Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-10

later revelation, they will not desert tho
Wives and tho children TO whom they
had boon married undor the old dis
ponsatlon, and that no hlmBslf hns
maintained those wivoa and their chill.
dron IN separate families. ana has lived
In tho relation OF husband and wife
with them NO that new children have
been borne TO him bv all OF them.
do not know that I have given the
whole statement, but IN substance. /
think Il would shorten and make clear
this inquiry II we were to know whether
you expect to controYert that statement
IN whole or In part II / have In any
particular misstated Il, ] wish Mr..
Smih would point out the particular In
which l have mIsstared It.
Mr.. Smith, understand, Mr. Sena-
tor that you have stated the case as |
understand Il.
Now as TO the attitude Of Prest.
Smith before the committee: There Is
nothing In the entire report that in
dicates defiant lawessness" or pa
tronizlng air" or "semi-Insolent'
manner. or a sheer logged defiance
Nor was he forced to contradict him
self repeatedly" or at all. Mr. Chapple
cannot for the life Of him point out u
contradiction Of the kind he mentions,
or show wherein ne frank statements
made by President Smith as 10 his own
family relations were any different from
what was generally understood, except
by people who are completely ignorant
Of Utah affairs.
The universal verdict OF the gentle
men present at the examination wns
that, DURING the five days' fusilade OF
questions that were fred at him, the
witness conducted himself in manner
that was remarkable for its equanimlty.
evident truthfulness and candor. Even
when Intercepted about his private af-
fairs in such way that he could have
legally, morally and justly declined to
answer, he unhesitatingly complied and
gave his responses without reserve.
only once did he show any resentment
at questions leveled at him and this
is his language as appears In the official
report:
"Mr. Smith. / would like to say, Mr..
Chairman, 70 you please, that II Is very
embarrassi4 and trying TO me to pup
licly announce my private domestic al
fairs before this committee.
Mr. Tayler. AS far as I am CON
cerned / do not care so much about
that. You can proceed as you please,
'Mr Smith. / do II very reluctantly,
simply because / am required TO do so
by this honorable committee. re-
gret II very much, and | wish to say
that much to the committee, because
my statements and testimony here are
going to the world, and | do not want
IL understood, being compelled, as /
have been, to give information ana TO
make statements Of opinion in relation
to- my friends, that am In any sense
spotter or an informer. II there IS
anything gentlemen, that despise, II
Is an Infamous spotter and lnformer'
and | am not one Of those ! wish to
state that in order that 1t may go down
on record
The statement about President
Smiths declaration that he was not
amenable to the law is also incorrect.
Here is what the witness said in reply
to some questions from Senator Bailey;
1t is also taken from the official record;
81 should like 10 draw distinction
i'm the Senator's mind that there Is
great difference In our judgment, I'm our
feelings, between the law prohibiting
plural marriages and the law prohio-
itlng what Is termed in the law unlaw-
full cohabtation-a very great diner
ence. Plural marriage has stopped ,
but I choose. rather than 20 abandon
my children and their mothers, to run
my risks before the law. | want TO say,
too, that It Is the law OF my State-lt
rs not the law OF Congress-under which
/ am living and by which I am punish
able. It IS the Law Of my state and the
courts Of my State-have competent
jurisdiction to deal with me IN my
| offenses against the law, and the con-
| gress Of the United States has no
| business with my private conduct any
more than Il has with the private con-
! duct OF any citizen OF Utah or any
other state. 1t Ia the law OF my state
to which / am amenable, and II the
officers of the law have not done their
| duty toward me / can not blame them,
| think they have some respect for me.
II the editor of the National Maya
zine does not understand that there Is
now no law of Congress applicable &c
Utah on the question at issue, but that
the state laws are ample for the pur'
pose. he Is not wel-informed. And We
should think, from his reputation as
fair and able writer, he would want tC
correct his assertions about the NOR
mon" President, and apologize for al
attack that Is very unfair to that gen
tleman, and does not add one iota to tn
brilliant qualifications Of Senator HoaI
nor to the esteem in which he Is helC