The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-22

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MT Teller.-Mr. President. the ju-
| Nor senator from Indiana tMr. beN-
eridge) has referred to what L salo
about polygamy in Mexico dld hoe
say, and do not now say, that there -
not poIygamy in Mexico, but 1 say
/ that | do not believe there IS any po-
Iygany there, Notwithstanding what
has been read by the senator from
New Jersey (Ndr. Kean). 1 base that
opinion upon the fact that the Mormons
4 are not in a sparsely settled secuoh
of the country, away from the NeA I.
can settlements but in the heart OF
one of the old states. one of the set
| tied states of that country, Where
! probably 95 per cent of the people are
: Catholics. Those who are not. Catno-
! hes, with the exception or those IN thae
Mormon settlement, are American
! ProtestantS There is quite a large
| American population in Chihuahua
composed of mining men and men OF
that character. While there ten years
ago this last fall / had every oppor-
tunity to learn something about TINS
Mormon settlement. They were sup
4 pIying the town of Chihuahua, rather
entirely of Mexicans. with vegetables,
butter. etc. There was then good
deal of discussion about the Mormon
settlement among the American popu-
lation. l do not believe it is possible
for anybody to practice polygamy IN
a country that is Catholic. If the PLAIN
people did not interfere, l am sure the
Catholic priesthood would.
l. Mr. Kean.-Will the senator pardon
me for a moment.
] Mr.. Enthusiastically
Mr.. Kean.-DOes not the senator
know that the colony at Chihuahua OF
MofmOns and polygamists is fostered
I hzr he
Mr. Teller do not believe that the
Mexican government fosters polygamy-
The MOrmonS were encouraged, or
course, to come in there by the Mexi-
can government
Mr. Kean-What were they when
they were encouraged to come here?
Mr.. Telier.-And while there they
were Obeyjng the laws OF Mexico.
Mr.. Kean.-TheTe is no law in Mex
leo against polygamy.
Mr.. Teller.-The senator says there
is no low in Mexico against polygany.
Mr.. President, there is no law ineColo-
RADIO against polygamy, and yet If a
man should take a second wife whilst
his first wife was living we have got a
law on bigamy that would put him IN
the penitentiary for it. They have the
same law in Mexico, and they have the
same law in every other civilized coun-
try, so far as l know.
had such q law in the United States
for a great many years, but it never
was enforced in Utah, was it?
Mr.. Teller.-We know there was a
condition in Utah very different from
that existing anywhere else.
Mr.. Kean-And so there is a differ
ent condition now in Mexico, as there
! is wherever there are MOrInons.
MIR. Teller-That is what the sena-
tor is asserting; that is what he is at
tempting to prove. ] said l did not
believe it, and 1 want to repeat that
: that is evidence of IL to me, although
he has produced statement to that
effect, not his own, but somebody 5
: else, and the reason l was trying tC
give why / did not believe it was that
knew the Mexican people have moi
tolerated and would not tolerate po-
lygamy in their midst if they knew it
. If polygamy is now being practice6
F there, it is being practiced secretly and
not openly. The senator is asserting
. that it is practiced openly. If the SEN
? ator means to say now that the gov
eminent of Mexico has invited those
; people there and has consented thai
: they shall practice polygamy, he ought
!, to produce some proof of it.
I do not think that this question Of
polygamy has the slightest thing to Dc
with this discussion, and 1 want to say
: without any offenSe, / hope, to any.
body, that ii is dragged in here simply
that this debate may be prolonged
That is all there Is about it, But
. think it would be quite as creditabl'
! if senators would take up and discuss
!. some other phase of opposition which
L might have some foundation, for thi
: absolutely has none.
Mr.. Kean.-That may be the opinion
{ Of the senator from Colorado, but it i
of al
2 Mr. Teller would be willing I,
abide by the opinion of almost anybod!
> whether the introduction and discus
Q sion of this question has not been 70
Z the purpose of delay.
o Mr.. SpOOner.-Mr. President. I inten,
I to take but a few moments, but I sub
: nit to the senator from Colorado (MI
n Teller that what he has just said is
f criticism which, on its face is hardl1
II a just one.
: The proposition mentioned before tn
: senate for the admission of these terri
Il tories is not a triflinc- one: it is abou
: as important measure as the senat
: was ever called to pass judgment upor
Mr.. Teller agree to that.
n Mr. Spooner.-We may make mis-
e take II we do not admit these terrific
e fles at t.lis session of congress; but
f the senate makes such a mistake a
n that, it is one which the next SEES
y senator who stops to think abou
t 1t realizes that these territories ono
h admitted into the Union are afmitte
n into the Union forever; and if W
r. make mistake in that direction
n is absolutely irreYocable
z what can be more important in cor
s sidering the question of whether a fer
d rItory shall be admitted into the Unio
l. as a state. TO be represented by
A. representative in the other house an
: represented in the senate by tw
If senators, although with less than
a, population, cOnfessedly, emitting thel
to a representative in the house, tina
le for the senate with the utmost car
W to consider, as far as the evidenC
e, affords information for analysis. I'll
te character of the population, small &
d it is. 1t is proper for the senate
l. consider and give great weight to tt
pr question of the illiteracy of the popI
sr lation of a territory seeking adni.
N sion into the Union as a state.
st 1t is vitality important TO inquire I'M
it and to consider the precise questio
y which attracted the attention of IL
IT senate yesterday, and is attracting II
" attention of the senate briefly this af
ernO0n-the number of the Mornc
ID population in the territory; the tene
x of the Mormon church as they ext
Dr today, whether they violate the Law
re of the United States or not; wheth
re they shock. by any practices approve
j. by the church, the sense of comma
to decency of civilized mankind; What