Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-19
AND HE WENT ACCORDINGLY.
Rat He Did Not Learn that Any Plural
Marriages Had Been
Performed.
MARRIAGE Of LILLIAN HAMLiN
Asked PresL Smith If He Performed
Ceremony and He Said No Tells
Why He Went to Idaho
Especial to the "News.")

washington, d. c., Dec. 1.-THE
morning session of the committee In
yestgatng Senator smootA and Incl
dentally everything connected with the
Mormon Church, lasted nearly three
hours. This added several score Of
pages TO the mass Of documentary evil
dence but nothing Of a startling nature
was brought out and nothing new ox-
cept the apparent proof that the Church
authorities attempted to settle disputes
among the people Of their faith without
expensive litigation In United States
courts. 10 bring out this fact forcibly
the attorneys for protestants selected
d case which, appareEtlyproduced some
hardship TO one Of the parties In Church
litigation. The witness brought from
Utah for this purpose was Isaac Bird
sail OF ElslnOre, who testified that his
daughter. Cora, Is the owner Of quar-
ter-seCtion OF land, for which she holds
United States patent Some years ago
q man named Leayitt claimed that he
had purchased from Cora about 60
acres OF this land, and that although
be had paid part of the purchase money
the deed had been refused him and he
had appealed to the Bishops court,
which decided In his favor, awarding
him 40 acres, An appeal was taken 10
the high council when the decision was
affirmed and Cora notified 10 comply or
appeal to the First Presidency. La
ter the Brdsall family wrote
70 the First Presidency. Cora believed
That judgment was based upon per-
iuFtd testimony but when asked to
give particulars Ia the First Presidency
Cora neglected on refused 10 do so and
Subsequently the decision Of the court
below was affirmed aud Cora ordered 20
make q deed upon payment 10 her Of
sl00 balance of the purchase money,
by Le0Vitt. Neglcctlng to do this she
was warned several times and finally
Because sbe paid no attention was for
mally notified OF accommodation.
This, according 10 the witness, preyed
upon his daughters mind because Of
her deep religious convictions to such
au extent that she could neither eat nor
sleep and was at times out Of her
head. Finally a few months ago after
several talks with the Church author
tiles she was febaptzed into the
Church and subsequently made a deed,
as her father, the witness, was IN
formed But he declared that his wife,
Cora's mother, told him that her daugh-
ter was forced to comply.
Before Blrdsall was called to the
stand Apostle John Henry Smith was
cross'eXamined by Atty Worthington
and he told OF HIS mission TO Mexico,
which was reported to Lorenzo Snow,
Apostle Smith declared that under the
established rule OF the Chruch, no one
had @ right TO secure a plural wife
except upon authority Of the President
OF the Chruch. He has never known
the President 10 authorize the solemnl-
zalon Of a plural marriage since the
manifesto. Mr.. Smith was asked as
70 the truth Of the statements made
Dy a witness last week that the Nor
mon Chruch owns n majority OF th'
stock Of the sugar companies Of Idaho
ne denied that statement. lie admlt-
led that he had taken an active part
u politics In Idaho but declared he had
zone So only upon request OF the party
manager IN that state. lie also ex-
palned that while he had done what
ne could TO secure the passage Of the
sugar bounty law, It was only as q cit
zen that he acted and not as an Of
neal OF the Chruch. He explained at
ienglh an effort TO secure the repeal
the test oath clause of the Idaho
constitution and asserted that not only
~ Utah but in Idaho az well is was
,ne general understanding that II the
turuch would, In good faith. refrain
from sanctlonng plural marriages the
people or these states would not inter-
lefe with the martial relations con-
Wacted before the manifesto.
senator Dubois put a series of
questions designed to show that
opposite Smith confined his po-
Nucal efforts IN Idaho to "Mor-
,oh communities and also with
rN OBJECT OF demonstrating that no
democratic Apostles took part In Idaho
toutlcal affairs. Mr.. Smith declared
uiat he went wherever the chairman
W the committee sent him, and also that
Ioses Thatcher and Apostle Cowley
Hid sllmped FOR the Democratic ticket.
tpon redirect examination Mr. Smith
sild that he had asked President
smith II he had performed the mar
.'ase ceremony between Abraham Cam
guu and Lillian Hamlln and that Mr.
einith had answered mo- He had
made no Inquiries as to who did marry
u.ehl' and he had doubts as to the fact
marriage. He had not attempted
~ hunt down polygamlsis who may
saIe taken plural wives since the mani
$50 80 Il can simply say that have
itaeen no interest In hunting down po-
samlsts, thieves or other criminals"
!nsietrlng again 10 the question Of
uie night OF men Of the Church 10 main-
u.'h relations with plural wives 70
Nuum they were married prior
w lSsO Mr. Smith IN answer 10 a ques-
won said that neither the laws OF the
And nor the law OF the Church can
.aAe away my obligations made be-
,SNsen me and my God No law Of the
,ena can solve or interfere with con-
I4ets entered into prior to the mani
.ssto. He again insisted that when
u'e Constitution Of Utah was adopted
was the understanding Of "Mormonsn
ana nou-'Mormons' alike that men
VINO had married plural wives should
i've out their lives with them IL was
nuI understood at that time and he
SPOKE from personal talk with leading
meh or the territory, that polygamous
ssoha6ltation should cease Apostle
smlih declared his belief In the doc
time Of polygamy and exclaimed Vi
expect that so long az breath remains