The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-03-23

whichever they pleased, was the
reply. There is no cOmpulsion." Then
he read from one of the standards of
authority: Let no man break the
law Of the land, for he that keepeth
the laws of God hath no need to break
the laws of the land"
Smith, in answer to Senator Bev-
eridge, said that under the discipline
that had been maintained for the last
twenty years the people in the Mormon
church would obey the laws rather than
any revelation which might be in con-
flict.
Which would you do?" asked Bur-
rows
Il should strive with all my might to
obey the laws of the land" said Smith,
and he added, but I should not like to
be put into a position where 1 should
be compelled to abandon my children.
could not do that"
Smith said that he had never receiv-
ed any revelations direct from God, but
that if any should come it might be by
audible voice, inspiration known only
or heard by himself or as in the case
of Joseph Smith Jr., who received the
Book of Mormon, in writing.
REBUKE OF APOSTLES.
Senator McComas took the witness
in hand to bring out whether, as the
head of the Mormon church, Smith
had ever rebuked the apostles of the
church for teaching polygamy since
the manifesto of 1890, and Smith de-
clared: mo member Of the church has
ever taught polygamy since that time"
How about Apostle Grant?"
Smith asserted that the incident over
which the anti-Mormon papers had
made "such a hubbub" had been a de-
claration merely that Apostle Grant
had two wives. That declaration, the
witness said, had been made by Grant
in a private speech, and he had not
taught the practice of the system.
what would you do if the principle
of plural marriages was publicly at
tacked?" asked McCOmas.
I'VE would defend it, said Smith.
When the afternoon session opened
Taylor read from the book Doctrine
and Covenants" the first revelations Of
Joseph, the seer" at Kirkland o.,
in 1881, declaring that he had been
chosen to receive revelations and that
none other should be chosen until he
is taken" and then to be chosen
through him only. Many other extracts
from subsequent revelations were read,
including that relating to polygamous
marriages and the authority to "seal
for eternity" or to perform celestial
marriages. These passages were incor-
porated into the record as a part of the
testimony.
Dubois asked many questions to de-
termine the effect OF revelations which
We're contrary to State laws, opening a
new line of inquiry.
Attorney A. S. Worthington resumed
cross-examination for the defense. He
asked Smith if he had any statistics
showing the proportion of polygamists
in the Mormon population Smith said
his recollection is that when the Utah
! Commission was created, in 1882, and
undertook to administer the laws OF
the Territory, $1,000 polygamists were
excluded from voting.
AS lilG NbllltI NOle III - TALL III
said, "and as it requires two women t.
one man to form polygamy in the
State, probably the number of males
excluded as polygamists would not bo
more than 4OOO."
DUBOIS MAKES PROTEST.
Senator Dubois exercised a right t.
question the witness at this point anC
said the population then was abou
100000 and of that number there wer
about $4,000 gentiles. He wanted ex
cluded from consideration the numbe
not in condition to enter state o
polygamy. He said President Smith
statement of the percentage of polyg
amy included sucking babes and chill
dren and that he objected to helping
Smiths statement go before the coun
try unchallenged.