The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-12

others. both Mormons and non -Morn1ons,
Ignored the offense OF polygamous cohab>
itation both In the church and under the
laws of the State when such polygamous
cohabtatlon was In consequence Of plu~
raj marriages solemnized before 1890.
In View OF tho general situation and
tho fact that nom Mormons, even the
most active opponents OF the church. had
oy common consent adopted the policy
OF acquiescencc as the wisest plan to
pursue as 10 polygamous cohabitation, re-
lSlng on time and the course of nature 10
cure the trouble. we do not think such
passive acquicsccnce on the part OF Mr.
Smoot can be held TO amount TO such an
Endorsement and encouragement OF po-
lyeamous cohabitatlon as TO make him
responsible for II.
Polygamous Marriages Since 1890.
IT Is further charged that notwithstand-
them. and In defiance OF the manifesto of
1890. polygamous marriages havo been
celebrated by the authorities of the
church since 1890.
We have already shown that since the
manifesto forbiddlng the celebration of
plural marriages became the law OF the
church by being ratified at semi-annual
conference OF the church. neither the
president Of the church nor any other Of
hcer thereof has the power to celebrate
more binding under the law of the
church than II would be under the law of
the land
Evidence relating to such plural mar
| potent In this case only as 1t might with
| other evidence tend TO show that the re-
| spondent has advised such marriages, or
| In some way connived at or approved
| them.
| on this point there Is some evidence
| tending to show. but not In fact showing.
that In IN" period Of over fifteen years
| which has elapsed since the manifesto OF
| 1880 was promulgated there may have been
| some fifteen or twenty cases In which
| member OF the Mormon Church has CO.
| habited with woman as his plural wife
with whom he sustained no such relation
| prior TO 1880.
| shown the actual performance of the
| marriage ceremony and that occurred In
| Mexico. In that case II appears that
| woman named Kennedy, In the year 1895.
| with her mother, on several occasions ap-
| pealed TO Apostle Teasdale, In Mexico.
| 10 marry her TO a man who was already
| married and had a wife fTVing. and that
| the apostle whenever appealed to. refused
! TO perform the marriage ceremony on the
| ground that II was forbidden by the
| church.
! The parties then Travelled In a wagon
about rs miles to an out-of-the-way place
| where, according to the testimony OF the
| woman. Brigham Young. Jr. another
| apostle, did marry her to the man IN
question. At the time this testimony was
| given Brigham Young, Jr., was dead No
person testified TO the ceremony except
| the woman who was married, and she
| stated that she did not tell Brigham
| Young that the man whom she was mar
! rying had wife living, and that so far
os she knew he was not informed Of that
| fact by any person.
There was no evidence offered tending
To prove that the respondent had any
| knowledge of this alleged plural marriage
until 1t came out In the testimony before
the committee
Among the cases Of alleged plural mar
riage since 1880. referred to in the evi-
dence. are those OF two OF the apostles
John w Tayler and Matthias F. CowIey
As 10 Apostle Tayler, l. Z. Abbott
&c and 49,. Vl...t IA
became public talk In or about 1902 that
Tayler had then recently taken two plu-
raj wives AS to Apostle Cowley, the
Whether he took a plural wife at all since
1880 and n so, when.
The respondent was examined as a Wit
ness In his own behalf, after the testi-
mony with reference 10 the alleged recent
plural marriags OF these two apostles had
been introduced, and on this subject teSt-
fed that no knew nothing about tho al
legged marriages until the testimony re-
lntlng TO them was introduced here be-
fore the committee. He further said that
h would ask that an investigation be
made by the church authorities. and IL II
turned out that the charges were true he
would not again vote 10 sustain them as
| apostles.
The taking OF testimony in this case
was closed and the case submitted to the
committee after argument by counsel In
February, 1906. But at tho beginning OF
the present session, II being made known
TO the committee that II was desired 10
further testimony was heard on behalf OF
tn protcstants. the case WIS reopened and
, further testimony was heard on behalf OF
both the protestants and the respondent
The testimony was closed the second time
on March q. 1905: but consulting the con-
venience OF counsel for the protestants
the hearing by the committee of the finaI
| arguments OF counsel In this case was
postponed until April IL. 1905
| On account or these delays, for which
neither tho respondent nor his counsel are
In anywise responsible. the case was not
finally submitted to the committee for de-
termination until after the fnal confer.
enco OF the Mormon Church which was
held a Salt Lake City on April s, 1906. Al
that conference II was made known thai
their positions as apostles in the preced-
ing October. and that the designations had
been accepted. The conference approved
this action, and also filled the vacancies
thus created by new appointments.
We deem II unnecessary TO so at length
into the evidence relating to the other al
legged plural marriages since 1890, for the
reason that there Is no evidence what
yer in the record which even tends tc
show, ms 10 any such plural marriage, &C,
tual or alleged. that the respondent hst
any knowledge that IL was intended such
marriage should be celebrated, or that he
ever countenanced II In any way, or that
since IT took place. he has at any time oF
In any way expressed approval OF Il.
In 1880. when the manifesto was pro
mulgated. there were in the Mormon
Church. according TO church statistics. ir
families In May, 1902 this number hac
been reduced TO sSI, How many arc left
and how many Of them are In Utah 1t {:
impossible TO say but probably about 80
would be a fair estimate. Many OF tht
heads OF these families are of advanced
ago. The population of Utah at the pres
ent time is about 10000.
These figures strongly tend to show
that, as matter of fact, new polyga
nous marriages I'm Utah. In any consider
able numbers. cannot have taken place
: since 1890 In further evidence OF thi;
fact, and as showing the state OF public
sentiment as to polygamous cohabitatlon
we insert here an extract from the Con
gressionaly Record OF February Q. 1903
page l729 ct seq, showing a statement
made by Senator Dubois, who Is wei
known to have familiar knowledge OF thi:
subject:
Congressional Record. February 8, 1909. p
i7ts. ct seal
, Mr. Dubois Various causes opcr
, atcd 10 cause the Normons 10 abandon poly
, gamy There was a feeling among tho young
/, er members OF the Mormon church. and
very strong feeling that polygamy should e'
dono away with. so here was this pressure
! within the church against polysamy and th'