Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-03-12
POlYCAMY
IN PUBLIC SPEECH
President Smith Of the Mormon
Church Makes Admission
to Committee.
5uT MAKES EXPLANATION
10 Says He Was Merely Setting the
Matter Right as a Matter Of His.
tory, Not Teaching the Plu-
raj Marriage ldes.

Washington, March 7.-President
gmith Of the Mormon church today tes-
tined before the senate committee In
vestigatins the protests against senator
Smoot, tina women are regarded as
equal to men In all matters OF voting,
but In holding "priestly authority
women are not regarded as on the same
plane.
Reading from the Deseret News re-
Karding a speech by Smith at the wen.
Smith IL he was correctly reported In
saying the doctrine OF plural mar
riages was a revelation by God to Jo-
seph Smith, jr., and to reject that would
be equivalent to the rejection OF Goo
himself.
Smith said he believed he was cor
rectly reported, and when the list OF
names Of those present, including Sen
ator Smoot. was read, Smith said the
list was correct.
Senator Hoar called attention to the
fact hat the speech was teaching
polygamy In private TO an Important
and influential gathering at the re-
union.
Setting History Right.
Smith said his statement was mere
ly to set right the matter In history,
in regard to the president who inausu-
rated the system Of plural marriages,
teaching. He had avoided teaching
polysamy but the manifesto had not In
any manner changed his convictions on
the questions 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 were
obeying the law In having eleven chill
dren from different mothers since h a
timer"
II obey the law so far as teaching 10
concerned. l have not said I obey the
law In my practice. As / have said
before, I preferred to take my chances
with the law rather than to abandon
my plural family. Polygamy has not
been taught in the church by n OF
Its officials. The church has obeyed the
laws even II I have not" said Smith.
Those Conflicting Revelations"
Mr.. Smith explained that the reve-
lation commanding plural marriages
was made to Joseph Smith, tr. at
Nauvoo, in 1916, but was not publicly
proclaimed on account Of a disturbance
against Smith which had made him a
martyr. The doctrine had been taught
by Joseph Smith to Brigham Young
and his associates and preserved by
Young. II was taken to the Salt Lake
valley in 1s47, and in 1852 was pro-
claimed by Young and accepted as q
revelation.
From the Book Of Doctrine and Cow
enants Smith read a part OF the reve-
lation which he said had been accept
ed as In the nature OF a permission TO
take plural wives, and was not man
datory upon members OF the church
other passages from the same revela-
.IwF h mar
lions which prescribe the manner OIL
taking more than one wife.
II was set forth that X one wanted
to espouse a second virgin he could
do 80 by obtaining the consent or the
first, but that II the consent OF the nrst
was withheld he was at liberty to
proceed without It. 1t also set forth
that II the first refuses her consent &c
share her husband with another WON
an. abe would be destroyed" by the
Lord: but he was not informed JUS
what the Lord would do about It."
1T does not mean the husband could
destroy the wife," he said.
smith did not know whether any one
of the six ~polygamist apostles had dis
obeyed the law In regard to polyga'
NOUS cohabitation since the manifesto
In quoting from the New Testament
Senator Hoar said:
dc you regard ~ as a divine com
mand that bishops shall have one WIZ
or more?"
IT believe the practice Of polygam,
was general among the Jews at tn
time the Scriptures were written
said Smith. IT believe 1t was com
manded that the bishop should be 4
married man, because his duties mad
II necessary hat he shoul be an ex'
perienced man."
Here the chairman had to rap loudly
to restore order in the committee room
Smith declared the apostles OF TIT
church had never taught polygamy:
What would you do II the principle
of plural marriages was publicly at
tacked?" McComas asked.
I'VE would defend It," said Smith.
Missionaries Teach Polyssmy.
In the afternoon Mr.. Taylor began al
inquiry concerning instructions givei
TO missionaries as to the teaching o
polygamy. Mr.. Smith said the bool
called Ready References Is used b!
missionaries. This book, he said, con
tains a chapter on polygamy, declaring
that practice to be divine. He said tn
book was an old one, and that he hac
no knowledge OF recent p~ublicatlons
The marginal note on the chapter Oh
polygamy was given as "Polygam!
Right in the Sight Of God" Mr.. Smith
added. however, hat the use of thi!
hook ia almost entirely abandoned b!
the Mormon elders doing missionar!
work. The standard works Of thu
church, he said. were the books takel
with them.
In reply to questions from Chairman
Burrows, Mr.. Smith said he did no
know whether or not the missionaries
take with them copies Of the manifesto
OF 1890 suspending polygamy as an or
der Of the church.
Mr.. Taylor asked concerning Brig
ham n. Roberts position as first pres
ident Of THE Seventy" and asked !
Roberts was not elected to that higi
position after he was elected to con
gress. Mr.. Smith could not remem
Der.
In answer to questions by Senate
Dubois. the fact was brought out tha
objection had not been made by, "Th'
Seventy to MI. Roberts continuing II
once after II had been proved he wa
a polygamist.
Obligation to the Church.
Inquiry having been made by sever
members of the committee as to VIVA
Mr.. Taylor expected to prove by Ger
tain questioning. he said he expected
to show that Mr.. Smoot would D.
bound to follow the direction or TN
church, not only in spiritual anairs
but also in temporal things, becaus
under the definitions Of the church 1t
impossible to distinguish between tn
two. IIe would have to obey or resigi
his apostleship.
When Mr.. Smith was asked concern
fn9 the management Of the Desere