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

1890 issued by the head of the church,
counseling the suspension of poiyga-
my; In spite of the most solemn
pledges made by the convicted and
amnesty for past offenses; in spite of
the expressed inhibition of the con
! stitution of the State under which they
| live and upon the faith of which Utah
was admitted into the Union; in spite
of the statutory prohibition of the
Commonwealth, it appears that a ma
lority of the members of this heir
srchy has continually and persistently
lived in polygamy, and is today openly
and confessedly defying the laws of the
| land prohibiting such crimes. The rec
ord is so shocking as to challenge cred
ulity.
The first witness called in behalf of
| the protestants was Joseph +. Smith
| himself, the head of the church, who
from his position would be more apt
to be cogniZant of the fact if 1t existed
than anyone else, and could therefore
speak with greater accuracy in relation
TO the continuance of these crimes. He
testified as follows:
Mr.. Tayler-Is the cohabitation with
| one who is claimed TO be a plural wife Il
violation of the law of the church as we'll
| as the law OF the land?
Mr., Smith-That was the case, and Is
the case even today 1t is
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| contrary as well to the law of the land,
| for man TO cohabit with his wives. = I"
! I have cohablted with my wives; not
| openly-that is. not in manner that L
thought would be offensive to my neigh
| bors-but l acknowledged them; | have
| visited them. They have borne me chill
| dren since 1890. and have done IL. know
ing the responsibility and knowing that
| l was amenable to the law.
Mr. Tayler.,,In 1882. Mr Smith, how
many wives did you have?
| Mr. Sroif Il ba1
Mr.. Tayler-My question is. how many
children have been born TO you by these
| wives since 1902
Mr.. Smith, had eleven children born
| since 1890.
Mr.. Tayler-Those are all the children
that have been born TO you since 1890?
| Mr.. Smith-Yes, sir: those are ali.
Mr.. Tayler-Were those children by all
of your wives; that is. did all of your
wives bear children?
Mr.. Smith-All Of my wives bore chill
| dren.
Mr. Taylor-Slnce 1890?
| Mr.. Smith-That is correct. / said |
| have had born 10 me eleven children since
| 1880. each OF my wives being the mother
| of from one to two OF those children. :"
The Chairman-Mr Smith, l will not
press it If you have any objection to stat
| Ing how many children you have In all.
Mr.. Smith-Altogether
The chairman-Yes,
Mr.. Smith have had born TO me. sir.
forty-two chIldren-twenty one boys and
|
! cry one OF them,
The Chairman-Do you obey the law in
having five wives at this time and having
| them bear TO you eleven children since
| the manifesto of 1890?
Mr. Smith-Mr, Chairman, I have not
| claimed that In that case / have obeyed
and, as l said before. that L prefer to
| stand my chances against the law.
| / should like TO repeat in connection with
! this question that 1t is well-known fact
| sought to disguise that fact in the least,
| or to 6sClam ii. that ! have five wives
| In Utah. My friends all know that-Gen-
tiles and Jews and Mormons. They all
know that have five wives,
The committe was astounded to hear
from this head OF the church itself, not
only that he believed in the rightful-
ness of polygamy as an abstract princi-
| pie but that he himself was daily ex.
employing his belief by living in open
city of the great State of Utah, and
had been, ever since the manifesto, and
continue the practice so long as he
pleased, detiantly asserting that ''the
| Congress of the United States has no
business with my private conduct, We
We're amazed TO learn from this head
lator, this mouthpiece of God, this shep-
herd of a patient and suffering flock,
this convicted and amnestied offender
against law and decency, whose faith
and honor had been hypothecated for
himself and his followers for the OBJ
servance of the law. confess that he
was now living with FIVE women as his
wives, and had been ever since 1890. in
open defiance of divine and human
statutes. and had had forty-two chill
dren. eleven of whom had been born
to him since the manifesto.
Startling as was this disclosure, your
committee was astounded when 1t ap-
peared in the investigation that not
only was the head of this church living
in polygamy, but that large number
of his apostolic associates, at least eight
of the twelve. including some Of the
very men who had petitioned for and
received executive clemency for their
| crimes from two Presidents, had been
ever since the manifesto, and were at
this very time, living IN polygamous CO.
habltatlon with n multiplicity of wives,
in defiance of law and in violation of
their plighted faith and honor.
Open Practice Polygamy.
| This continued and open practice by
the members of the governing body OF
this church Is sufficient of itself, | sub
nit, TO establish the truth of the allega-
tion in the protest that
| II so exercises It's authority as TO in
| culcate and encourage a belief in po-
lygamy and polygamous cohabItation.
For what, | submit, could be more
persuasive in inculcating and encourag-
ing belief in polygemy and the practice
| of polygamous cohabitation than the
force OF example by those who are
looked upon by their devotecs not only
as saints and prophets of God. but vice.
gcrenls of the Almighty7
preccpt is instruction written In the
sand the tide flows over II and the rec
| ord is gone Example is craven on the
| rock. and the lesson is not soon forgot.
Ex-senator George +, Edmunds. in
speaking of the force Of example. per
jinently said
The evidence so far obtained by the
| Senate committee investigating the case
! OF Senator SmoCt discloses that some al
! least, OF the chief rulers OF the Mormon
| church have deliberately and continually
| carried on the practice of polygamy with
| out prosecution or annoyance In the face
| of their pledges made 10 two Presidents
! of the United States. and have set an
! example naturally and almost necessarily
| to be followed by their church members
| and adherents. without any danger OF in
| reference by the legislative any other
! department Of the government OF the
! State of Utah. They know that Congress
| has no power and that the state has no
! disposition TO Interfere.
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