The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-03-15
MORMON|SM
IN SOME OF ITS MANY AS
PECTS
VIGOROUS PROSECUTION
Described byFormerOis-
trict Attorney CritChlow

Washington. March l0.-E. b.
Critchlow. formerly United States dis.
trict attorney at Salt Lake city, IN
his testimony in the Reed Smoot case
before the senate committee on priv.
ileges and elections late this after
noon, declared that the Mormon peo-
pie II relieved of the domination OF
the church, would make short work OF
polygsmy and polygamous cohabita'
tion and the interference as body in
political affairs. He said that the
president and apostles of the church
ruled with an absolute power.
As an evidence of how far its su'
pervision extended, he explained that
when Utah had its first Legislature the
church appointed committee OF It's
high members to supervise such
measures as had been introduced and
to report to the church whether they
were proper and such as would meet
the wishes of the church.
file cited the deposition OF Moses
Thatcher as apostle and his expulsion
from the church because of his de.
termination to stand as candidate for
the United States senate. Two apos'
paign to- oppose Thatcher and the op'
position OF the church was so sue.
cessful that Raylins, whom it had
chosen as it's candidate. was elected.
Thatcher later recanted and was re.
stored to his membership in the
church but was not reinstated as one
of the apostles.
Washington, ID. c.. March l0.-E.
3. Critchlow, formerly assistant Unit
ed States district attorney at Salt
Lake city, who in this capacity pro.
secuted many members of the Nor
mon church, was the first witness
called to the stand by Attorney Tay.
Tor this afternoon in the Reed Smool
investigation before the senate com.
mission on privileges and elections.
He said he had been living contin.
uously in Utah since 1888. and had
perhaps studied conditions there more
carefully than most people. He told
the provisions of the Edmunds law
passed in 1882 and prosecutions there
under it,
CritchlOw said tnat between 1885
aud 1889, prosecutions for unlawful
cohabitation were continued with
great vigor Many Mormons. both
men and women, went into hiding. but
over a thousand were nevertheless
convicted. In each case the person
convicted was given an Opportunity
m. htY,,gAlf 10,
ing sent to prison upon promise in
the future to obey the law There
were never more tnan three who took
advantage of that leniency. One OF
these was Bishop Sharp and he was
promptly removed from his bishopry.
The ground was taken by the church
that such members should stand by
the doctrine of polygamy. it having
been divinely revealed.
1t was in 1887 that it first began to
be whispered about that the church
had given up plural marriages and
year later that idea had become gen.
orally diffused even among the non
Mormons.
In 1887 an effort was made by the
church 10 nave Utah admitted as q
state and new constitution in which
polygamy was absolutely prohibited
was adopted at a constitutional con-
vention attended only by Mormons.
President Smith and one or two 9TH
ers came to Washington to urge state.
hood. but instead of being successful,
more stringent legislation was enact
ed against polygamy.
In 1890, therefore, the Mormon
church found many of its members
in prison, much of its property es.
cheated and sentiment gaining
strength every day against Mormon.
ism and against the admission of Utah
as state, 1t was under these cir
cumstances that the manifesto of
President Woodruff was produced
concluded Mr.. Critchlow.