Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05
SMITHS ADMISSIONS
Rule of the Church as to
Plural Marriages.
W0ODRUFFSM ANIFEST0
STATISTICS PRESENTED AS TO DE-
CREASE In PoLYGAMY.
Cross Examination for the Defense Re
sumed Before Senate
Committee.
WOODRUFF'SM ANIFESTO

Mormon Church to the stand today, Attor-
rey A. S. Worthington resumed cross-ex-
animation for the defense In the invesu-
cation before the Senate committee on
privileges and elections in the case of SEN
ator Reed Smoot of Utah. He asked Mr..
Smith If he had any statistics showing the
proportion of polygamists in the Mormon
population.
Mr.. Smith said his recollection is that
when the Utah commission was created in
1882 and undertook to administer the laws
of the territory 1900 polygamsts were ex-
cluded from voting. 'As the women vote
in Utah. he said, ''and it requires two
women to one man to form polygamy ia
the state, probably the number of males
excluded as polygamists would not be more
than 1000
Senator Dubois exercised a right to ques-
ton tie witness at this point, and said
the population then was about 100000, and
of that number there were about 80 600 Gem
tiles. lie wanted excluded from considera-
ton the number not in condition to enter
state of polygamy. He said President
Smiths statement of the percentage in
polygamy included sucking babes and chill
dren, and that he objected to having Mr.
Smiths statement go before the country
unchallenged.
Decrease in Polygamy.
AS a further statement of the number of
poIygamist families in Utah, Mr.. Smith
read from interview he gave to repre-
sentative of the Associated Press in 1902
showing the following:
'In 1890. at the time of the late Presi-
dent Wilford Woodruff's manifesto there
were 2.451 such families.
In October. 1899. it was found that this
lsumber had been reduced follows. BY
death, 75O: by removals beyond the con-
fines of the republic. 63; by divorce, 30.
leaving at that time 1913.
1T is now ascertsined that the original
number has been reduced by I,554. 63
per cent leaving only S97 still living, and
that the great majority of them are of adj
vanced age"
Senator Dubois asked If any United
States officials now took statistics po-
lygar1y, and the witness replied in the neg
alive.
Then" said Senator Dubois, these fig
ures only church statistics?'
Mr.. Worthington asked regarding Mr..
Smiths son. Hiram Smith. and was told
that he is thirty-two years old and has
wife and children. but is not polygamist.
He is one of the twelve apostles. The first
counselor now is John r. Winder,
He and his fellow high counselors and
two apostles have been appointed since
Mr. Smith became president. He said he
could not say whether these men are CO.
habiting with more than one wife, but
that they reputed to be the husband
of more than one wife," In regard to
H., n,
said their families are Intimate and II
am strongly inclined to believe he is CO.
habiting with plural wives"
What Influenced the Mormons.
Referring to Senator Baileys questions
yesterday in regard to the manifesto Mr..
Worthington read from a sermon of Pres
ident Woodruff delivered a year after
the manifesto against plural marriages,
in which President Woodruff declared
that he was moved, and 10000 Latter Day
Saints were moved, by the spirit of God
to abandon the practice Of plural mar
riage.
Senator Bailey contended that 1t was In
obedience to the demands of the law or
fear of the consequences of the law that
provoked the revelation. Continuing, he
said: For my part / don't have much
faith In a doctrine that doesn't get a
revelation commanding change of con-
duct until there is statute compelling
it."
"All that, of course, is matter Of opin-
ion," said Senator Foraker.
Il don't know that it Is matter Of
opinion, either" said Senator Bailey "I
myself have been compelled to submit to
certain rules just because 1t was the law.
and vicious law at that. Just how far I
would have submitted If had received q
revelation from God to do something else
1 am not prepared to say. think the
whole thing was more matter of law
than of religion"
were not in harmony with the teachings
of our church., said Mr.. Smith, I'VE held
that they were unconstitutional. OF
course. our own rules commanded that we
obey the Constitution of the land, but we
fought the validity of the new laws from
the lowest to the highest court, and when
it was settled by the Supreme Court of
the United States that plural marriages
could no longer be indulged in, of course
we were inclined to obey.
But we had a revelation on our own
statute books in regard to plural marriages,
and it was necessary to obey that In order
to obtain certain blessings that could not
be received without obeying II. Whether
we should obey the law of the land or con-
tinue to practice the law of the church was
a serious question.
President Smith Makes a Distinction.
I'VE hold that the president Of the church
is entitled to receive revefs tions inspired by
the Almighty God. President Woodruff
sought guidance from the Lord and the
Lord made 1t manifest to him that 1t was
his duty to stop plural marriages He pro-
claimed that revelation. and it was submit
ted to the entire church and accepted by
the church and thus it became binding and
from that day to this the law of the land
has been kept so far plural marriages
are concerned But there Is a great differ
ence between taking a plural wife contrary
to law and in taking care of the wives
taken before 1t was a violation of the law.
1 would not desert my wives. 1 would not
abandon my children. / will run my risks
before the law"
President Smiths voice shook with emo
ton. He showed more feeling than he had
any previous time exhibited as he leaned
forward and said:
But it is to the laws or Utah that am
answerable; it is the law of my state that
has the right to punish me. The courts of
Utah are of competent jurisdiction. Con-
gress has no business to interfere with my
private affairs.
IF the courts Of my state do not see fit
to call me to account for my conduct can
not help it. Congress has no right to inter-
fere-it has no right to pry into my mar
riage relations and cali me to account.
ssThe church gave me my wives and [
do not think the church could be- COLI
s.stent in taking them said Mr.. Smith
in answer to oues ion as to why he did
not agree with the Woodruff manifesto.
me LORD giveth and the Lord taketh