The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-01
Especial to The Herald)

IAFASHINGTON, Feb. Ex-senator
Wv Kearns today threw down the
gauntlet to the Norman church
and IN a carefully prepared speech
called the attention OF congress and
the country generally to conditions
which ne declared prevail in Utah. The
resolutions introduced by Senator Du-
bois yesterday were Ostensibly the sub
1ect Of Kearns' address. but the real
object WAS his colleague Of the past
year and a half who sat within a
dozen feet of him and listened atten-
lively but without expressing any emo
ton to kearns' Onslaughts. There was
large number of senators present
and they gave Kearns close attention
some of the Democrats, Dubois and
Patterson among them. coming over
TO the Republican side Of the chamber
so that they might hear more distinct
". SenatOr-elect George Sutherland
and Representative Howell came in
while kearns was talking and heard
the speech.
comments today upon his first and last
set speech IN the senate. The record
containing it will be given extensive
circulation and 10000 extra copies
knrinter- The speech will be used to
lpromOte public sentiment in the coun-
try against the evils which are COM
piained of by those opposing Mormon
ism and its representatives in con-
Gress.
Senator Kearns' Speech.
''Mr. PRESIDENT viii not permit
this occasion TO pass without saying
with brevity and such clearness as
can command. what it seems 10 me
should be said by a senator, under
these circumstances, before leaving
public life. Something is due to the
state which has honoTed me; something
is due 70 the record which I have en-
deaYored to maintain honorably before
the world; and something by way Of
information is due to the senate and
the country
utah, the newest Of the states, to
me the best beloved Of all the states
appears to be the only one concerning
which there is a serious conflict with
the country. I was not born in Utah
but have spent all the years of my
manhood there: and / love the COM
monwealth and its people In what I
say there is malice toward none. and I
hope to make it just to all If the
present day does not accept my state
ments and appreciate my motives.
can only trust that time Will prove
more gentle and that in the future
those who care to revert TO these re-
marks viii know that they are ami
mated purely by a hope to bring about
a better understanding between Utah
and this great nation.
Utah was admitted to statehood
after, and because of, a long series of
pledges exacted from the Mormon
leaders the like Of which had never
before been known in American his
tory Except for those pledges, the
sentiment OF the United States would
never have assented TO Utah s admis-
sion Except for the belief on the part
of congress and the country, that the
extraordinary power which abides in
that state would maintain these
pledges. Utah would not have been
admitted. There is every reason to be-
lieve that the president who signed the
bill would have vetoed il if he had not
been convinced that the pledges made
would be kept
The Pledges.
las a citizen of the state and a wit
ness to the events and the words which
constitute those pledges. as a senator
of the United States 1 give my word
of honor to you that I believed that
these pledges consisted Of the following
propositions:
..First-That the Mormon leaders
would live within the laws pertaining
10 plural marriage and the continued
plural marriage relation, and that they
would enforce this obligation upon all
Of their followers, under penalty of dis
fellowship.
'Second-That the leaders Of the
Mormon church would no longer exer-
else political sway, and that their fol-
lowers would be free and would exer-
else their freedom in politics, ia bust
ness and IN. social affairs
AS a citizen and q senator give my