The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-10-13

law But it was intended that the acts
of men should be controlled.
polygamy Abandoned.
Now, here is this Mormon creed. or
faith, or church, or whatever you choose
to call it. They have a belief peculiar
to themselves They believe in the rev.
citation in this age from God to their
chosen leaders. l do not believe il.
There was a time in this state, and
well remember it, because from the be-
ginning to the end of the anti-polySamy
light | stood fighting in the ranks
against polysamy, as / would today If
1t We're shown to exist. Polygamy was
practiced by the Mormons in this state
and | have seen the jails and the peni-
tentiaries of Idaho full of them. tried
and convicted for this crime--and it is
crime-it is not u religion; il has
nothing to do with the freedom of con
science, any more than il a man were
to persuade himself that he believed in
horsestealing, because he enjoyed the
pastime, to demand immunity Of the
law against punishment for it. Polyg-
amy was practice by part of a re
legious denomination. 1t is not a religion
we have not only the right to control
it. to prohibit it; but the Republican
party stands today has always stood,
and will always stand, for the absolute
suppression and the stamping out of
views on it since the day when | land
ed in Idaho, almost quarter of a cen
fury ago, and l do not expect that /
shall, and never expect TO see the Re
publican party for which l speak, right.
fully charged with being tolerant of, the
friend of, or willing to permit the prac-
tice of polygamy And when anybody
tells you that there has been a combi-
nation between the Republican party
and polygamy, or between the Republi-
can party and the members of any
church, sect or creed, that polygamy
should exist, they are guilty Of an alb
solute falsehood--as guilty as though
they were to charge this audience with
being traitors
If polygamy exists in Idaho it is an
individual crime and it should be pun
ished
The Manifesto Observed
l will tell you why l speak plainly
about this matter; prior to 1891, polyg-
amy was practiced, and as 1 am in
formed and as / believe, was practiced
with the consent Of and it was taught
by, the Mormon church. If do them
an injustice in this case, will be glad
to have them correct me. But at that
time President Woodruff (who had been
the president of the organization of the
church) said that he had received a
revelation from God, in which he was
commanded that the Mormon church
would no longer practice polygamy OF
permit it to be practiced, or teach its
practice. That is what he claimed. They
came to me, and asked me if l would
not withdraw my opposition to the re-
peal OF the test oath, because of this
revelation, and 1 said mo, L will not
do not believe in revelations" And
COW in 1892. l do not believe in revela-
tons to one man in regard to the spir-
itual welfare of another 1 do not be-
lieve that any one person can be re-
ligious for another. l do not believe
that there is any person can stand be-
tween you or l and our God He is
capable of dealing directly with his chill
dren. But you are free to believe diff
ferently. That is my belief. And on
that belief 1 acted when 1 said to them,
No, 1 will not base my responsible po-
litical personal action on an alleged
prophecy" Now you are perfectly free,
so far as 1 am concerned, to believe in
that prophecy. 1t accomplished a great
polygamy ceased to be practiced except
and | will refer to these exceptions
IN a moment-in any event it was no
longer an offensive practice that it had
been in Idaho, and on the strength of
It, the leaders and the members and fol-
lowers of this church went to President
Harrison, then president of the United
States, with n petition for amnesty
that is, for forgiveness-absolut from
the law for their crimes of polygamy.
In that petition they pledged themselves,
in writing, for themselves and their
people, that the practice of polyganly
had ceased, and should remain forever
discountenanced by the Mormon people.
They signed their names to it. and they
asked, in consideration of this declara-
ton, that this amnesty proclamation
should be issued by the president of the
United States. And Mr.. Harrison, who
was then at the head of one of the great
religious sects of the United States
president of the presbytery of the Pres
byterians of all the country-believing
in freedom of religious belief, abnorriug
the practice of polygamy. as having
nothing whatever to do with religious
belief, granted to these people amnesty,
and eXonerated them from punishment,
under the law. That was a contract
her pen tbe povarnmapt nf tho I;nitad