The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-14

church means opportunity for temporal
advancement, -
Senator Dubois referred to condi
tions in business, social and politica
circles, and spoke of the utter darkness!
into which Mormons were cast wher
they apostatized, so far rs Mormon
af1iliation thereafter was concerned.
''1t never was contemplated that any
member of the church would question
the divine right of the authorities tc
select its oficers.F said the Senator
strongly emphasizing the subserviency
of the membership. Any ono aspiring to
Office was entirely obligated to the presi
dent of the church, whose consent is
essential to political advancement or to
any advancement of Importance TO a
Mormon anywhere.
Smoot Upholds Polygamy.
The Senator spoke of the polygamous
relations which were being sustained by
the president, Joseph F. Smith, and a
majority of the twelve apostles, of
whom Senator Smoot is one. He re-
ferred to the contracting continually of
new polygamous marriages and the sur
reptitious manner in which it is now
carried on by the church as n menace,
being celebrated in Canada or Mexico,
or far enough away from land on the
| high seas TO avoid the laws of the
States He referred to the solemn prom
ise and agreement of the church, made
under plea for amnesty, to cease polyg-
amy and polygamous living. He re-
ferred to the early days, when only the
poorer and more ignorant classes were
entering the polygsmous relations, but
stated that now men of the higher or
der of intelligence, young men of abll-
lty, were being selected by the church
to enter this relation, by which they
were tied irrevocably to the church and
made more subservient to it through the
polygamous relations. By this method,
these strong characters are made to un-
derstand that their only hope for pro-
lection is through this powerful church
organization.
Polygamists Are Honored.
The speaker referred to the fact that
the polygamists occupy the highest &c
clesiastical and political positions, and
that they are the wealthiest and most
powerful members of the organization.
"Instead, as in the old days. said
the Senator, "when polygamy was en-
tered into Unfortunately, now the
Il &,
the practice is more insidious and in
furious than formerly, because cult
and aristocracy of polygamists is be-
ing built up within the church No rec
ord whatever is kept which is available
TO the American people of polygamous
marriages.
The Senator pointed out the futility
of passing National law to prosecute
for polygamy, because of the inability
to prove it to the satisfaction Of r
Judge and jury, but referred to the fu
ture hope for prosecution against those
who dealt in this nefarious practice by
the enactment of unlawful cohabitation
laws He referred to the Mormon
chiefs absolute control of Utah and
to the extension of their power in Idaho,
Wyoming and Oregon. He referred to
the lower branch of Congress, which had
refused to seat Roberts because he was
a self~confessed polygamist, who
claimed at that time to be a Democrat,
and to his subsequent elevation to
place of high trust in the church. ''His
L. 81. &c 70 fho
church, said the Senator,
CruX of the Question.
Senator Dubois said it made no diff
ference whether Smoot was or was not
polygamist. He is a pillar of the
Mormon church, one Of a body of
twelve, next to the first president, and
who, in conjunction with the president,
control in everything temporal spirit
ual and political. and he was Sc
lected and sent here because he was
an apostle in full accord with the au
thorities of the church. He owes that
same obedience, counsel and subser
viency to the church which is in
dicative of further promotion in the
cnurCn. HIS SPlccllOn as du apostle
and a Senator indicate conclusively
his harmony with the life, teachings
and practices of Joseph F. Smith, Ly-
man and other brother apostles, who by
their statements and admissions are
openly living in polygamous relations
in defiance to law.
The president of the church swore.
and Smoot agreed with him. that Smoot
had secured the consent of the presi-
dent of the church, and of his associate
polygamous apostles. before he could
run for the Senate.
Smoot Represents Church.
Having given him the consent to run
for this high Office, consent was not
sought by nor given to any other can
didate of any other party, and this
shows conclusively that Smoot repre-
sents the church, and not the State,
and would do the bidding Of the church
before he would serve the real inter
ests of the State or of the Union Ma
tion.