The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-11

many men and women went into hidinE over 1000 men were convicted and sen fenced. If l remember rightly"
 MT Critchlow said an opportunity wal gwen by the courts to the persons con victed to escape jail service by promis ing that fin the future they would obey the law. but the chance of escaping pun, lshment was not accepted generally, only three persons complying with the rulin, or the court. Continuing. he said: Among these was Bishop Sharp. a al. rector of the Union Pacific Railroad, and an old man. who accepted the terms and was promptly removed that being under. stood to be the policy of the church where the doctrine of the church was not upheld by members"
 The witness told of visit to the pris- ons by Caleb West and his offer to inter- cede for pardons for the prisoners. The offer, was refused. s4
 The history of the church between Isss and 1890 was given by Mir. Critchiow. in- cluding the circulation of story that plural marriages had been given up en- tirely and that unlawful cohabitation was on the wane. He covered the passage of all acts affecting polygamy, or Mormon ism, including the representations madc by Congressional committees which visit ed the territory prior to the admission of Utah as a State,
 The purpose of his statement was to show that the Mormons continued to create the sentiment that the laws were being obeyed, but in secret had practiced polygamy, and that the church was ir- reconciliable to new conditions and It's members were conspiring to evade the laws
 Mir. Critchlow was interrupted very lit- tie. and told his story commercially. He said in the first State Legislature in 1896. when he sat as a member, there was a disposition to send all legislation to the Mormon church to see if 1t were proper to enact 1t. Tn relation to the Moses Thatcher incident. Mir Critchiow said a ! letter had been sent out which had the purpose of dividing the people as equally | as possible between Republicans and Democrats so as to maintain a reserve which could be swung either way in the !, interest of the church.
 The church afterward denied this letter, | said Mr. Critchlow. but Moses Thatcher continued working in the interest of the Democrats, and in the autumn of 1S9t carried on an active campaign for eiec- ton to the United States Senate by tho
 succeeding Legislature. This campaign
 was In conflict with the wishes of the
 Mormon members of his quorum of apos- | ties and he was finally dropped. It was
 taken up as church matter. and, said | Mir. Critchlow, "the editorials in The De- l seret News declared that the church had | right to interest itself in the elections for the United States Senator"
 The popular sympathy was with Mir | Thatcher because 1t was understood that he stood for absolute liberty in political affairs
 MT. Thatcher continued in the field up | to the final result of the contest which
 resulted in the election of Joseph L. Raw | lins as Senator. He said it was we'll known that the apostles were working against Thatcher, their object being t,l | prevent a direct blow at the principle that the quorum of apostlas could con- | trol the action of one of Its members. The Mormons, he said, were responsible l for the election of Mir. Rawiins.
 "Thatcher's efforts to secure the cleo tlon against the wishes of the church. said Mir. Critchlow, was the subject of sermons in the church. in which Thatcher was charged with being out of harmony with his quorum and not obeying the will l of the President and Apostles" In answer to a question as to what hap pened to MT. Thatcher as a result of his disobedience Mfr. Critchlow said a dec laration of principles was submitted to Mir Thatcher for his signature, but he re- fused to sign. In the succeeding year he was summoned before a council and had to acknowledge that he had been wrong. and he retained his good fellow ship, but Is not now an apostle and has not been since the episode. Mir. Thatcher was compelled to subscribe to a state ment that he was wholly wrong, and, in fact, said the witness. his spirit was broken completely by his conflict with the church.
 Tn response to an inquiry in regard tc Mir. Thatcher running for the Senate or A platform not in harmony with tho church, MT. Critchlow spoke of the in huence of apostles, giving as an illus tration that the apostles gave out the in | struction that ''it is the will of the Lord
 that you vote the Republican ticket thii time"
 MT. CTitchlow said the Democrats pro
 tested against the interference by thu church in such matters.
 Senator McComas asked Mir. .Critchlow |
 he would be able to complete the history | to the time to the election of MT. Smoo to the Senate. The witness said he migh give some salient features, but he wal not engaged in politics.
 The committee adjourned until tomor
 row without concluding the testimony ol MT. Critchlow.
 ROLLER CHAMPION FLOUR