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

pleaded guilty and was fined 500. Some
into court slso BIesded eiIty III ost
cases, however, the courts refused to
prosecute and some thirty of such COM
plants are now pigeOn-holed in one Of
flee in Cache county. Utah.
Under the pressure of certain charges
made during the investigation which end
ed in the exclusion of Representative
elect B. H. Roberts for congress, Lorenzo
Snow, then president of the church. wrote
letter on the subject Of pOlygamy and
and published in the Deseret News Jan.
3, 1900 In this letter he said
4 feel it but Just to both MOrmons and
non-Mormons that. in accordance with
the manifesto of the late President VIII
ford Woodruff, dated Sept p. 1890. which
was presented and unanimously accepted
by our general conference on the 9Th day
of October, 1890. the church has positively
abandoned the practice Of p0lygamy or
this and every other state. And any
member or officer thereof has no author
lty whatever to form plural marriage
or enter into such relation Nor does the
church advise or encourage unlawful CO.
habit2tion on the part of any of its mem
bers. If, therefore, any member disobey
the law either as to polygany or unlaw-
full eohabitation he must bear his own
burden; or. in other words. be anSWera bic
to the tribunals of the land for his own
action pertaining thereto Lorenzo
Snow. President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Iatter-day Saints. Salt Lake
City, jan g. 1900
Comment on Letter.
The clause in this letter which received
the most comment was that which dealt
with polygamous Capitalization. In view
of the wording of the clause. the ques-
ton naturally arose as to Wh5ther or not
the church would be inclined to discipline
members who continued to disObey the
law in this regard, or whether or not the
standing of a member would be affected
by conviction Tor the offense-
For the purpose of securing individual
views on the question number of high
church ofncials were seen and asked for
an expression of opinion, by representa-
tiveS of the Salt Lake Tribune. Many alb
SOlutely declined to discuss the question
at all. while others handled it gingerly-
Angus NJ Cannon. president OF the Salt
Lake stake, " as one of the few who dis
cuSSed the matter unreSerYedly.. PreSi-
gent cannon IS OF the opinion That the
Law against unlawful cohabitation is un-
constitutional and was Incorporated into
the code through inadvertence. and that
the church authorities would never have
the right to discipline a member of the
church for it's violation, even though they
felt so inclined. President Cannon also
whelps might use the declaration Of
President Snow as a pretext for desert
ing some of their wives, and if they do
ne declared; they are the fellows that
Charles ". Penrose. editor Of the Des-
eret News and counselor to President An
gus NJ. Cannon of the Salt Lake stake,
was of the opinion that no church MEM
Der would suffer, so far as his standing
in the church was concerned. because he
had been convicted; II was the business
of the courts to prosecute all violations
of the law > Mr.. PenrOse was not
ready to say what might be done in case
a man was complained against in church
circles, after he had been convicted OF or
had pleaded guilty to unlawful cOhabita-
ton. No one had ever yet lost religious
prestige because he had been convicted
in a criminal court. and so far as he
knew no complaint looking to that end
had ever been lodged with the proper au-
thOrities."
George M. Cannon's View.
Elder George NJ. Cannon. cashier of
lions Savings bank. said:
4 could not say what President Snow
idea in the case may be. 1 read the letter
as 1t came. L believe he means what he
says he does not encourage any VIOLA
ton of the law true. neither does he
discourage II, leaving the question of pun
ishment, il any, TO the man against whom
the law IS directed do not believe
that any man who entered into
polygamous relations prior to the
MANIFESTO should be disturbed
member of the same. l do not believe
any man VINO continues such relations is
SG44ty OF moral ourplJuue- l, speaking
lnoIvldualy, can see no reason why a
man holding an office in the church
should be disciplined by that body be-
cause he had been convicted of living
with his wives which he had taken by
and with the consent of that church. 1t
is not a matter of church; it is a ques-
ton for the courts.
If a man continues to live with more
than one woman after the church has
taken the attitude it has. then he must
take the consequences. President Snow,
it appears to me, is very plain on that
point ''-( Published in Salt Lake Tribune,
Jan. 10, 1909
B. H. Roberts Quoted.
A few weeks previous dec. 6. 1880
Brigham H. Roberts. high official of
the Mormon church, while awaiting ex-
clusion from congress On the charge Of
living in polygamy with three women,
defined his position as follows:
"A seat in congress does not mean
much to me personally, though l viii do
my duty in asserting and demanding
recognition of the rights of my state, but
my ties and obligations as an honorable
man mean everything. Whatever sacri-
flee may be required win be made now
as before. II is demanded that I shall
put away my wives Consider that these
women came TO me in the bloom Of their
youth. They were moved largely by re-
ligious feeling as 1 was They have been
mine and / theirs these years. Their life
and my life has been one > These
women have stood by. me They are
good and true women. The law has said
that I shall part from them. Ny church