The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-05
Significant Admission Maize
by President Smith in
Sm0ot Case.
SUPERIOR TO THE LAW
Should the Vital Principles OF Nor
monism be Attacked the Church
Would Rise Defensive.
Between 'siSevelation" and law the
Former Would be Uppermost,
Said Smith.

Washington, March 5.-Interest in
the investigation before the senate
committee on privileges and elections
on the protests against Senator Reed
Smoot of Utah continues undated.
Most Of the time was devoted to the
introduction of documents subscribed
to as the law of the Mormon church.
In that connection President Joseph
F. Smith, who again was on the stand,
testified that if the principle of plu-
raj marriage should be attacked it
would be defended by the church.
Intense feeling was exhibited by
President Smith against individuals
who, he said, had spied on the domes-
tic and marital relations of the high
officials of the Mormon church, and
for that reason he had favored the
passage of the Evans bill to prevent
prosecutions for polygamous cohabi-
tation, unless complaints were en-
tered by husband or wife against the
other This bill was passed, but We
toed by the governor of Utah.
1t was brought out that all of Mr..
Smiths predecessors as presidents of
the Mormon church. had been polyga-
mists and that the man chosen to sue
coed him has more than one wife
Mr. Smith was asked which he
would obey, the law of the land or rev
Citations from God if the two were in
conflict. He said he might obey the
revelation, though it was not cCmpul-
sorry He added: q should not like
to be put in position where l would
have to desert my children could
not do that
Senator Hoar asked a number Of
questions to determine the relative
weight of revelation and the law of
the land when the two came into con-
tact, and asked particularly il regard
to the cid revelations.
Mr.. Smith said mat with the older
members it was the effort to uphold
the laws, but with the younger ones
well, they were little hard to control.
Bringing the question up to the lat
ter period, Senator Hoar wanted to
know what Mr.. Smith would DO if the
revelations conf1icted with the law.
(Which would you obey?" he asked.
with me, perhaps, the revelation
would be uppermost," said Mr.. Smith.
Can you say perhaps to such a
question:" interrupted Mr.. Hoar, Sc
verely.
Continuing, he asked: Suppose
you received a revelation command
ing your people to do something which
would conflict with the law of the
land Which would they have to
obey?"
Whichever they pleased" was the
reply. There is no compulsion."
Then he read from one of the stan
dards of authority: Let no man
break the law Of the land, for he that
keepeth the laws of God hath no need
to break the law of the land"
Mr. Smith in answer to Senator
'Beveridge said that under the disci-
pline that had been maintained for
the last twenty years the people in
the Mormon church would obey laws
might be in conflict
(Which would you do?" asked Sen
ator Burrows.
81 would strive with all my might
to obey the laws of the land" said
Mr.. Smith, and he added: But I
should not like to be put into a posi-
ton where 1 would be compelled to
abandon my children. l could not do
that"
Mr.. Smith said that he never had
received any revelations direct from
God, but that if any should come it
might be by audible voice, inspiration
known only or heard by himself or,
as in the case of Joseph Smith, jr.,
who received the book of Mormon in
writing.