The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-02
SOMETHING OF SHOOT
MORMON PRIEST WHO SEEKS A
 SENAToRSHIP.
President of Church of Latter Day Saints Denies That He is Put Forward for Election
 by the Sect.

Salt Lake, Utah, Dec. l. X interview today with the correspop ,S the Asso- e,atea Press presiaer ah smith of position of the cy 2 with respect to polygamy; also @ .cleasticaI position of Apostle Re, ,ot, whose candidacy for the Unit sstes Senate has resulted in an act 6 smpaign against him by | the mir. v alliance.
 The chu. .sh does not desire to enter controversy over this question said | President Smith, but it is anxious that | it's own people, as we'll as the people of | the country, should understand its posi- | tion''
 "The Mormon Church does not solemn ize or permit plural marriages" said | President Smith. '"The church does not | sanction or authorize marriage in any | form that Is contrary to the laws of the | land. The assertion that prominent Nor | mons practice polygamy Is evidently made to mislead the public.
 "Polygamy under the law is the mar rying of a husband or wife while ths | legal husband or wife is living and un- 1 divorced. There is no such offense com mitted by sanction of the Mormon | church. But when the prohibition of | polygamy was proclaimed by the Presi- dent of the Mormon Church there were many persons who had contracted plural | marriages, and that relation has been continued in many instances, because the 1 men in that position determined not to | abandon their families, but to care for and provide for them and educate and | cherish their children.
 l This is enormously constructed as practicing polygamy and creates the inn pression that polygamcus marriages are still permitted in and by the church. Tt was ascertained by a careful cen sus in 1890. when President Woodruff is- sued his manifesto against further poly | gmous marriages there were 2.451 such families belonging to the church of Jesus | Christ of Latter Day Saints in the United | States. In May. 1892, a complete and | thorough inquiry showed that the original number in 1890 had been reduced 63 per | cent, leaving then only S97. the great ma jority of whom were of advanced age and many of them have since departed from this life. It Is evident that with nc additions to this total, but a rapid an6 continual decrease, the number of polyg. amous families will soon be reduced tc zero"
 President Smith was asked to define the position of MT. Shoot in the church his position as an apostle having been com
 pared to that of a cardinal or archbishop in other churches.
 These two positions are not parallel.
 President Smith said. An apostle, ol elder, or bishop in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Is usually engaged in some secular vocation ol I Ia hnrinO n OanapifV fOr hiS daily bread. He is ordained to the office nc holds in the priesthood so that he may act in that calling when required. He gives his services gratuitousy to tht church. There are instances, of course when a mans whole time is taken uI with some church duty, that he received remuneration therefor, but as a rult men holding positions in the priesthood are engaged in secular callings and art men of affairs.
 Reed Shoot is a banker, the manager of the largest manufacturing institution in this State and is interested greatly 1T mining operations and other tempora
 pursuits. He is recognized as a capable and enterprising citizen and his position in the church need not interfere in any way with his services to the State or th' nation in any political office to which he may be elected. It Is not true that ht has been put forward by the church as 2 candidate for public office. but he ha: the same right that any other American citizen enjoys to accept any office to whicf his fellow citizens may elect him to oc. 1 cupy. Mormon church officials have serv' ed in Congress for years, and no objec ton has bSen offered on that account
 Every Mormon official has been one hold ing the priesthood. and that has nevel interfered with his official duties. Int objection in the present case is without anhrtantiaI reason or foundation 70