Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-11

Again, he says "lt having been found
that polygamy could not safely be prac-
tised and defended IN Missouri where
the hierarchy was al first established,
II retrcatcd with Its subjects and adj
hercnts 20 Illinois" etc. The facts are
that the Church was not FIRST established
IN Missouri but ln New York and aft
erHards IA OhIo that polygamJ was
! neither taught praotged or defended
ia Missouri and that the prosecutions
which drove the saints from that State
into Illinois were not founded, or pre-
/ tended to be founded, ON their prac.
tico or teaching Of the doctrine OF po-
! lygomy
Further on Mr. Edmuuds. speaking
OF The appointment Of President Brig
ham Young as Governor Of Utah, says.
but when his lawfully appointed suc-
cessor arrived at Sllt Lake Young re-
! fused to turn over the government,
claiming q dominion derived from the
Lord and the lawful officers were driy-
en- away This shows that the gentle.
man Is as ignorant Of utah history as
| he rs OF the previous history Of the
Lattor.day saints and this lack Of no.
quanance with the facts r. exhibited
throughout the entire article he has
supplied to the Christian Herald
while he quotes corrtctlY the require
men,s Of the Enabling act on which
Utah entered the Union In relation to
the prohibition of "polygamous or
plural marriages he shows his lgnor-
ance Of the enactments By the state Of
Utah In reference to unlawful cohobta-
ton and kindred ohenses and assumes
that there are no such laws Everybody
who knows anything Of the Utah stat
utes IS aware that the Territory Of
Utah adopted the provisions Of the Ed
mnds act In regard to polygamy and
unlawful cohabItation, and that they
were made o part Of the laws Of the
state Of Utah after ITS admission. It is
strange, too, that after showing
that the Enabling act simply pro-
vided against future plural marriages
and that the state constitution copied
the provision literally 20 close roa.
soncr as ex-senator Edmunds should
attempt 10 lay any fault about this up
on the Constitution and laws ~ the
new State.
Again, he charges the leaders ava
"chicf rulers" Of the Mormon" Church
with deliberately and continually car
rylng on the practice Of polygamy"
The gentleman SENS TO forget that he
was the author Of the definition Of the
term "polygamy" He defined II as
the act OF marrying a wife or husband
when tho legal wife or husband was
living and undivorced The offense Of
living with two or more women az
wives, he defined as unlawful cohab
itatlon.' lie made the penalty for
"poygamy" very heavy and that for
unlawful cohahitaton" comparatively
light The Utah laws on these offenses
have been framed upon the foundation
which he laid, and yet here hs is now
writing to religious Journal and con-
| founding the two practices. lie ought
to know the meaning Of "the practice
Of polyramy," and that It signifies tho
act Of polygamous marriages, ms he
was himself the author OF this statu-
tory definition aud not the LIVING to-
gether Of persons In that relation,
Mr. Edmunds asserts that the inycs-
tigatiou before the committee shows
that 'thc hierarchy continues TO con-
troll the government OF the state and
that the choice Of officers and their
/ official actions. In some degree at least,
are subject 10 rs control The gem
tleman has undoubtedly taken the
newspaper accounts Of the testimony Of
! yirulcpt anti" Mormons' to that effect,
which is only their bare assertion with
out one particle OF proof Of actual In
stances Of such alleged domination, The
leaders Of the Mormon" Church nell
Their claim nor exercise any such do
mnon as that which the magines them
to WELD, ana we cannot help express
ing surprise that q man Of his OK
perencc and legal requirements, would
pronounce Judgment upon such himsy
and vicious hearsay evidence as that
which he accepts.
FIX Senator Edmunds proposes as n
remedy for the "eyil' which he as
sumcs exist In Utah. a Constitutional
amendment TO prohibit polygamous
marriages and plural cohablution and
provide for their punishment and also
TO require AN persons taking office un-
/ der the Constitution or laws OF the
/ United states or of any state, TO
+ take and subscribe am oath that
/ no or che Is not and VIII
mot be member OF any
organization whatever the laws rules,
or nature OF which require him or her
to disregard hls or her duty 10 eup-
port the Constitution and laws of the
United states ana OF the several
states"
There IS nothing new IN these sugges-
TONS nor would There Doe amy objection
to the passage of such am amendment
n there wos amy real occasion FOR lts
adoption. I'm the first place the practice
OF poIygamy thot u.s. plural marriages.
has been forbidden by the laws Of the
state. ana a rule of the Church. and,
as matter OF fact they have been
stopped ana there is ample power both
| IN church and state % prevent the con-
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