The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-10

messages to congress senators and repre-
sentatIves OF the floor Of congress. pO-
litical parties in their platforms. have
times without number through these
WARNINGS aud reproefs, against the domi-
mating laWlessness OF the leaders OF THIS
people.
ganiZa1iOn has been subject OF Judicial
inquiry. and testimony has been given
and judgments rendered showing the
reasonable nature Of some OF the oaths
administered by IT, =
All this. and the experience OF every s
resident of this state and OF every i'm
partial historian and writer on social SCI
ence leads US to affirm with confidence
that the leaders of this church. OF whom
Senator-elect Reed SmoOt Is one. are sol
EMMY handed together against the Peo-
pie of the United States in their "en-
deavor to BATTLE the designs and fr1SUrase
the attempts OF the government 10 Grad
icate polygamy and polygamOus cohab-
itafiOn. and especially 70 set at naught the
law against the latter Oftense which. as
the supreme court of the United States
has said. seeks to prevent a man from
Haunting IN the face OF the world the os-
household" Omitted States vs. Cannon,
116 L 5. So
ton We affirm 10 be true according TO
our information and belief. and all OF
them, If they be denied. and more we
stand ready 20 prove
And we do further say and protest that
the beliefs. conduct, teachings and prac-
tees in respect TO the matters herein
are. and furthermore by said first presi-
dency and apostolate well known TO be-
~
First-Contrary to the public =
= sentiment Of the world. =
= y
This is evidenced by the public address
OF governor Heber NJ. Wells (himself
MormOn), delivered at the Salt Lake the
atre on the eve OF election, Nov 4. 1898.
as follows,
Il realize that this is a subject that
ought not TO belong to politics; that II
has no part in national politics; but. IN
view OF the pledges which the people have
made mere and which the nation under
stands. and in view Of the pledges which
nave made myself, cannot shut my
eyes 10 me consequences that VIII come
II Mr. Roberts shall be elected to con-
greSs- 1t IS unnecessary TO refer 10 the
solemn assurances of the people on this
We're made, and that Mr.. Roberts. as
much as any other public speaker. has
and astOnished that the sincerity Of the
people Of Utah should be questioned IN
regard 70 the abandonment OF old conol-
uOnS ana Ihelr acceptance or the new
conditions imposed by statehood.
In my inaugural address. as well as at
various other times in public and pri-
vate, have given my personal assurance
that the question Of pOiygamy as affect
ing the people of Utah was a dead issue
and that I believed that il would not re-
turn again as public question 10 vex
US, having faith as / had and still have.
ana Its subsequent adoption by the peO-
Now it is not alleged that the people
have receded from their position in this
matter. but a man who does not deny
that he is living in violation Of the laws
of the state has accepted nomination
for office, and very great publicity has
been given TO his domestic relations. and,
If elected, all these facts VIII be known
by congress when he presents his Gre
dentials to the house I am unable to
tell what congress may do in the matter,
as TO whether ne Will be seated or not
but L feel sure that the agitation OF the
question will be a very great detriment
TO the state Of Utah, and to every inter
est OF the people Every financial IN
terest here will suffer; every industrial
enterprise of the state Will be more or
less retarded: the interests of the dOuf-
nant church itself will be injured, and
the liberties of the very class to which
Mr. Roberts belongs viii be placed in
Were every other objection to his
candidacy removed, / could not there
fore cast my ballot for Mr.. Roberts. and
whether his supporters realize " or not5
a vote for the Democratic candidate Is a
vote against Utah, her progress. against
her vital interests, vote TO invite fuT-
people Now, 1 hope I am understood
upon this matter To vote for the Demo
cratic candidate vindicates no principle
subserves no good or worthy purpose
but invites disaster, because it is an
ton to renew the warfare Csic) against
the Mormon people. which We all nOpe0
and prayed was ended forever
II Is further evidenced oy the action OF
the house of representatives Of the
United States in excluding from seat
in that body RepreSentative-elect Brig
ham n Roberts. a practicing pOlygamist.
TO whom permission had been given by
the first presidency and aposIolate TO &C
cept an election TO that high Office.
= y y y y y y y y
Second-Contrary to express
y pledges given N securing am y
= nesty.
y y y y y ~
On Sept IS, 1890. President MILFORD
Woodruff, the official head of the Nor
mon church, issued a manifesto in the
words following:
ITO Whom it May Concern:
Press dispatches having been sent out
for political purposes. from salt Lake
City, which have been widely published.
to the effect that the Utah commission,
in their recent report TO the secretary
OF the interior. alleges that plural mar
riages are still being sOlemniZed and
that forty or more such marriages have
been contracted in Utah since last June,
or during the past year; also that in
public discourse the leaders OF the church
have taught, encouraged and urged the
continuation of the practice of polygamy,
/, therefore as president of the Church
Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 90
hereby in the most solemn manner. de-
clare that these charges are false We
are not teaching polygany or plural mar
rage, nor permitting any person 10 enter
into It's practice, and I deny that either
forty or any OLuer NUMBER or plural
marriages have. during that period. been
solemnized in our temples or in any
other place in the territory
zone case has been reported in which
the parties alleged that the marriage
took place in the Endowment house in
Salt Lake City, in the spring Of 1889, but
] have not been able to learn who per-
formed the ceremony; whatever was
done in this matter was without my
knowledge. In consequence Of this al
legged occurrence, the Endowment house
was. by my instructions, taken down
without delay
'.Inasmuch as laws have been enacted
by congress fOrbidding plural marriages,
which laws have been pronounced con-
stitutional by the court OF last resort. L
hereby declare my intention TO submit to
those laws. and TO use my influence with
the members OF the church over which
1 preside to have them do likewise.
There is nothing in my teachings to
the church. or in those OF nv associates,
reasonably construed TO inculcate or en-
courage polygamy, and when any elder OF
the church has used language which ap-
peared to convey any such teachings. he
has been promptly reproved- And now
] publicly declare that my advice to the
Latter-day Saints is TO refrain from con
tracing any marriage forbidden by the
law of the land
MILFORD WOODRUFF.
President of the Church of Jesus Christ
of I4atter-day Saints
Petition for Amnesty.
In 1881. the president ana apostles OF
the church prepared and presented to the
president of the United States the fol-
lowing petition, accompanied by state
ments signed by Chief Justice Zane,
Governor Arthur L Thomas and other