The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-04
SMOOT AND
THE SENATE
Head Of the Mormon Church
Says He Will Take Chances
with the Law.


with a hierarchy which practices po-
lygamy and connives at violations Of
the law and that his very vote as a
senator Of the United States is sub
ject to the wish and command of the
Mormon church.
President Joseph Smith confessed
that he himself had continued to CO.
habit with his plural family since the
manifesto of 1890 and that he realized
fully that he was violating state laws
President Smith also testified that
Reed Smoot had TO get the consent Of
his associated apostles in the church
before he could become candidate
for senator
The confession of President Smith
was the sensation of the proceedings
before the senate committee on priyi-
leges and elections. MIR Smith said
that the manifesto of 1890 had left him
and others with plural families in the
unfortunate situation of being com
PEELED to defy the law or desert their
families.
In answer to the question whether
polygamOus cohabitation was regarded
by the church as contrary to the law
he answered, 1T was"
Continuing he said: This was the
case and is the case now. But l was
placed in this position | had a family
Ia plural family, if you please. l mar
ried my first wife more than thirty
eight years ago and my last wife more
than twenty years ago BY these
wives | have had children, and have
preferred TO take my own chances
with the law and suffer any conse.
quences the law might visit upon me
rather than to abandon those children
and their mothers.
Il have continued to live with them
since the manifesto OF 1890, and they
have borne me children since that
date. was fully aware Of what was
doing. l knew | was amenable to the
law; but, as | say. preferred to face
that situation rather than to desert
them.
Il have not haunted the fact that |
have acknowledged these wives and
children as my family. The people OF
Utah have regarded the situation as an
existing fact
Mr.. Burrows asked Mr.. Smith IL he
had married any wives between the
first and last date he had mentioned
during his statement to the committee
IL have" said Mr.. Smith.
How many?"
Three"
Then you have five wives now?'' said
Mr. Burrows.
'That is correct, was the response.
Mr.. Burrows ruled that the question
objected to was in order and directed
the stenographer to read the question.
How many children have you had
since the manifesto Of 1907 was read.
Eleven since 1890" said Mr. Smith.
Continuing, he said. Each of my five
wives have borne me children"
,"Since that timer asked Mr.. Bur
rows.
"Since that time" the witness re-
peated in answer II rather think" he
added. that one of them has had three
children l could tell you little later"
He said in reply to Mr.. Tayler that he
had attended the dedication exercises
at the st. Louis exposition and had been
accompanied by plural wife. Edna
Smith by name
Senator Smoot had been with them
on that occasion, when they had been
photographed in a group
In reply to a question by senator
SmoOt he said:
'Each of my families has a home OF
its own in Salt Lake City and com
paratively near to each other. Since
the manifesto my custom has been 10
live with my first wife at her home.
but have visited my other families"
He also said, replying TO Mr. Tayler.
that he had been present ut the rccep-
ton 10 the president at Senator
Kearns' residence in Salt Lake City
and That he had had one of his plural
wives with him, but that she was not
the one whom he took to st. Louis.
For himself, he had preferred to
take chances with the law" rather
than to disgrace himself and degrade
his family by abandoning his wives
and the children they had borne him.
He admitted that he had had children
by all of his five wives since the man
ifesto and said he had acknowledged
them openly without interference or
disturbance from the people of Utah,
whom he characterized ms liberal and
broadminded, The defense win open
their case with President Smith as
first witness
state Park In CatskIIls.
ALBANY, n. ". Marcn 4.--Prclml