Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-10-13

OF these people who are practicine
this crime, If any there be who are
doing it so.
l want to cali your attention here in
this connection to statement made
by the senator about three years ago
and then I will call your attention to
the explanation which he has made OF
It, because it is one of those explana-
tons which is characteristic Of my
friend. You will remember that three
years ago the question was up in the
United States senate Of admitting
some of the southwest territory. Old
Senator Hale asked Senator Dubois
some questions about his constituency
out here, the Mormon people, know
ing that the senator had been elected
by Mormon votes once or twice in his
career. Senator Dubois explained to
Senator Hale that at the time of the
issuing of the manifesto there were a
great number of people living in plural
marriage, and that by common con-
sent of the president and others in
terested. these people were permitted
to remain in that status providd there
were no new plural marriags. After
this explanation was made, Senator
| Hale said in the way of a question:
"Then it must follow from that, as the
years go by and as the older people
disappear, polygamy as practice
will be practically removed?" Sena-
tor Dubois There is no question
about 1t. I say there is no polygamy
And no one contended more vigorously
/ against this tenet and practice of the
Mormon church than myself. 1t is
folly and waste of time fer senator's
to undertake to demonstrate here and
now that polygamy is a live ISSUE"
Daniel come to judgment! (Laugh-
fnr &c
sentiment In that country, which has
destroyed it," Now, ladies and gen.
tlemen, Senator Dubois never made a
truer statement. in my opinion. than
when he said that polygamy is dead
because Of the public sentiment In
that country. which has destroyed It,
1t Is dead, not because any statutes
have been written upon the statute
| books, not because any laws have been
enacted; at is dead because of the
public sentiment in that country which
has destroyed it." 1t is my humble
opinion that you could not any more
plant polygamy In the homes Of the
young Mormons in southeastern Idaho
| than you could in Ada county. The
first principle of our civilization abso-
lutely prohibits the American mind
from entertaining a proposition VIII CHI
would endorse the practice of poly
gamy. 1t is contrary to every intui-
ton and instinct of womanhood. He
stated the truth when he said that not
the law, but public sentiment in the
country had murderer it. If there
are men there who are practicing II =
crime, they are doing 1t as criminals;
they are hiding 1t away In secret;
they are not Haunting it as a teaching
OF religion: they are committing It as
men commit other crimes. The church
does not uphold it. There may be in
dfvidual cases there. as there are H.
stances of crime everywhere.
Again. he says. in his speech. 1T
doubt 1t the gentlemen on the otae,
side are sincere in quibbling over this
proposition. If they are sincere. let
them put the test oath. or provide for
1t being put. in the constitution" NJ
tice how bewitchingly. how plaintive-
ly. he talks to the good old New Eng
land senator I can almost hear old
Senator Hale saw. Saul. Saul, thou
almost persuadest me to be a Nor
mon." (Laughter.) 81 am not anx-
ious for the amendment and do not
want 1T. because it is not necessary.
Polygamy is dead, and cannot be made
more dead"
Now. my friends, you may not be-
lieve me. I do not presume all of you
will. But you will certainly believe
the distinguished gentleman who has
been your senator so long. If you will
take his speech delivered on the 5th
day of February, 1908, and read it, as
you will find it in the Congressional
Record. you will find he answers every
single proposition which he puts forth
in this campaign. There is not
feature of 1.-THE test oath, the prac-
tice of polygamy, or the interference
in politics. but what he brands in that
speech as a feigned and false issue |
And so l brand them tonight.
What was the occasion of the
change. Well he has said that the |
Reed Smoot investigation revealed TO
him that these practices have been
carried ON again. l want to call your
attention to a statement which he |
made sometime ago in a speech in |
Boise. In 1902 Apostles John Henry !
Smith, Cowley and Lyman, from
Utah, all republicans, all polygamists, |
came into southeastern Idaho and told |
the Mormon people how they should |
vote. We of the old days understood !
it perfectly. l talked it over with |
Mormons. and they said it was a re-
currence of the old times" / say as |
early as 1902 he understood that the
old tifes had returned and vet, in
1908. he declared that polygamy was
dead, and that the Mormon question.
In effect, was feigned issue. The
49, 80 thdt tiiS poIitiCdl SITUATION Ill
Idaho had not yet fully developed He
had the knowledge in 1902. he was still
pleading for the. Mormons in 1908, and
1t is evident that his change on the
Mormon question came out from
knowledge, but. undoubtedly. for other
reasons, which ii is not necessary for
me to suggest.
Now. one more matter in regard to
him. l want you to understand, OF
course. that personally l feel very
friendly to Senator Dubois. AS he
said the other night, we are mighty
good friends. And we are good
friends. I simply want to try to keep
him right. Haughter.) l simply want
to try to keep him within the facts.
He has been a United States senator
so long that he has some trouble in
stating the facts. CLaughter) That
is all. l have no personal feeling
against him at all, not at all. But /
want to ask you this question, in all
fairness. / think 1t is proper ques-
ton. He has been there for fourteen
years in the senate. twenty years in
the senate and lower house together.
This condition of affairs has been ex-
OH, hi. l