The San Francisco call., 1904-03-09
Legislators
Hear About
MOrmOniSm
Continued From Page 1. Column 3.

Il cannot repeat it," said the wit
ness.
DO you mean to say that you do
not know the ordinary marriage cere
mony of the church," asked Senator
Hoar severely.
Eyes, 1 know that" answered the
witness.
And was not that what was
asked?" he was asked.
The witness said ii was. He was
told to give the substance of it. He
said he and his wife stood up and
joined hands.
Then they made you promise some
thing, did they not?" inquired Senator
Hoar.
Yes, sir
But you have forgotten what it
'was?" the Senator remarked, with
laugh.
"Oh, no, have. not forgotten" said
Merrill. He then said that he had
promised to love, cherish and support
the woman.
A LARGE FAMILY.
In regard to his fathers family
ASIIlll Sd1Q he HdQ d ldlllSI Will SiA
wives and that he had twenty brothers
and seventeen sisters. He was asked
how many nephews and nieees he had
and said he did not know, but thought
there were more than 100.
Francis Lyman, a member of the
first presidency of the Mormon church
and the prospective successor of
President Joseph Smith, was the next
witness. He was born sixty-four years
ago and became an apostle in 1880.
Are you a polygamist?" Mr.. Tay-
Ter asked, and the witness replied
frankly, Yes He said that he had
had three wives and that of them two
are still living. BY his second wife,
to whom he was married in 1884, he
had five children, the last being born
in 1900. Lyman said that he had been
one of the, signers of the prayer for
amnesty, pledging himself to all that
it contained. He did not, however, re-
call just what it did contain.
Tayler read portions of the prayer.
Did YOU" he asked, interpret that
to mean that you would abstain from
polygamous cohabitation
Il interpreted 1t to mean that I
Did you think it would be right to
abstain from polygamous cohabita-
tion ?"
KNOWINGLY BREAKS LAW.
This was not answered directly at
the time. Several questions by mem
bers of the committee followed in rapid
succession, and Lyman admitted, in
response to them, that he knew that
in living in polygamy he was disobey-
ing both the law of the land and the
rule of his church. He also said in
reply to one of these questions that he
was not only now living in polygam-.
Gus cohabitation, but that he expected
to continue so to live.
Senator Hoar at last took the wit
ness in hand and brought out sue
cinct statement from him which was of
a character to interest all present.
Referring to the rule of which you
have spoken" Hoar said, you under
stand the rule or the law of the church
to be the law of God, did you not?''
Lyman replied that such was his un-
derstanding.
Then you are living and intend to
live in, violation of the law of God and
MANI"
i, Il fully intend,'' said Lyman, show
ing a disposition to elaborate more than
he had done, Ito be true to the law of
my country, to my God and to my obli-
cations and covenants with my wives,
and have never done thing that my
conscience did not approve
EXPLAINS POSITION.
II want" he said after a short pause
and dropping into a pleasing voice, Ito
make a brief explanation if you will
permit. Ny case is different from that
Of most other men. 1 was born in 1910,
and I can hardly remember when my
father was not polygamist. He was a
friend and adviser of Prophet Joseph
Smith, and was taught by him the inn
portance and the truth of the principles
of polygamy. He accepted the teach
ing and entered into the practice, mar
rying six wives in the years 1S45 and
1916. so thsst my earliest recollection
embraces the life of polygamy. 1 re-
member all my fathers wives as | do
my own mother, and 1 lived in fam
lily thus constituted until grew up and
became the head of family of my
own. Consequently have known moth
ing else, and 1 have felt that it was
correct have always felt in my heart
and my soul that 1 was correct. mar
ried first in 1857. again in 1869 and once
more in 1884. The situation has been
very painful to me, and 1 have been
greatly panied to find myself in opposi-
ton to the law of the country and Of
the church. But / have made a cove
nant with my wives to love, respect and
endear them, and 1 could not find it in
my heart to separate from them so
long as they were true to me-"
Senator Hoar-So you, an apostle of
your church, expecting to succeed Mr..
Smith in the presidency and in that
capacity to receive divine revelations
yourself, confess that you are now liv-i
ing and expect to continue to live in
disobedience to the laws of the country,
the law of your church and the law of
God?
The witness replied with a simple
Eyes"
WITH STrCC,pED cNfTTu