The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-17
POL GAMY IN THE STATEHOOD DEBATE

young Mormons resented that very bit
terly. For the reason that the first
presidency is not proclaiming this
power or openly exercising it, Roadway
is being made against this power con-
stantlv and steadily, especially among
the younger element of the church.
Mr.. Warren-In speaking of Wyo-
| min, of course, we have the younger
members of the church. Settlements in
our state were made later than the ear
I lier settlements in Utah and Idaho. l
ask the senator, in view of his state
ment regarding the political attitude
/ of the younger members, when it comes
to the parting of the ways, if he does
not think there is the same tendency
| TO exercise all the functions of citizen
ship regardless of church affiliations?
Mr.. Dubois do.
Mr.. Warren-That being so, does not
1 the senator think in New Mexico and
Arizona, these being newer settlements,
/ that there viii not be the same diff
Guilty or the same degree of difficulty,
| that the senator describes in his own
! state?
Mr.. Dubois-I am not putting my
state in a different category from the
I others.
Mr. Hale-why should it be differ
ent?
Mr.. Dubois-It is not different.
Mr.. Bacon-Mr. President
The President pro tempore-Does the
| senator from Idaho yield to the senator
from Georgia?
Mr. Dubois-Certainly
Mr.. Bacon-Senators have all gotten
together in a bunch over there and we
cannot hear them. 1t is a very inter
esting question, and I hope they will
get further apart.
Mr.. Hale-The senator from Georgia
is missing a great deal.
N RaRnr-T ear fT-xriT to
but 1 cannot do9it if the senators alt
get within few feet of each other and
each one talks to the other.
Mr.. Dubois-My, contention is that in
regard to every subject these two ter
ritorieS are made-an exception, as they
have been in almost everything. Judg-
ing from the experience in my own
state and the experience in Wyoming,
/ think the Gentle element will al
ways largely predominant in these ter
ritories where MormOns now are L
do not think there is any question for
doubt in regard to that. The condi-
tons are the same in all those western
states. If there comes any fragrant
Interference by the first presidency,
these states viii enact laws like the
Idaho test oath, removing the MormonS
from all participation in politics, or
other laws which will make it very
uncomfortable for them. The Younger
to church interference. Frankness
compels me-and 1 gladly do ito
state the condition in that country as
I understand it.
Mr.. Teller-With the consent of the
senator who has the floor, I wish to
say few words.
Mr.. Kean-I yield to the senator from
Colorado.
Mr.. Teller-We have had in the state
of Colorado for twenty-five years a
considerable population of Mormons.
We have never had any law against
poiygamy in the state. We have had a
law against bigamy and that has beez
sufnclent to prevent any polygamous
marriages or any pOlygdmOuS relations
IN the state among the Mormon settle
nents. There are three colonies or set
Elements of Mormons.
do not myself believe that there has
ever been any interference politically
by the Mormon church with these COM
munities. I think those of them who
came from Utah had their political
Ideas very largely formed before they
came to Colorado, and quite a large |
proportion of them have never lived in {
Utah and have never been brought I'M |
der the rigid subsection that perhaps |
the Mormons have encountered in that |
community
In Colorado they divide politically, |
with a preponderance very largely To- |
ward the Republican party. and l I'M /
derstand very well why that is. The
founders of the Mormon church were |
great believers in the doctrine of pro-
lection. That was one of their car /
dinai economic ideas. Their purpose
was to manufacture and produce every
thing in the community in which they
lived that it was possible to produce
pr manufacture and to buy as little
he 4e-s 10
withstanding at one time they felt
there was very decided prosecutions on !
The. part of the general government /
which was then in the hands of a Re-
publican administration, very distin- \
suished members of that church main
aimed their allegiance to the Republi-
AN party.
hat the church is ail-powerful, and
whenever the church does speak
through its first presidency I have no
toubt the great body of the church
would respond to the demand made
But that such a demand is made or
Yer has been made, so far as our peo-
lie are concerned, 7 very much doubt
That power which the church secured
o itself in its early days has been a
'reat agent in colonizing and support
ag that section Of the country
Mr.. President, had an opportunity
( knowing the very first founders of
his church Some of them came from
he immediate neighborhood in the
tate of New York where I was born
nd brought up, and nearly forty years
go / came in contact with these peo-
lie in Utah | think in all the history
( this country there has never been
athered together more remarkable
iass OF men than that which gathered
4 Utah in the. early history of that
erritory- They were men of great
nility, many of them men of fine edu- ,,
alton, some of them classical scholars
Z note. believe do not exaggerate
hen I say that at one time the finest
teeTeW rc1oiaF on the contizsent was