The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-09
The MORMON CANCER.
Progress of the Mormon Inves-
tigati0n in Congress.
President Joseph Il. Smith, of the Nor
mon Church. Again on the Witness
Stand.

Washington, March 5.-Admissions
drawn from Joseph H. Smith, presi-
dent of the Mormon Church respecting
his continued violations of the law
forbidding polygamous cohabltatlon,
again constituted the feature OF the
proceedings today before the Senate
committee On privileges and election
against Senator Reed Smoot, of Utah.
The witness, an.ered by the persistent
efforts of some members Of the COM
mittee to obtain from him every detail
of his remission in obeying the law
turned upon Congress and charged
that body with interfering without
authority in bis private domestic
affairs and usurping the powers of the
Utah Courts, which alone, he asid
possessed the right to hold him to
account for his conduct.
While the witness had been taken
in hand by the defense for purposes OF
cross examination, the members cf the
committee in reality consuemd the
greater portion of the :ime, and matters
were brought out along the line follow
ed by the prosecution in tae three first
days OF the hearing. Some of the
testimony proved highly sensational.
At the beginning Of today's session
Mr.. Smith gave figures showing the
proportion OF polyga1cists in the Nor
mon population, saying the number of
polygamists originally excluded from
voting was 1000. Mr Smith said that
in 1902 only S97 were still living.
Referring to Senator Bailey's ques-
tions yesterday in regard to the mani
festc, Mr.. Worthington read from
sermon of President Woodruff, deliver
ed year after the manifesto, against
plural marriages, in which President
Woodruff declared that be was moved,
and 10000 Latter-Day Saints were
moved. by the Spirit Of GOD to aban
don the practice of plural marriage
Senator Bailey contended that it
WAS in obedience to the demands Of the
Law, or fear of the consequences of the
law that inspired the revelation.
Continuing, he asid: For my part I
don't have much faith in a doctrine
that doesn't get arevelation command
ing a change of conduct until there is
a statute compelling it,
"When the laws were passed which
we're not in harmony with the teach
ings of our Church. said Mr.. Smith,
"we held that they were unconstitu-
tional Of course. our own rules COM
manded that we obey the Constitution
of the land. but we fought the validity
of the new laws from the lowest to
the highest Court, and when it was
settled by the Supreme Court of the
United States that plural marriages
could no longer be INDUCED in, ct
course, we were inclined to obey. But
We had a revelation on our own statute
books in regard to plural marriages,
and it was necessary to obey that in
could not be received without obeying
it. Whether We should obey the law
of the land or continue to practice the
law of the Church was serious ques-
tion. We hold that the president of
the Church is entitled to receive reve-
lations inspired by the Almighty GOD.
President Woodruff sought guidance
from the Lord, and the Lord made it
manifest to him that it was his duty
to stop plural marriages. He pro-
claimed that revelation, and it was
submitted to the entire Church and
accepted by the Church, and thus it
became binding, and from that day to
this the law of the land Las been kept
80 far as plural marriages are concern
ed. But there is great difference
between taking a 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. I
would not abandon my children. l
will run my risks before the law.
President Smiths voice shook with
emotion. He showed more feeling than
he ha any previous time exhibited as
he leaned forward and said: But it is
to the laws Of Utah that am answer
able. 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. If the Courts
of my State do not see fit to call ne to
account for my conduct [ cannot help
it. Congress has no right to interfere
it has 10 right to pry into my mar
riage relations and call me to &C
count