments" were the en-
ablIng act and the state Constitution
quoted above. and "all that preced-
ed" included the sworn testimony be-
fore the mister In chancery, the petit
ton for amnesty. and the acceptance
OF amnesty offered by two presidents Of
the United States upon the express con-
dtion OF obedience 10 the Edmunds-
Tucker law.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Constitution OF Utah refers only 10
''poIygamy." which term legally covers
the act OF unlawful marriage alone, the
first Legislature OF the new state APP
proved the work OF It's own committee
appointed 10 revise the code. When the
volume appeared there is no doubt but
that sorns people were alrprlsod TO md |