The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-09

Francis NJ. Lyman, an apostle OF the
| Mormon Church and the prospective
| successor of Mr.. Smith as president OF
! the church, was the next witness.
Are you a polygamist?" Mr.. Tay-
/ Ter asked, and the witness replied
frankly, yes" He said that he had
had three wives and that of them two
are still living
Mr.. Lyman said that he had been
one of the signers of the prayer for
amnesty. pledging himself to all that
it contained.
Mr.. Tayler read portions of the
prayer. Did you" he asked, in
abstain from polygamous cohabita-
tion?"
Il interpreted it to mean that
should do all that was right"
Did you think it would be right to
abstain from polygamous cohabita-
tion?'
This was not answered directly at
the time. Mr.. Lyman finally admitted
he knew that in living in polygamy,
he was disobeying both the law of the
land and the rule of his church. He
also said, in reply to one of these
questions, that he was not only now
living in polygamous cohabitation, but
that he expected to continue so to live.
Mr.. Hoar at last took the witness In
hand and brought out a succinct
statement from him, which was of a
character to interest all present.
Referring to the rule of which you
have spoken" Mr.. Hoar said. you I'M
derstand the rule or law of the church
to be the law of God do you not?"
Mr.. Lyman replied that such was his
understanding.
In Violation of Laws.
Then you are living and intend to
live in violation of the law of God
and man?"
Il fully intend" said Mr.. Lyman.
ito be true to the law of my coun-
try, TO my God and to my obligations
have never done a thing that my con-
science did not approve.
My case is different from that of
most other men. / was born in 1870
and l can hardly remember when my
father was not a polygamist. He was
a friend and an adviser of Prophet
Joseph Smith and was taught by
him the Importance, and the truth of
the principle of poiygamy. He accept
ed the teaching and entered into the
practice, marrying six wives. So that
my earliest recollection embraces the
life of polygamy. l remember all my
fathers wives as / do my own mother,
and l lived in a family thus consti-
tuted until l grew up and became the
head OF a family of my own. Conse-
quently l have known nothing else
and l have felt that it was correct.
1 have always felt in my soul and
heart that it was correct. I married
first in 1857, again in 1869. and once
more in 1884.
THE situation has been very pain
full to me, and I have been greatly
panied to find myself in opposition to
the law of the country, and the church.
But 1 had made a covenant with my
wives to love and respect them, and
/ could not find it In my heart to
separate from them as long as they
were true to me-"
Senator Hoar: 80 you, an apostle
of your church. expecting to succeed
Mr.. Smith in the presidency, and in
that capacity to receive divine revela-
tions yourself, confess that you are
now living and expect to continue TO
live in disobedience to the law of the
country, the law Of your church, and
the law of God?"
The witness replied with a simple,
yes"
In answer to question by Senator
Overman, Mr.. Lyman said that despite
the manifesto of 1890. the president OF
the church could issue authority upon
an elder to perform plural marriages
1.-THE president holds the keys" said
Mr.. Lyman.
What do you mean?''
THAT he is the only one who has
any authority"
Mr.. WorthinSton asked how II was
that the president could issue author
ity in conflict with the manifesto
which is said to be the law of God