Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-01-20
SAY POLYGAMY IS
DEAD AS SLAVERY.
WITNESS DECLARE MoRMoNs
HOSTILE TO IT..
EVIDENCE IN sMooT CASE
It Is Stated That No Prosecution Is
Needed to Insure the Complete
Uprooting Of the
Practice.

Needed to Insure the Complete
Uprooting Of the
Practice.
Washington, Jan. IA. w. N. White
cotton, an attorney, of Provo, Utah, re-
sumed his review of political affairs in
Utah when the hearing opened Friday
In the Smoot investigation. No effort
was made by the church, he said, to re-
strict the political liberties of the peo-
pie generally, or of any individuals, but
1t claimed the right to receive the time
and energies of men who have been
elected to important church Offices. The
deduction he drew was that the church
did not try to prevent its members from
engaging in politics without the con-
sent of the church, but that when GER
tain members accepted important
church Offices, the church had a right
to prevent such members from accept
Ing other ofdces which would take their
time.
Sentiment Against Polygamy.
It was shown by the witness that Cen
tiles had always held the most impor-
tant state Offices, and that Gentle
Judges who had been active in sentenc-
ing Mormons for polygamous cohab-
itation received as large vote as other
candidates when they came up for re-
election. II think the decided senti-
ment of the Mormon people in Utah Is
hostile to polygamy," said Mr.. White
cotton.
AS to the sentiment in the state in
regard to the prosecution for polygamy,
Mr.. Whitecotton said there had been
great deal said of an understanding that
there should be no prosecutions, but
that he had never heard of such a
thing. and did not believe it existed.
Continuing, he said: "But believe,
The people generally don't want to stir
this thing up and start 1t smelling
agstp-it has not good odor. Won
en- went into polygamy--a deluston,
probably-because they thought plural
marriage religious duty. The church
prescribes that ii plural wife gets
divorce she cannot be married to an
other husband, and the people realize
that If She is cut off by prosecutions
from her only protector. she and her
children are in preearious condition.
The sympathy of Gentiles and young
Mormons opposed to polygamy is all
for the women. never heard Of any
sympathy for male polygamist, and
don't believe there ever has been such
sympathy for one. unless. perhaps, he
should happen to be married to three
or four viragoes."
No Polygamists Elected.
Speaking of the character of state Of
fcers, Mr. Whitecotton said there had
not been polygamist elected since
statehood.
In regard to the political aspirations
and the attitude of the people, both Nor
mons and Gentiles, Mr.. Whiteeotton said
that .four years ago Mr.. Smoot was
talked Of for governor and when he
abandoned the race for that Office 1t was
understood that he had his eye on the
senAtorship. He was the logical, and,
in my judgment, the inevitable candi-
date"
As Dead as Slavery.
At the afternoon session, H. e. Booth,
Of Salt Lake, a non-Mprmon lawyer,
who went to Utah from Iowa in 1885
and has been active in the politics Of his
state, asserted that the Mormon church,
as church, did not interfere in political
affairs, but that individuals took an In
tefsst in politics in the same way that
other citizens did. He gave a number
OF instances of popular church members
being defeated by candidates who had
been responsible for anti-Mormon agi-
tation. As to polygamy the witness
said: II believe polygamy is as dead
as slavery. Ninety-eaght per cent OF
the Mormons themselves are opposed to
plural t4arriages." Mr.. Booth testified
that the sympathy was with the women
who were married inlpolygamy andthat
there wac Discrimination to prosecute
the polygamists for that reason. He
said he thought polygamy would die out
soon Of itself and that it was bettef
10 permit this rather than to prosecute
husbands and leave their plural wives
jas oateasts.
Women and Children Suffer.
| Arthur Pratt, warden Of the Utah
penitsntjary. and son of Orson Pratt,
who was an authority on church affairs,
testified that he never had been a mem
Der Of the Mormon church. He declared
that from 1875, when he arrested George
Reynolds, and down to 1890, he had az
rested more Mormons on charges OF
polygamous cohabitation than any other
officer. He said the arrests entailed
i great deal Of suffering among the Nor
mon people, and that 1t was the women
and children who got the worst Of the
possessions. He said that there could
be no question as to the decrease OF
polygamy since 1890, and added that as
supervisor Of the census he was in a
position to have the best information
on that subject
Would Give Taft More Power.
Washington, Jan. 4-President
Roosevelt, in brief message transmit
ting to congress the first annual report
OF the Panama canal commission, to-
gether with letter from Secretary Taft
relating to Panama affairs, recommends
that he be given greater discretion, as
he is charged with the responsibility
of constructing the canal. The board OF