The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-08
WOLFE TAKES
THE STAND AGAINST SMOOT
Testifies as to the Endowment House
Oath of Vengeance and Cases OF
Polygany Since Manifesto.

she is alleged to have made to Profess
sor Wolfe. He said the girl came to
his house and gave as an excuse for an
absence from school that she had gone
to Juarez, Mexico, and had been mar
ried in polygamy. This had been with
the consent of President George @.
Cannon. The girl came back 10 the
school and graduated in the class of
1900, said the witness.
Quoted John Henry.
Ga further examination conducted by
Chairman Burrows, Professor Wolfe
said that in southern Utah and New
Mexico polyganny is talked with some
freedom. He quoted Apostle John Hen
ry Smith as having said concerning the
manifesto: 1T is a, trick to beat the
devil at his own game" He quoted
John Wilson Of Logan, a prominent
Mormon as saying: 1.-THE manifesto
enables the church to exclude men who
ought not to have more than one wife
and gives to worthy men an opportuni-
ty to take plural wives" Both of these
statements, the witness said, were made
in his church.
ITO the best of my Knowledge said
Professor Wolfe, 'poIygamous coha1bi-
tation has increased very materially
since Utah was admitted as a state"
cross-ExaminatIon.
On cross-exainination Mr.. Worthing-
ton produced the original charges
brought against Cuff by Professor
Wolfe and other members. Of the Mex
lean expedition.
The witness was asked why he had
refrained from making the charge that
Cuff was living in Mexico with Flor
ence Reynolds.
For several reasons" replied Wolfe.
THE chief one was that polygamy was
not a crime IN the eyes of the church"
When asked concerning some Of the
proceedings Of that trial. particularly
concerning intimate details, he said
there was a gentleman in the room who
was better qualified to answer.
"WhO? asked Mr.. WOrthington.
The senator from Utah" he replied.
Acknowledged Drinking.
After stating that Mr.. Smoot had not
been a member Of the subcommittee
making the investigation, Mr.. Worth
ington asked the witness concerning his
habits, and whether he had been dis
charged from his position as a teacher
because Of drunkenness. Re said his
resignation had been involuntary vol
untary," and explained that he had
drunk for twenty years and there had
been no charge in his habits all those
years, but that after refusing to pay
tithes he had been asked to resign on
account Of having been intoxicated on
a Sunday early in January of this year.
He said he knew the consequence of re
fusing to pay tithes. Senator Hopkins
asked if the charge had been true that
he was drunk upon the Sunday referred
to.
mo, sir: If the charge had been made
the next day 1t might have been true"
the witness replied.
Mr.. WOlfe's dissatisfaction with the
church had beer a, growth since the
hostility that seemed to raise up be
tween the church and the United States
government. but he had not lost his
faith until late in 1904. He was asked
concerning the hostility in the church
to the nation, and where the lines were
drawn. He thought the lines were be
tween those living in polygamy and
those not. He said that a number Of
hymns Of the church breathed hostility
and these were favorites in the church.
Seeds of Treason sown.
Mr.. Worthington asked concerning
the Oaths in the temple. and the wit
ness said he believed that in the "obli-
cation of vengeance" "the seed Of trea-
son is planted" He said he realized
that within an hour after he had taken
the oath and had taken it only once, for
himself. The other eleven times, he
said, had been for dead persons. An
effort was made by Mr.. WOrthingtOn
to procure an unqualified answer as to
whether there was anything In the en-
dowment house ceremony which would
interfere with any one taking it in
serving in the United States senate, and
whether such persons duty to the
church and country would conflict. The
witness declared that every Mormon's
first duty is to the Church of Latter
day Saints.
No Halo There.
Replying to questions by Chairman
Burrows the witness gave a descrip-
ton of the interior or the temple. He
said that in the secret annex or chapel
there were paintings in oil of president
and all the apostles. Senator Shoots
picture was there, he said, and Senator
Knox asked if there were any haIos
over them. The witness replied that
the pictures were unvarnished.
The witness said he had told G. NJ.
Owen, who Is assisting in the prosecu-
ton, In October of last year that he
was becoming dissatisfied with the
church because laws Of the land had
been broken and would not remain in
it much longer. He hald told of the
Cuff case, he said, and believed that
was what he v as called for. The COM
mittee adjourned until 10 o'clock to-