The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-09
AN ASTONISHING STORY.
Hardly Calculated to Help the Cause
Of Apostle Smoot.

CNew York Globe.)
The cool cffrontery and callous i'm
morality OF the testimony OF Joseph L.
Smith, president Of the Mormon church.
before the senate committee is hardly
calculated TO help the case OF his fellow
apostle, Reed Smoot. Smith. by rapidly
establishing the contention OF the prosecu-
ton. IS showing that the uaseating move
meut is not an outgrowth merely Of old
womanish fears and political sentimental
ism. but proceeds from substantial facts.
The Mormon apOstUlatc is a body whose
membership has as little prejudice against
the marriage state as III has respect FOR
the law. Smith himself acknowledge To
live wives and fOrty-fivc children, eleven
Or the latter-One at least 70 each VIE
having been born since The 'ru!e against
pOlygamy was promulgated by President
Woodruff in 1880 The enumeration con-
tinued. Apostle Taylor is "reputgd" TO
be "A pOlygamist number OF wives not
stated. Apostle Merrill. tvru wives. Apos-
Tie Grant. two wives, Apostle John Henry
Smith. cousin Of the witness. two wives
Apostle Cowley, two wives; Apostle Ly-
man. two wives. While the apostles roll
call proceeded the unwilling witness was
FputtCring that he was net 'infOrmeT
and did ROT wish to "peacu' on his COZ
leagues ndcr the circumstance the in
ference is warranted thar the tuli depth
and breadth ~ the rOttcnfcss has not yet
been disclosed InfOrmaUCu l. ny no
means complete concerning the distinction
which the Mormon church makes between
marriage and sealing" aud concerning
the three kinds Of Marie ges recognized
by the church-thosc for time only; those
for tims and eternity. and those for
eternity alone. the latter kind OF mar
rage being celebrated when ono or both
principals are deceased
Witness Smith denies that the Mormon
church has a law against the cOutrac-
tiCn of pClyRamous marriages IL appears
that IL merely has rule but that the
violation OF the rule. as the records OF
the apostles show. does not cut Off from
fellowship or interfere with promotion 70
the highest h0nOrs Of the church. On
the contrary. il seems that the possession
of more than one wife is d badge of dis
tinctiOn, and cOnfers on the pCSSeSsOr an
odor Of special sancity.
As TO the political relations Of the
church President Smith Gays that IL is a
rule of the church that 30 one holding
high office in the organization should
accept public office without the consent
of his superiors: that Apostle Smoot. be-
fore he became a candidate for the SEN
ate applied for and received the necessary
consent; that If he had become a canoi-
date without such consent he would have
been found 'Out of harmony with his as
Fociates." The Mormon church. through
It's head. thus practically ceniesses that II
Is as dangerous I'm its political activity
rs il Is immoral i'm its ethics and super
ItitiOus in its religion. II is fortunate ina I
the constitution lodges in both houses or
congress plenary power with respect 10
Judging the qualification OF members. and
that thereby the federal authority has
left IN its culver one kind OF arrow which
II may discharge against rolygamous ana
otherwise obnoxious Mormonism.