The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-08
CHANGES ASPECT OF CASE.
Ohio Paper Says Testimony VIII In
jure Shoots Chances.
lCIeveland Piain DIE. )


A serious change in the aspect Of the
| Reed Smoot case results from the adj
missions OF the president OF the Nor
mon church in his testimony before the
senate committee yesterday. What el-
rect Il may have on the ultimate de-
elsion as 10 Reed Shoots legal claim to
2 seat in the United States senate re-
mains 10 be seen, but tbs adverse moral
effect cannot be ignored.
When Utah was seeking admission into
f fbs = "a Mon ma as a state II was DIRECTED
eral control in domestic matters, Nor
mon Utah would disregard anti-3Olygamy
Jaws ana decisions under them, and even
me new revelation against plural mar
RACES was declared to be tnsincere. Those
warnings viii be recalled by the proceed
lngs before the senate committee.
PRESIDENT Joseph r. Smith is now the
mead of the Mormon church. He claims
20 be The medium of divine revelation
70 the church IN matters pertaining TO
It's welfare. He told the COMMITTEES on
Wednesday that he subscribed to the
standard Of authority for the church in
relation 70 the revelation commanding
poiySaHy, as made known to the firsL
president OF the church. mis- uncle. and
mat, Notwithstanding the proclamation Of
PRESIDENT Woodruff IN 1880 commanding
a suspension OF the requirement that
pOlygamy be practiced in The church he
still believes plural MARRIAGES to be right.
the command did not he said. change
ms view on the question. Furthermore,
the revelation declaring plural marriages
remains in the book of authority as
part of the teachings of the church.
Yesterday President Smith went fur
Their in his admissions. The proclamation
suspendlng the revelation ordering plural
marriages WAS issued in 1880. President
smith SAYS there has been no plural mar
rage IN the church after that date. per-
formed in accordance with its teachings
or with its connivance, and on this he
claimed to speak with authority. After
the hearing before the master of chan
Gerry on the subject Of conabitation with
WiVes of plural marriages previously sol
emnlzed there was a suspension of such
cohabitatiOn up to 1.-THE time the enabling
act went into effect admitting Utah as a
state"
Here came in the serious part of Presi-
dent Smiths testimony. There are two
laws in Utah concerning poiygamy. one
PROMPTS further plural marriages. That,
President Smith says, he has observed,
although his belief in the divine reVela-
ton commanding such marriages has not
changed. That. President Smith says, he
has deliberately and continuously viO-
lated, and continues to do so. He has
cOhabited with his five wives in defi-
ance OF the state law and they have
borne his eleven children in this illegal
situation. Nothing was said in the Pres
ident Woodruff manifesto Of 1880 against
continuing pOlygamOuS coha bitatiOn: and
therefore he continued such cohabita-
ton and has openly violated the state law
against IL. The people OF Utah knew II,
but he has not been interfered with. He
stands ready to face the consequences,
but will not change his course.
ated cannot be overlooked. The Nor
mon church dominates the state of Utah.
II is seeking domination OF other states.
1t sent a representative to congress who
was rejected as a pOlygEmist. 1t now
sends one of its high church officers TO
the United States senate, whose qualifi-
cations are challenged on the ground that
he acknowledges allegiance to an eccles-
iasucal organization that places obedt-
ence to its ordinances above obligation to
the laws of the United States. The head
of that organization calmly testifies that
he holds himself to be governed by
higher law than the law or man; that ia
obedience to divine revelation he has
disregarded. and does and will continue
to Ouenly disregard the law of the state
prohibiting polygamOus conabitation and
that Reed SmOOt. senator of the United
States and one Of the twelve apostles
of the Mormon church. may also receive
revelations direct from God for his own
guidance"
Those admissions and declarations can
not but create q profound impression on
public judgment of the SnsOot case. what
ever may be their effect on the senate
action.