The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-18
HOSTILE TO POLYGAMY
MORMONs NO LONGER FAVOR PLU-
 RAJ MARRIAGES.
Testimony of Richard W. Young. Pres-
 tdent of One of the Four Church Stakes of Salt Lake Cffy.

Washington. Jan. t7.-Whcn the Shoot investigation opened today, Judge W. NJ McCarty of the Supreme Court of Utah. who was on the stand yesterday. was recalled by Chairman Burrows and examined concerning the division of offices between Mormons ana Gentiles. He said there was nd agreement. but 1t Is understood the can didates in Utah shall be about evenly divided. He repeated the statement made yesterday that there is an un- Senator shall be a Gentle and the oth- CT a Mormon.
 Richard w. Young of Salt Lake, a graduate of West Point, and also of the law department of Columbia Uni versity. was sworn. While serving in the Philippines. he was President of the criminal branch of the Supreme CourtAof the Islands He returned to Salt Lake In 1901, and Is now President of one of-the four Mormon stakes of Salt Lake City. MT. Young is a mon- l ogamist, and says the sentiment of Mormons is decidedly hostile to polyg- amy. He said there Is no teaching of polygamy and has been none since the manifesto was Issued. Tn relation 1 to "Whisperings' in politics, he said he knew of no instance when the "whis. pers" had been traced to any Mormon l authorities. Hs thought there may have been some underlings who at tempted to create the impression that he wanted some particular candidate | elected, but that when these cases were traced down the accused always denied that they had been authorized to take such action.
 On cross-examination, Mir. Young said he believed that the manifesto was inspired and that while there are per- sons in the church who have not ac- eepted the doctrine of revelations, the overwhelming majority believed that the revelation in relation to celestial marriage was inspired.
 'In view of the present rumors that an apostle of the church has taken two plural wives since the manifesto, do you not think that the authorities of the church should procure the at- tendance of that man as a witness in this hearing?" asked Attorney Tayler.
 T don't know that they could pro- cure his attendance." replied Mr. Young.
 MT. Tayler called attention to a dis patch from Eureka, Utah, to the effect that at a meeting Sunday night Bishop Daniel Connolly denounced those who
 
 Washington as traitors, and said he l had known traitors to be shot, The dispatch said also that when taken to task for the violence of. his Language, the Bishop said that he was indignant at the witnesses who had violated their oaths, but that if he had known there was a reporter present, he would have been more guarded.
 Mir. Young did not approve the ref I lkA af said heI thought that the Bishop had expressed the sentiment of Mormon people toward those who had testified In the Smoot investigation. concerning 1 the endowment house ceremonies. He said Mormons abhorred traitors, and l said man who would violate his oath before a Justice of the Peace would violate any oath of the church. He could make no distinction.
 In answer to questions by Chairman Burrows. Mir. Young said that until two years after its issuance the manifesto was not construed to be directed Iagainst the practice of polygamy, but only against new plural marriages. He said that If it were not for the law against polygamy, he should believe the principle to be right. Some of the bishops under Mir. Young are po1ygam- ists, and he said he had taken no steps to dissuade them from continuing the practice.
 MT. Young, answering a question by the chairman, said that he feels obli- gated not to reveal the nature of the endowment ceremonies, but in that con- nection he regretted the inability to answer because he believed the worst Isort of inference might be drawn from the refusals. A recess was then taken.
 At the afternoon session, Attorney Worthington. for Senator Shoot, and Senators Burrows and McComas. en- Tagged in an argument as to the prop priety of the question as to whether the endowment house ceremony con- tains anything hostile to this Govern ment when the witness declined to give l the wording of the oath taken by Nor mons who go through the ceremony. After the argument, MT. Worthlngton asked:
 'Ts there anything in the oath that relates to our Government?"
 l T don't know that I would under | stand my status it answered that question. don't want tosbe in con tempt of the committee, and I should like the chair to tell me whether this Is to be followed with further inqui- ries," said the witness.
 Chairman Burrows ruled that if the question were answered. he would in- quire of the witness as to the charae- | ter of the ceremony and all of the obli- gations, Whereupoh MT. Young declined l to answer MT. Worthington's question. He said he had never heard of any person being harmed because of reveal ing oaths of the endowment house. D. R. Thompson. an attorney of Salt Lake, and a Gentle, testified concern Ing the circulation of a remonstrance against the testimony of President Smith, that the %Gentiles condone the | offense of polygamous cohabitation. At the meeting where this remonstrance was drawn, a committee, of which Mir. Thompson was chairman, was appoint cd to form a non Mormon party. but on account of the sentiment that 1t was best to permit polygamy to die out without interference or prosecution by Gentiles. the committee never was call ed together.
 The witness said that one of his nelghbors was Bishop Marros. and that 1t was understood he had three wives and has had children by them since the manifesto.
 It developed that witness had not read the remonstrance, and on cross examination many things were pointed out, to which he would not subscribe as "a witness.
 F. s. Fernstrom of Salt Lake, who has been Mormon for more than thir-