The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-17

member OF the Mormon hierarchy.
ihey were Greek scholars: they were
historians; and they had that enthusi-
asm which alone carried success in an
enterprise of that character
Mr. President, that they practiced
polygamy vigorously there for many
years connot be doubted. l knew for
great many years the president of
The church who issued the manifesto
against polygamy. I have no hesitation
In saying here-he is dead-that he was
a man of very great intellect and a
man whose honesty and integrity 1
never heard questioned by anybody in
Or outside OF Utah.
Mr.. Warren-Who was hep
Mr.. Teller-Mr. Woodruff. And when
ne declared 70 the Mormon church that
] pclygaIny must cease he did not de-
clare it as man. According to the
| theory of that church ne was the vice
regent of the Almighty. and it was an
| enunciatiOn to them not of the will of
the church, but of the will of God
| himself
| Mr. Platt of Connectieut-He claimed
To have a revelation, did he not?
Mr. Teller-Of course. polygamy was
established on claim of revelation,
! and it was destroyed on the claim of a
revelation.
Mr.. Bacon-Who was the officer to
whom the senator referred?
Mr.. Teller-Wilford Woodruff
think the senator from Utah will agree
with me that 1 do not oVerstate the
| character Of this man.
l do not mean to approve of the
polygamy doctrine, for l am as much
opposed to it as is the Senator from
Idaho. I am speaking of the people
themselves and of their wonderful
character and their wonderful success.
have had some opportunity Of know
ing about this matter. I do not be-
heye, as the senator from Idaho says,
there has been polygamous marriage
or a polygamous relation maintained,
except as he explained it. I suppose it
does exist in that wax. At one time,
when we were attempting by the ma
tlonal law and the national power to
destroy polygamy, the man who would
feed his little children, born of a po-
lygamous wife, could be incarcerated
In prison Many of the men who sup
ported the women with whom they had
iived and with whom they had reared
children, went to jail because they fur
nished food and clothing for their
wives and children They might aban-
don them and leave them to starve and
the government would not prosecute,
but if they fed them the government
would prosecute.
Mr. Kean-May I ask the senator
Mr.. Teller-Certainly
Mr.. Kean-The senator seems to be
wen informed on this subject. Is not
polygamy practiced at the present time
in Mexico by these same people?
Mr. Teller-I do not know anything
about the practice in Mexico. Neither
does the senator, / believe.
Mr.. Kean-I asked the question, as I
knew the senator from Colorado was
well informed
Mr.. Teller-There is a colony in Mex
leo, There is a colony in a country
nlne-tenths of whose people are mem
bers of the Catholic church; and if
there are any people on the American
continent who enjoy a high character |
for the sanctity of the marriage vow
and the relation Of the sexes, it is that
church. I should not believe without |
the most positive proof that any colony |
was allowed to practice polygamy in |
the republic of Mexico. 1 do not be- /
lieve they do, Mr. President was in /
Mexico a few years ago and in the |
neighborhood of the colony in Chihua- /
hua, and 1 never heard any complaint I
of that. I heard them well spoken of /
as industrious, well behaved and good /
people. I believe that today there is no
danger whatever of polygamy.
NOW, as to the power of the church, |
that can not be destroyed by legisla- |
tlon- 1t is undoubtedly a misfortune /
that it should prevail, but to some ex-
tent it prevails in every religious or
ganization on the continent. In a po-
htical contest have seen the power of
pretty nearly every great church in the
United States influencing the voter, IN
doubtedly with the thought that it was
a proper thing to do; and do not mean
TO say that sometimes that interference
may not be a good thing in the interest
Of the morals of the people.