St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-03-23

don the practice of plural marriages.
Senator Bailey remarked that he had
| little faith in doctrine that did not get
revelation commanding change of
conduct, until there is statute COMPEL
| ing it. President Smith said that they
| had a revelation on their statute books
| in reference to plural marriages and they
| must obey It to obtain certain blessings
and it was serious question which they
should obey, the law of the church or of
| the land. President Woodruff got the
revelation to stop plural marriages and
| proclaimed it and the church accepted it.
But he continued. there is great
| difference between taking plural wife
| contrary to law and in taking care of the
wives taken before it was violation of
the law. I would not desert my wives.
| would not abandon my children. /
will run my risks before the law" There
| came a still more emphatic statement.
| ut is to the laws of Utah that am an
swerable; it is the law of my state that
| has the right to punish me. The Courts
of Utah are of competent jurisdiction.
| Congress has no business to interfere
| with my private affairs. Congress has
| no right to pry into my marriage rela-
| tons and call me to account" 1.-THE
church gave me my wives" and he did
l
| away.
| Then Senator Bailey continued; "as
| head of the church you are violating the
| law of the land and the ordinances of the
church there" He replied, mot the ordi-
| nances but the rule" Senator Burrows
asked how he could better teach pofyg-
amy than by practicing it? He made
| this distinction. He was practicing
polygamous cohabitation, which is not
l L. -
| and he had taken no plural wives since
| that this manifesto OF 1890 had not been
| published in the latest edition of DOC
| trines and Covenants" President Smith
| has five wives and since 1890 has had II
| children; since that time in all he has had
| % children. 1t seems that the majority
of the II apostles are polygamists.
Mr.. F. Lyman, who is to be the sue
cessor of Pres. Smith, was on the stand
and is one and expects to retain his plu-
| raj wives the same as Pres. Smith does.
| Mr.. Smith knowledged that he was
absent from Utah during the prosecu-
| tons under the Edmunds act and escaped
| prosecution. Senator Dubois inquired,
was there a warrant out for your" 81
| can present it to you now" replied he,
very decidedly. 1T was returned to me-"
| Then the senator asked, you were not
at home looking after your wives?" The
witness responded, 81 was not neglecting
them entirely In reply to Sen. Hoar,
he affirmed that the conditions then jus
tilted him in continuing in his present
course. Sen. Hoar brought out the con-
dition of children under the law of inheri-
tance, when Chairman Burrows read
some verses from the Bible referring to
David and Solomon, and the Lords dis
pleasure in keeping more than one wife.
PresASmith insisted he should read far
Their on. There was verse which justi-
fed polygamy, when the Lord command
ed them to enter that state. 1t was that
when the Lord wanted his seed propa-
gated, He would command it. When Mr..
Van Colt, lawyer for the defense, objec-
ted to questions, Senator Hoar said that
he objected to arguments by attorneys,
who tried to overthrow the long estab-
lished rules of the senate in investiga-
tions and he felt they must conduct their
matters according to the practice of
years. Sena tor Dubois put on record the
census figures Of Utah taken to 1890 to
show that instead of three or four per
cent, there were 2314 per cent of the
Mormon church of an age to be polyga-
mists in 1890 and be thought there had
been no material reduction in member
ship since 1890.
Mrs. Mabel Kennedy. who lived in the
Mormon colony at Diaz, Mexico, when
she became plural wife and left the man
on account of cruel treatment, gave tes-
timony. The assistant historian gave
good deal of information respecting their
church subdivisions and missionary
work. Senator Depew asked how he
made out So states? He told him there
were So stakes not states and they de-
rived the world from the Bible. There
seemed to be good deal of method in
their subdivisions and all are subject to
one great central power, who directs and
controls their movements. In the cross
examination of Asst. Attorney Critch-
low, it developed that the machinery of
the church is so great that candidate
for public office must not only have the
approval of the church, but must obey
their behests. Smoot announced his
candidacy in 1898. He had to obtain
the consent of the head of the church as
an apostle in order to be one. Although
he is not said to be guilty of polygamy,
yet he is under the influence ofthe church.
AS an officer and as a trustee in institu-
lions, witnesses declared he had never
said word against po1ygamy, or it's
practice, and although he knew these Off
GERS were living in open and direct viola
ton of the laws of his church and Of the
country; in this way he was accessory to
crime and moral turpitude, it is argued.
Ex-Ass't Atty. United States, Ogden
Hiles of Salt Lake, gave his idea of the
influence of the church or hierarchy upon
politics.
Judge Hiles has probably prosecuted
more Mormons under the Edmunds act
before it became a state than any other