Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-04
kORKONg' GREED
IS EXPLAINED
President Smith and the sena-
tors Discuss Origin and
Teaching of Polygamy
TAUGHT SINCE THE MANIFESTO
Smith Admits Correctness Of Report of
Speech In Desert News In Which He
Advised Practice of PoIysamy--De-
clares He Believes in the Doctrine
Other News.
Other N ews.

Washington, March 4.-Presldent
Smith, of the Mormon church, today
testified before the senate committee
investigating the protests against Sen
ator Smoot that women are regarded
MS equals of men in all matters of vot-
ing, but that in holding "priestly au-
thority" women are not regarded on
the same plane. Reading from the
Deseret News, regarding a speech by
Smith, Taylor asked Smith il he was
correctly reported in saying the doc
trine of plural marriages was revela-
ton by God to Joseph Smith, Jr, and
to reject that would be equivalent to
a rejection of God himself. Smith
said he believed he was correctly re-
ported and when the list of names of
those present, including Senator Spoot,
was read Smith said the list was cor
rect.
Hoar called attention to the fact that
the speech was the teaching of polyga-
my in private to an important and in
fiuential gathering at reunion.
Smith said his statement was merely
to set right matter of history in re-
gard to the president, who inaugurated
the system of plural marriages and was
a matter of history and not teaching.
He had avoided teaching polygamy,
hut that the manifesto had not in any
manner changed his conviction on the
question OF plural marriages.
Chairman Burrows: "You have said
today that you were obeying the laws
in not teaching polygamy since the
manifesto. DO you think you We're OBJ
serving the law in having eleven chill
dren from different mothers since that
tme?'
Il obey the law so far as the teach
ing is concerned. / have not said
obey the law in my practice. AS l have
said before, l preferred to take my
chances with the law rather than to
abandon my plural family. Polygamy
has not been taught in the churches
by any officials. The church has
obeyed the laws, even if have not, .
said Smith.
Mr. Smith explained that the revela-
tion commanding plural marriages was
made to Joseph Smith, Jr., at Nauvoo,
in 1S43. but not publicly proclaimed on
account of the disturbance against
Smith, which had made him martyr.
The doctrine had been taught by Jo-
seph Smith to Brigham Young and his
associates and preserved by Young. 1t
was taken to Salt Lake Valley in Al
and in 90 and was proclaimed by
Young and accepted as a revelation.
From the book Of doctrine and cove
nants Smith read part of the evela-
ton, which, he said. had been accepted
in the nature OF permission
to take plural wives and was
not mandatory upon members of
the church. Other passages from the
same revelation were read. particular
ly the portions which prescribe the
manner of taking more than one wife.
1T was set forth that if one wanted to
espouse a second virgin he could do so
by obtaining consent of the first, but
that if the consent of the first was with
held he was at liberty to proceed with
out it. 1t also set forth that If the first
refuses to consent to share her husband
with another woman she would be de
stroyed'' by the Lord" but he was not
Informed Just how the Lord would go
about it,
"It does not mean the husband could
destroy the wife" Smith said he did
not know whether any one of the six
polygamist apostles had disobeyed the
law in regard to polygamous cohabita-
ton since the manifesto.
In quoting from the New Testament
Senator Hoar said: DO you regard 1T
as a divine command that bishops shall
have one wife or more ~
I"believe the practice of polygamy
was general among the Jews at the time
the scriptures were written" said
Smith. II believe it was commanded
that a bishop should be married man,
because his duties made 1t necessary he
should be, an experienced man. (Here
the chairman had to rap loudly to re-
store order in the committee room.'
Smith declared the apostles of the
church had never taught polygamy.
What would you do if the princi-
pie of plural marriages was publicly at
tacked?. McComas asked.
1--WE would defend it." said Smith.