The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-03-03
SCORED BY
UTAH SENATOR
MoRMoNs HAVE BROKEN ALL
THEIR PROMISES.
PARTS PLAYED BY APOSTLES
President of Church Exercises Power
of Monarch-System of 1.-THE
Taking.

Washington, March 1.-Senator
Kearns of Utah delivered a speech yes
terday upon the Mormon question. Mr..
Kearns opened his remarks by saying
that he deemed it his duty, before
leaving public life, to discuss the con-
ditions prevailing in his state.
The senator then reviewed the his
tory Of Utah and cited the conditions
under which statehood was granted.
THE pledges given by the people OF
Utah. said the senator, Il believe
consisted of the following PROPOSE
tions:
"'That the Mormon leaders would
live within the laws pertaining to plu-
raj marriages and discontinue plural
marriage relations, and that they
would enforce this obligation upon all
of their followers, under penalty OF
disfelloWship.
:" ""That the leaders of the Mormon
church would no longer exercise po-
litical sway and that the followers
would be free and would exercise their
freedom in politics, in business and in
social relations
Compact Broken.
utah secured her statehood by a
solemn compact made by the Mormon
leaders in behalf of themselves and
their people That compact has been
broken wilfully and frequently.
mo apostle of the Mormon church
has publicly protested against the vio-
lation
Il know the gravity of the utter
what are the consequences to myself.
But | have pondered long and earnest
ly upon this subject and have come
to the conclusion that duty to the in
nocent people of my state, and obliga-
tion to the senate and the country, re-
quire that I shall clearly define my at
titude
AS to Tfthes.
Speaking of the tithe system of the
Mormon church, Mr. Kearns said that
no account was made of the vast sum
-one-tenth of the incomes of the Nor
mons-and that the president of the
church expended it according to his
own will. He said the hopelessness
of contending in a business way with
this autocrat was perfectly apparent.
1T will astound you to know that
every dollar of the United States
money paid to any servant of the gov
up for the benefit of this monarch.
Out of every thousand dollars thus
paid out he gets 500. This is also
true of money paid by the public trea-
sury of the state of Utah to Mormon
officials. But what is worst of all, the
monarch dips into sacred public school
funds and extracts from every Mormon
teacher one-tenth of his or her earn
ings and uses it for his unaccounted
purposes; and by means of these pur-
poses and the power which they con-
stitute, he defies the laws of his state,
the sentiment of his country and is
waging a war of notification on the
public school systems so dear to the
American people"
Religion Not Involved.
Mr. Kearns said that the question
of religion is not involved and he
passed from that subject to the social
aspect with brief comment. He de-
scribed the surroundings and the pow
ers of President Smith, who he said
affects regal state and has established
himself with the dignity of a monarch.
I'm all this social systems" said Mr..
Kearns, leach apostle has his great
part. He is inseparable from it, He
wields now such part of the power as
the monarch may permit him to en-
joy, and it is his hope and expectation
that he will outlive those who are his
seniors in rank in order that he may
become their ruler"
Mr., Kearns then discussed the busi.
ness and political policies of the
church. The former, he said, Is
monopoly and the only politics the
church has Is to throw the influence
this way or that as best serves its pur.