The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-12-22
NATIONAL Law
COMES Second
MoRMoNs PUT THE CHURCH
ABOVE THE GOVERNMENT.
STATEMENT OF A WITNESS
Defes Smoot Inquiry COMMITTEES and
Says He Would Obey Presi-
dent Smith Before the
Constitution.

-
washington, Dec. 19.-The opponents
of United States Senator Reed Smoot
scored heavily in the hearing before the
senate committee Saturday.
The protests against Senator Smoot
Z based on allegations that he repre-
kents a church that places its priest
hood above the United States govern
ment, that exacts obedience to the
church before obedience to the constitu-
tion, and that openly and fagrantly dis
obeys the federal laws against polygafny.
The testimony of Mormon witnesses Sat
urday went far to prove all these allega-
tons.
Church Above Government.
John Nicholson, chief recorder Of the
salt Lake temple, declared that he would
refuse to bring the records before the
committee without the consent of the
president of the Mormon church, even If
his refusal sent him to jail. Nicholson
admitted that he has two wives and that
children have been born to his plural
wife since the antipolygamy law went
INTO effect.
lis the book you have here the only n
in which marriages have been recorded
In that period?" Mr.. Taylor asked.
II have no recollection Of any other"
The witness explained that there is
another book in which are recorded the
seaIings of men and women who have
been married outside the church. He
was asked If there were still other books
and replied that the various religious
processes have separate books.
Defies the Committee.
"'You are the keeper of this other book,
obok, are you not?" he asked.
'eWell, not the particular one"
"But you know where it is?" the sena-
tor said. a,
"I suppose l do" was the response.
'Then why did you not bring it?"
Because / did not want to-"
Then he told MI. Taylor that he could
not bring the records without the con-
vent of the president of the church.
"And If the sergeant-at-arms of the
senate should call on you with a war
rant and demand the books and arrest
you and put you in jail If you did not give
them up, you would still refuse to give
them up, would your"
eyes, SIR"
MT N~inhnlSeR-ssa -that.hs was a
po.days at, having two wives, but wAsa
MkOd IL any children had been born TO
&fm by his plural wife since 1901 he re-
Quested his questioner to wait . min
ute" adding: 81 have so many ! can't
remember" After the iSnghter subsid-
ed he saSs that he had Is children.
Aivas Openly in P~olygamy.
William Bulge. OF Paris, Idaho, tes-
titled that he has three wives and that
he has had three children born since the
manifesto OF 1890. All his wives live in
Paris, and he testified that he does not
live with one to the exclusion of the 9TH
srs.
John Henry Smith, of Salt Lake City,
E3estihed that he became an apostle OF
the church in 1888 and is the second in
frank. He has two wives and Is living
children, four having died. He could NOT
say how many of the seven living chill
NASA u Ms PA0A@- "HS "eA0 OOAn sinSe
the manifesto, but thought four.
He testified that he was one of the
signers of the application for am
nesty. Asked concerning his failure to
practice the agreement he thus made, he
said:
Nobody can take from me my family.
i am responsible to them and to God
alone. and if my countrymen choose to
punish me, l shall have to suffer the con-
sequences"