Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-11
SENATE NOW HAS
THE SNOOT CASE.
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very strong feeling. that polygamy
should be done away with. So here
was this pressure within the Church
against polygamy and the pressure by
tho government from outside the
Church against polygamy In 1891 l
think q was, the president Of the Nor
mon Church issued q manifesto de-
ciarlng that thereafter there should be
no polygam0us marriages anywhere IN
the Mormon Church The 'Mormons
were then called together In one OF
their great confe rences. where they
meet by the thousands This manifesto
was issued TO them by the first presi-
dency which is their authority, was
submitted 10 them and all the NOR
mon people ratified and agreed TO this
manifesto. doing away with polygainy
thereafter
THE senator from Maine (Mr. liale)
viii recall that / came here as
senator from Idaho shortly after that
and the senator from Connecticut (Mr
Plato will recall how bitter and al
most Incorporate | was IN my lau-
guage before MS committee and on
tho door of the other house In the
denunc!ation OF these practises Of the
Mormon Church. But after that mani
fcsto was Issued. ln common with an
OF tho Gtntiles OF that section who had
made this tght we said They have
admitted the right ut our contention
and say now, like children who have
been unruly, we will obey our parents
and those VINO have a right 70 guide
US. we will do those things no more
Therefore We could not maintain our
position ana continue Furnishing them
unless il was afterwards demonstrated
that they would not comply With our
promise.
After few years In Idaho, where
the fight was the hottest and the
thlckest, we wiped all OF those laws
from our statute books which aimed
directly at the Mormon people, and
today the laws on The static books OF
Idaho against polygamy and kindred
crimes are less stringet than In al
most any other state IN the Union. 1
live among those people, and, 50 far
as know, In Idaho. there has not been
pOygamous marriage celebrated
since that manifesto was issued, ana
! have yet 10 ind a man in Idaho or
anywhere else who will say that a
polygamous marriage has been cele-
brated anywhere since the Issuance of
that manifesto
Mr.. Hale. Then, il must follow
from that, as the years 80 by and as
the older people disappear polygamy
as q practise viii b. practically re-
moved.
MT Dubois. There is no question
about g. and | Will say 10 the senator. |
owing TO the active part which We
took In that fierce contest In Idaho, | !
with others who had made that night |
thought we were justified In making |
this promise TO the Mormon people.
We had no authority Of law but We |
took IL upon ourselves 10 assure them |
that those older men who were living |
IN the polygamous relation who had |
growing families which they had /
reared and were rearing before the |
manifesto was issued and al a time |
when they thought they had right |
under the Constitution 10 enter into |
polygamous relatlous-that those old |
er men and women and their children |
should not be- disturbed. that the /
p1lygdmous man should be allowed 10 /
support his numerous wives and their |
children.
The poIygamous relations. OF
course. should not continue. but We |
would not compel man to turn his |
families adrir. We promised that the |
older ones who had contracted those |
relations before the manifesto was is |
sued. would not be prosecuted by the |
Gentiles, that time would he given for |
them 20 pass away. but that the law |
would be strenuously enforced against |
any rolygamous marriage which might |
be contracted In the future"
Much more testimony might be quot /
ed Of the same general character. II |
10 sufficient, however. for the purpose /
OF this summary 10 saw that there Is
practically no testimony IN conflict /
with that which has been quoted.
CONDITIONS ACQUIESCED ~.
In other words, the conditions exist
ing IN Utah since seed SmoOt became
an Official OF the Mormon Church IN !
! 900 have been such that nom Nor
mons" and "MOrmons' alike have ac-
Quiesced In polygamous cohabtation
on the part Of those who married be.
fore the manifesto Of 1890 as an evil |
that could best be gotten I'D Of by
simply tolerating IL until IN the natural
course Of events II shall have passed
out OF existence
With this disposition prevailing l
everywhere In the State OF Utah |
among all claSEes-the Gentle or nom
Mormon" population as well as among
the "Mormons the undersigned are
OF the opinion that there IL no just
ground for eXpelling Senator SmoOt
OF for finding him disqualified 10 hold
the seat he occupies because OF the
fact that he. IN common with all the
people Of his state. has not made war
upon. but has acquesced in, a condi-
ton for which he had no original re-
sponSibility. In doing 20 he has only
conformed 10 what nom "Mornons"
hostile 10 bis Church, as well as Nor
mons" have concluded IL. under all the
not only the wisest
course 10 pursue, but probably the only
course that rr0uisfs effective and sat |