Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-16

| L.. Is. lrltcuipNs lpH-h'l lllvh AZ
toruey at law Of Salt Lake city, one
Of the principal managers OF this pro-
cttding against Mr.. smoot. who gave
The case his personal attention, at
tending most 81 the meetings OF COM
mittee, testified before the committee.
again quoting from annexed state
| nent.
THAT after the manifesto OF 1850
there was no inclination on the part OF
the prosecuting officer to push these
matters as 10 present cohabitation.
thinking II was a matter that would
| Immediately die out. that II was well
known that Apostle John Henry Smith
was living in unlawful cohabtation;
thai non Mormons generally made no
objection 10 Il; that they were disposed
! TO let things ago. and that was the
general feeling from tho time Of the
manifesto IN 1880 down 20 very recent
I times-pretty nearly up to date, or
| Practically up 90 date
MI Crltchlow further testified that
] The nom Mormons were disposed 10
/ overlook the continuous polygamous co..
I hghitati0n Of those who had taken plur-
! al wives before the manifesto because
they, the non Mormons. felt satisfied
Z that there would be no more plural
/ marriages: that the thing would work
itself out IN the future. and that wher.
the poIysamists had their wives In
separate houses and simply kept up the
old relations without the offensive
Haunting Of them before the public. IL
had been practically passed over.
Hon O. ". Powers,
Orlando W. Powers. ESQ. leading
LAWYER Of Utah, VINO was associate JUS
tice OF the supreme court u the terri
tory and who showed by his tesu-
mony much hostility 10 he Mormon
Church. testified that there was this
general feeling after the manifesto not
20 interfere with those whose marriages
we're prior thereto. he then added.
There Is a question for statesmen TO
solve. We have not known what was
best TO do. il has been discussed and
people would say that such and such a
man ought 10 be prosecuted.
Then they would consider whether
anything would be gained: whether
We would not delay instead ~ hasten
lLg the time that We hope 10 live TO
sec. whether the Institution would not
flourish by reason OF what they would
term persecution. And so notwith.
standing a protest has been sent down
here to you, Will say to you. the peo-
PIE have acquesced in the condition
that exists"
He explained that by "the people"
he meant the gentiles.
The following quotation from
speech by Senator Dubois, reported In
the Congressional Record Of Feb. 5. 1908,
page l'2s 81 seq, is 10 the same general
effect:
Dubois Quoted.
"Mr. Dubois. Various causes
operated 10 cause the Mormons Ia
abandon polysamy. There was A feel
ing among the younger members Of The
Mormon Church, and very strong
feeling that polygamy should be done
away with So here was this pressure
within the Church against polygamy
and the pressure by the government
from outside the Church against po-
lygamy I'm 1891, / think II was. the
president Of the Mormon Church is.
sued a manifesto declaring that there
after there should be no polygamous
marriages anywhere IN the Mormon
church. The Mormons were then
called together IN one Of their great
conferences. where they meet by tho
thousands This manifesto was issued
10 them by the first presidency. which
Is their authority was submitted TO
them, and all the Mormon people rati.
ned and agreed 20 this manifesto. do
ing away with polygamy thereafter
The senator from Maine (Mr Hale)
viii recall that came here as
senator from Idaho shortly after that
and the senator from Connecticut Or
Platp win recall how bitter and al
most Incorporate I was IN my Ian
guage before his committee and on
the floor Of the other house IN the
denunciation Of these practises OF the
Mormon Church. But after that mani.
festo was Issued. IN common with all
Of the Gentiles of that section who had
made this fight. we said They have
admitted the right OF our contention
and say now. like children who have
been unruly. We will obey our parents
and those who have a night 10 guide
us We will do those things no more
Therefore We could not maintain our
position and continue Furnishing them
unless II was afterwards demonstrated
that they would not comply with our
promise.
After a 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 statute books Of
Idaho against polygamy and kindred
crimes are less stringent than In al
most any other state in the Union. |
live among those people. and, 20 far
as know. In Idaho. there has not been
a polygamous marriage celebrated
since that manifesto was issued. end
] have yet 10 ind n man IN Idaho or
anywhere else who viii say that 4
polygamous marriage has been cele-
brated anywhere since the issuance Of
that manifesto.
Mr.. Hale Then. Il must follow from
that, as the years 90 by and as the
older people disappear polygamy rs a
practise will be PRACTICALLY removed?
"Mr. Dubois There Is no question
about g. and | VIII say 10 the senator,
owing 10 the active part which We
took IN that fierce contest IN Idaho. |
with others who had made that hgh,
thought we We're jutihed I'm making
this prornise 10 the Mormon people
I'VE had no authority of law but We
took II upon ourselves 90 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 a right
under the Constitution 10 enter into /
poygamous relations that those old
Of men and women and their children
should not be disturbed that the
polyga nous man should be allowed 20
support his numerous wives and their 1
children.
The polygamous relations o. course. |
should not continue hut We would not |
compel a man 70 turn his families I
adrifi We promised that the older /
ones. who had contracted those relo- |
lions before the manifesto was issued. !
would not BE- prosecuted by the Gem
tiles. that time would be given for |
them 10 mass away. but that the law /