The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-05
OVERMAN ST|RS A
SAINT TO WRATH
"!Am No Spotter,' Kisses
President Smith.
AS TO PLURAL WIVES
SSmith eemed to Regard 0verman's
Question as an Attempt to lntrude
into Mohammed's Paradise
Where Houris Smile
on the Faithful.
(By the Associated Press. J


Washington, March 4-Interest in the
investigation before the Senate Commit
tee on Privileges and Elections of the
protests against Senator Reed Smoot, OF
Utah, was undated today, although much
of the time was devoted. to putting in
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 plural marriage should be
attacked it would be defended by the
church
Intense feeling was exhibited by Presi-
dent Smith against individuals. who, he
said had spied on the domestic and mu-
tual 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 polygam-
Gus co-habitation unless complaints were
entered by husband or wife against the
other This bill was passed, but vetoed
by the Governor of Utah.
1t was brought out that all of Mr..
Smiths predecessors, as presidents OF the
Mormon church. had been polygamists,
and the man chosen to succeed him has
more than one wife. Mr.. Smith was
asked which he would obey. the law OF
the land or revelations from God, il the
| two were in conflict. He said he might
obey the revelation, though it was not
/ compulsory.
| Reading from the Deseret News of June
2S, 1908, regarding E. eech by Mr.. Smith
at the Webber State reunion. Mr.. T2yl'
asked Mr.. Smith if he as correctly re-
L. Al 4
| plural marriages was a revelation by God
! to Joseph Smith, Jr, and to reject that
would be equivalent to a rejection of
God himself. Mr.. Smith explained that
his address at that time was intended to
| correct the impression that Brigham
Young had inaugurated the practice OF
| plural marriages, and to show that the
doctrine originated with Joseph Smith.
1t was a matter of history and not OF
teaching
Mr.. Smith said he had avoided teaching
polygamy, but that the Woodruff mani
festo had not IN any manner changed his
convictions On the questions of plural
marriages.
Senator Hoar asked why he had avoided
practicng what had been held to be n
divine command, ami the witness answer :
ed that it was the cause of the more
recent manifesto stopping the practice.
Senator Bevcridge desired to know
whether the church considered that the
laws were being obeyed when polygamous
co-habltation had continued since the
manifesto of 1890, and Chairman Burrows
made the question more personal. He said:
You have said today that you were
oheying the laws in not teaching polyg-
amy since the manifesto. Do you think
children from different mothers since that
time?'
Il obey the law so far as teaching is
concerned. l have not said that l have
obeyed the law in my practice. Polyg-
amy has not been taught in the church,
| by any of the officials. The church has
oteyed the laws even if / have not" said
Nj. Smith.
+ Senator Foraker asked whether tae
practice OF polygamy was permissive or
compulsory
! Mr.. Smith called for copy of the
book of doctrine and covenants and read
a part of the revelation, which he said.
had been accepted in the nature of per-
mission to take plural wives and was not
mandatory upon the members of the
church.
| Senator Oyerman asked Mr.. Smith il
| he knew whether any one of the six
lpolygamist apostles had disobeyed the law
in regard to piygamous coha bitation since
the manifesto of 1890.
Il, do not know" said Mr.. Smith. II
Only know that they were in the same
status of polgamy at the time of the
ranifesto as l was myself. | do not pry
into their family affairs. / am happy
to say that l am not a spotter' or an in
former l am not paid spy
s'Yet you might know without being
a paid spy. persisted Senator Overman.
II know nothing about it. As l have
said before | am not a spotter or in
former" answered the witness. The words
"srotter'' and 'informer" were Kissed
rather than spoken.
Neither am | a paid spotter or in
former" retorted Senator Overman ''Yet
know that in my town people have
children. / think yn' '~;--- answer that
question without using the words spot
ter and 'infosmer' in that manner.
Il beg tho Senator's pardon, the wit
ness responded
Senator Dubois asked several questions
TO determine the correctness of the state
merits that not more than three or four
pr cent OF the Mormons were polygamists
and said he believed nc could show that
greater per cent than that had been