Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-09
REED SHOOTS CASE
Protestants Claim to Have
Proved Charges.
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE
TESTIMONY WHICH ESTABLISHES
MORMON CHURCH SUPREMACY.
Its Oaths Are Binding on It's Supprt-
ers Above Any Law Of
the Land.
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE

tomorrow morning at IL o'clock the de-
Tense opens its case in the investigation of
Senator Smoot before the committee on
privileges and elections of the Senate.
Just before the holiday recess the pro-
testants closed. after having occupied the
attention of the committee many months.
In summing up the evidence thus far ad-
duced the protestants claim to have proven
their charges as follows:
First Charge.
1.-THE Mormon priesthood, according to
the doctrine of the church and the belief
and practice of its membership, is vested
with and assumes to practice supreme au-
thority in all things, temporal and spiritual,
civil and political The head of the church
claims to receive divine revelations, and
these Reed Smoot, by his covenants and
obligations, is bound to accept and obey,
whether they affect things spiritual or
things temporal.
"The statement of President Joseph F.
Smith, on page 165 of the printed testf-
mony, cannot but be considered as final on
this point. Before becoming even a candf-
date for the United States Senate Smoot
asked for, as required by the political mani
festo Of April, 1895, and obtained the con-
sent of the proper authorities in this case,
that of the first presidency. When Apostle
Moses Thatcher refused to ask the same
consent, in 1896. deeming such consent IN
compatible with his rights of citizenship, he
prfved of all office in the church and de-
feated for the senatorship. Nor is this con-
troll all that Is required of the members OF
the church. AS shown by the testimony OF
Isaac Birdsall, this church exercises the
right to review the issuance Of land titles
under the order provided of the Lord to
govern in such cases, with appellate courts
of supreme jurisdiction. refusal 10 com
ply with these decisions is deemed 'un-
christianlike conduct, punishable by ex-
communication in this world and damna-
ton in the world to come, for no other OF
better reason than that the accused haa
failed to comply with the decisions OF TIC
mouthpiece of God.
.'These living oracles' claim and exact
the right to counsel in all things, and when
Apostle John Henry Smith appeared IN
Rnise city. Idaho, to the members of his
faith then sitting in the legislature the oe-
mands of the church received lmmedlaIe
recognition and the bill for constitutional
amendment was passed so silently that the
nlhlic never knew that such matter was
ever pending, and it was only AFTER VIII.
ness Cobb had testified in washington tnat
it became generally known. The surprise
and condemnation then became SO greas
that the polygamous attorney general or
Idaho found the flaw in the passage ana
certified the improperly OF placins INC
matter upon the state ballots IN the COIN
ing election The exercise of political inter-
ference in the states of Idaho and Utah
was repeatedly shown by witnesses CritcI,
low-Powers Hiles and Jackson, as well
as by the admissions or Apostles Sinieii 'i0
Bulge
"Second. The first presidency and twelve
anostles of whom Reed Smoot is one, are
supreme in this authority of the church anu
in the transmission of that autnori.y ~
their successors. Each OF them Is cdheu
a prophet, seer and reveiator.
.sThis is all admitted in the evidence OF
Smith. Lyman, Roberts. Jensen and others.
Still Encourage Polygamy.
.sTbird. AS shown by their teaching ana
by their own lives. this body OF men mas
not abandoned. belief in polygamy ana
nolygamous cohabitation. On the contrary:
..(a) AS the ruling authorities OF the
church they promulgate In the most Solemn
manner the doctrine Of polygamy without
reservation.
"(b) The president Of the Mormon Church
and majority of the twelve apostles now
practice polygamy and polygamous conaDl-
tation and some Of them have taken poiyg-
amous wives since the manifesto OF 1871.
These things have been done with the
knowledge and cOuntenance or Reeo Smoot.
Phenal marriages have been performed ny
the apostles since the manifesto and many
bishops and other high officials or the
church have taken plural wives since that
time. All Of the first presidency and Twelve
apostles encourage, countenanco, conceai
and connive at polygamy and polygamous
Capitalization and honor and reward those
who most persistently and defiantly violate
the law of the land.
OF the witnesses summoned ana WHO
appeared President JOS. F. Smith testt-
fed that he had five wives with whom he
lives without Observation-Disclosures that
may mean: that he has forty-two chill
dren, of whom somewhere between eleven
and twenty-five was not sure of the ages
of so many-were born since the mani
festo Of 1880; that he purposes to live
with them. taking his chances of the
courts of Utah. of which he stands in no
fear, and defying the jurisdiction of the
United States and the opinion of the whole
country. Apostles Lyman, Jno. Henry
Smith and Penrose made similar admis-
sions, while Apostles Teasdale, Taylor,
Cowley and Merrill either evaded service
by leaving the country or feigning ILL
ness. All of these have taken new addi-
tional wives since the manifesto of 1890,
as appears from the evidence. The de-
liberate suppression of evidence has been
the most startling revelation of the case.
The refusal to produce the records made
in the most positive manner; the perjury
of witnesses who, rather than proclaim
their marital relations for which they
claim the color Of religious duty, and the
branding of themselves and their chill
dren with infamy, is astounding. The
oft-repeated denials Of President Smith
and others that any plural marriages
since 1890, especially that of the late
Apostle Abraham H. Cannon, though the
testimony of one of the widows definitely
fixed the date between June IL and July
2, 1895. and during that time he was in
the-company of Joseph F. Smith, in Cali
IOrnid, VINO dlOue nelU the Keys Oh the
ordinance.
Plural Marriages Established.
The testimony of Mrs. Kennedy that she
was married as a plural wife to James F.
Johnson at Colonia. Juarez, Mexico, by
Apostle Brigham Young In May, 1896. was
unanswerable. The testimony Of Josiah
Hickman that he was married mo place" In
Mexico by A. F. Macdonald. The testimony
Of George Reynolds that his daughter, Flor
ence Reynolds, was married to Ben Clun,
jr., about four years ago. While Brigham
H. Roberts claimed to have married his
third affinity in 1890, a year later than the
close of the ceremonies as stated by Presi-
dent Woodruff. The refusal to appear after
service of subpoena, by 8. 8. Newton and
his plural wife; the absence of Mary
Daynes, Ella Steffenson and other new
plural wives; the evasion of service by
Thomas Chamberlain and Joseph M. Tan
ner, is silent admission of all these
charges. The last edition of the official
Doctrine and Covenants" shows the reye-
lation of polygamy to be unexpurgated, and
the whole condition of these people in their
teachings and examples is best expressed in
the words of President Joseph F. Smith in
the Tabernacle at Salt Lake City In 1904,
after he had testified in Washington.
Il am not a coward or craven thing 1
may be driven to the last extremity, but
would not shrink from exile Imprisonment