Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-08-17

savior, We will come to his rescue"
daughter). And you laugh and think
that il not probable. neither do l..
(Great applause.) I was a delegate
in congress from Idaho Territory
when this territory was made a state
Of the union. took the test oath
down there in our constitution Some
IN congress strongly objected admitting
us with the test oath in our constitu-
ton. They finally came to me and said
III you will take the test oath out,
there will be no trouble about passing
the bill and admitting Idaho as a
state" Being a young man. and per-
haps somewhat rash. my reply was: II
| am the sole representative of Idaho
territory and speak for all our people
You can keep US out of the union as
long as you like. 1t is your privilege
| to prevent the admission Of any terri
ritory to statehood as long as you de-
sire, but you can not take a territory
into the union of states under a con-
stitution which they did not prepare
and which they did not endorse. Our
people unanimously put this test oath
in our constitution. You can keep us
out of the union for forty years. IL you
want but you will never take us in
without that test oath being a part of
our constitution. Great applause.) 1t
is there yet, the test oath is still in our
constitution. (Applause)
will tell you what has led up to this
present controversy. A polygamist
apostle from Utah, John Henry Smith,
came to Boise city at the last session
Of the legislature for the purpose Of
having constitutional convention
called for this state. in order to take
the test oath out of our constitution.
To show the power of the Mormon
church in politics now, a resolution for
a constitutional convention passed
both branches of our Legislature unan-
imously. 1 vigorously opposed it and
sent a letter to our democratic state
committee denouncing it.
The Mormon attorney general, Mr..
Bagley, quickly discerned that public
| sentiment would not tolerate any
| tampering with the test oath. He
found out in some manner that the
law had been improperly passed, and
| decided that the question would not
| be submitted to the people at all. AS
| a matter of fact the law was passed
properly, and if they would come out
in the open, they would submit to the
people this fall the question to
whether or not we would have a con-
stitutional convention, the object. Of
which is to take the test oath out of
the constitution. This polygamous
apostle from Salt Lake City brought
on the controversy. We resented his
interference and attempt to change
our constitution.
| l happen also to be a member of the
committee on privileges and election
of the United States senate and was
put on that committee. don't know
why, three years ago. I am not law
yer. That committee is composed of
the ablest lawyers of the senate. OBJ
jected to going on the committee. They
said that we ought to have one lay
man, and we would be glad to have you
on the committee. 1t was somewhat Of
"A compliment, and l accepted, al
though it is a sinecure position, be-
came a member of the committee
which did not meet for two years.
Then Mr.. Reed Smoot, an apostle Of
the Mormon church, was elected a
| United States senator from Utah. His
seat was contested, and it came before
our committee on privileges and cleo
| tons. and the testimony was taken
What would the good people of Idaho
have thought of me if / had insisted
that all this testimony given by the
high officials Of the Mormon church
was untrue, that there was nothing in
it at all. What opinion would they
have had of me if l had believed my
conscience in every direction, which
would have been compelled to do had
| l become the champion of Reed Smoct.
! am quite sure, judging from some re-
cent performances, that some politi-
clans of Idaho, would have thought that
1 was a very adroit politician If had
done that.
Now, the testimony taken before the
committee on privileges and elections
has been published and gone before the
, world, Joseph +. Smith, the president
of the Mormon church. testified that he
! was living with five wives and had
| forty-two children and was raising
children by these various wives con-
| stanty eleven or thirteen, l think,
| since the manifesto He also testified
that all the Mormon apostles in line
for the presidency of the Mormon
| church. for the next forty years, are
living in polygamy and they ask the
/ people of the United States. What
t are YOU going 10 do about it" We will
! go back TO Utah and be received with
acclaim and brass bands, because we
! control the courts, we control the sher-
/ ifs office, the people are all with us.
I You can not even arrest us, much less
/ convict. Why, the testimony was APP
+ palling. 1t is shown in that testimony
that two of the twelve apostles have
! taken plural wives since the manifesto
! fanDlauSet. We proNed there that two