The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-06
BOMBSHELL THROWN
IN MORMON CAMP
Senators SmOOt and Sutherland
Surprised That President
Mentioned POlygamy.
SENATOR DUBOIS POINTS
OUT WHAT Is NEEDED
Law Should Be Directed Against
Unlawful COhabitatiOn; Sc
cret Plural Marriages.
Special to The Tribune.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. g.
Something very like CONSERVATION
seized upon the Mormon contingent in
Washington when the message of the
President was read in both houses COM
mending National polygamy law.
In recommending National marriage
and divorce law, the President said the
change would be good from every
standpoint and continued:
"In particular it would be good be.
cause it would confer on the Congress
the power at once to deal radically and
efficiently with polygamy, and this
should be done whether or not marriage
and divorce are dealt with. 1t is
neither safe nor proper TO leave the
question of polygamy TO be dealt with
by the several States. Power to deal
with il should be conferred on the
National Government
smoot Disappointed.
Senators Sutherland and Smoot de-
clined to discuss the matter, but it was
very plain that they were very much
disappointed with the message. Repre-
sentative Howell was unable to under
stand Just what the President was driv-
ing at. There can be no question but
that the message was n great disap-
pointment to the Utah delegation 10
Congress. 1t amounted almost to n
bombshell among them.
Senator Dubois was very much pleased
with the President IS recommendation.
He said last night;
81 am glad that the President recog.
uizes the fact that there is polygamy
among the Mormons His open defense
of them and support of them has
brought joy to every polygamist house
hold in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, and
everywhere that polygamous Mormons
live. ! wish he would also join those
of us who desire to make a separation
of church and state in polygamous
countries and TO break down the politi
cal power of the polygamous Mormon
hierarchy and that he would start in
by aiding us to deprive Apostle Smoot,
the representative of this polygamous
hierarchy, of seat in the Senate in
stead of trying to keep him in his
place.
Cannot Prove Polygamy.
eff any National law is to be passed
to reach the Mormons, it must be for
unlawful cohabitation, and the penalty
for that must be made equal to a penal.
ty which would be commensurate with
!he offeDse of polygamy,
''You cannot prove polygamy on the
Mormons in any court to the satisfac-
lion of any court or any jury, for the
reason that in order to prove polygamy
you must prove the second marriage.
The plural marriages among the Nor
mons are celebrated in their temples, or
AT the present time in foreign coun-
tries, like Mexico or British Columbia,
and the plural marriage ceremonies are
performed by the higher officials in the
Mormon church, and no record of any
kind or description is kept Of them. In
Territorial days, under the Edmunds
net, when thousands Of convictions were
had IN Utah, Idaho. and other places in
the West. they were all for unlawful
cohabitation. None Of them were for
polygamy, because, as ] have said, you
cannot prove the second marriage, which
is necessary for polygamy or higamy.