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

far as / know in Idaho there hos not been
poygamous marriage celebrated since that
manifesto was issued. and [ have yet TO ind
q mnn In Idaho anywhere else who will
say that polygamous marriage has been
celebrated anywhere since the issuance OF
that manifesto
Mr, Hale Then. IT must follow from that.
disappear. rolysnmy practice will be
practically removed.
and VIII say To tho Senator. owing to tho
active part which we took In that herce con.
test In Idaho, 7 With others who had made
that fight thought wore justified In making
this promise 10 tho Mormon people. We had
no authority OF law. but took II upon
solves 10 assure thcm that those older
who were living In poiygamous reintioD who
had growing families which they had reared
and were rearing before tho manifesto was
isaued ond nj n time when they thought thoy
had right under the Constitution TO enter
into polygnmous relation-that those older
men and women and their children Dhould not
be disturbed that the polygamous man should
be allowed TO support his numerous wives and
Tho polysamous relations. Of course. should
not continue. but we would not compel a
10 turn his families adrift. We promised that
the older ones who had contracted thcso re-
lations before the manifesto was Issued would
pot he prosecuted by the Gentle: that time
would he given for them To pass away. but
that tho law would be etronuously enforced
| against any polysamous marriage which
might be contracted In the future
AS further evidence OF the same char
actcr call attention to the testimony
OF Judge Charles w. Morse. member OF
| the Methodist Church and one of the
Judges OF the third judicial district OF
| Utah In May 1863. by his direction.
! special grand jury was convened at Salt
Lake City for the purpose OF investigat-
| Ing charges that new polygamous mar
| riages were being celebrated, This grand
| jury was composed OF Mormons and nom
Mormons. Its report will be found on
| pages o. to SO Of volume 3 OF the testi-
| mony In their report they say:
| We have Investigated thoroughly all such
cases brough, to our attention by the District
5Isy 36,. and by TEsn' hsb we're wno
| TO hovc occurred within tho Jurisdiction Of
| this court, and have not been ablo TO secure
| evidence that single case Of poygnmy has
| occurred in this district since Utah became n
| state The rumors Of tho commission OF
| this crime scem to have grown out OF in
munities would have created suspicion or
scandal. but which here. probably owing TO a
feature OF territorial history, have been
! aelzcd upon and the crime assumed without
evidence much 10 the Shagrin and injury Of
ment OF our state and ts reputation through
| out the notion- Those who prizo the fair name
Of our stnte and the rights OF our neighbors
| should hereafter be moro careful to secure
! facts md evidence before charging this crime.
Judge McCarty whose testimony has
already been referred TO, testified as rol-
| lows:
Mr. worthinston am coming down 10
that question next. What is Jour observation
there 10 whether, a mntter Of fact. the
egsed 81 snds & Y9S IN TaS n has
Mr.. Mccarty. Oh. the change hns been
phenomenal
Mr.. MoCarty Yes; phenomenal. There are
only very few. In the little town In which
were large number OF polysamists Oh.
there must have boen in the neighborhood OF
twenty OF them. and 1 can not call to mind
now but three OF those old men who are liv-
Ing. They have all died or moved away.
Two OF them procured divorces. either a
church divorce for q plural wife or a divorce
in the courts for the legal wife.
Mr. Worthngton. What town ia that tc
which you refer
Mr.. McCarty. That is Monroe
Mr Worthington So that there polysamy is
Of Monroe can DO ssid OF most other towns Ir
tho State.
Mr. .wor,hins,on. Most other towns in tn,
statc2
Mr. Mccorty Yes. Coi. J. $50. $50
The Mormon Church and Politics.
church interferes In and controls political
affairs In Utah. find the facts estab-
lished by the evidence TO be substantially
as follows: From the time the Mormons
reached Utah. in the summer of lS7, until
1891 there were no political parties In that
Territory in the sense in which that ex
the United States. There grew up In
the Territory OF Utah during that time
two parties, one known as the People
party, which wns comprised exclusively
of members OF the Mormon Church and
was controlled by the leaders OF that
church, and the Liberal Party, which was
composed OF non -Mormons
Owing to controversies concerning po-
lygnmy and other matters not In issue
elsewhere In the United States. these two
parties were not only composed. on tho
one hand. Of members OF a religious sect
and on the other hand OF those opposing
that sect, but the controversy between
the two parties was extremely bitter. II
seems not to be controvertcd that unit
the year 1891 the Peoples Party was moi
only dominated by the church. but prac-
tically was the church. But after tho
manifesto OF 1880 hereinbefore referred to
; | which forbade further polygamous mar.
riages. many members both OF the Lib
| eral Party and OF the Peoples Party con,
! ceived It TO be to the interests OF the
= Territory that the people should divide
| on party lines as they were divided iI
other parts of tho country, and that the
, | Liberal Party and the Peoples Party
should be disbanded.
, In the course OF q few months this pur
pose was carried into effect. The grea
, majority OF the voters OF the Territory
. | of Utah, Mormons and non -Mormons, be
, came either Republicans or Democrats
, and political controversies In tho Ter
rltory til 1896 and after that time in tn,
, State have been waged. as a rule on th'
, lines OF the national political parties.
While 1t Is no doubt true that the habi
which the church and the members o
the church had followed for 80 many
years prior TO the breaking up or the ole
parties of voters receiving counsel from
, selection OF candidates for Office was mo-
at once completely broken on, yet the ev
idence further establishes that the i'm
: : proyement in this regard has seen very
: ! rapid and that. OF late years, the Nor
, | mon voters Of the State adhere NOR,
! | closely TO party lines than the non-Mor
mons do. We think the evidence estsb
fishes the fact that since Reed Smoot be
came an apostle of tho Mormon Church
! on the 6th day Of April 1900, tho Nor,
mon Church has not controlled or at
, tempted to control elections In Utah.
, 1t is claimed. however, that the church
; by an instrument called the "Politica
Rule" has required OF It's members hold
ing office In the church that before they
shall become candidates for any politica
position they shall receive tho consent oi
| the church authorities; and that by this
! device the church has controlled the cleo
; ton OF Senators of the United States.
This political rule Will be found or
. pages l6s TO III, Volume !. of tho printed
report OF the testimony before the com
mittoe Tho meaning and effect OF this
instrument were very fully considered M
the case of Moses Thatcher, who In lS9;
l was a candidate before the Legislature
; of the State OF Utah for election as Son
! ator of the United States,
Thatcher at tho time. was one OF the