The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-14
A PROTEST OF DIsHoNOR.

We note by reference in the Eastern
press TO the late general conference of
the Mormon church, that the windy and
lightweight declaration put forth by
that conference is being distributed in
the East in pamphlet form. We imagine
that the reflection Of the recipient of
that document might naturally be
wonder as to what it was all about,
Why is it that there is so much ueccs-
sity for these repeated protests of
loyalty, these explanations of why faith
was not kept with the Government and
people of the United States; these con-
Iinued excuses for the perpetuation of
polygamy; these reiterated disclaimers
of control of politics in civil affairs7
Where person, a sect, or organization
is compelled to issue repeated protests
of loyalty, that loyalty is naturally
under suspicion. Where there is CON
slant disclaimer of lawlessness, the nat
ural response is TO inquire what sort of
lawlessness that concern most strenu
ously affects, And any general and
repeated protest running along year
after year for two generations of time
that certain things that arc well known
to be so, are not so, grows wcarisome
TO the public ear.
But the most striking portion of this
declaration to those not initiated in the
priestcraft S mysteries, intrIgues,
double dealing and special interpreta,
tion of words and Of acts, must be
why ii is that q revelation, or a course
Of action deliberately declared to be
from God and binding upon the people,
is not accepted as the word of God
aud docs not bind the people, Why,
with this manifesto issued by President
Wilford Woodruff in the days of deep
distress in the church. adopted by the
general conference of the church, inter
preted under oath by all the presidents
of the church since that time, including
the present president, TO mean that
polygamous living as well as new poly
gamous marriages must cease, the Won
der will be, we say, why il is, that there
is still trouble about this matter of poly
gamy If revelation or rule given
out by the first presidency and adopted
in general conference of the church,
does not bind the people, what can
bind them! This manifesto expressly
! forbade polygamy, 1t did not in ex
press terms, to be sure, forbid unlawful
cohabitation, but the president Of the
church, through whom this manifesto
came, and by whose authority it was
submitted to the people and endorsed
| by them, gave the Interpretation to
! it that il certainly meant unlawful co.
habitation; that is TO say, the living
with the pural wives as well as the
formation OF new polygamous tics Not
only this, but the petition for general
amnesty pledged the people under the
pledge of honor Of their leaders. that
the law should be obeyed if the amnesty
were extended, The amnesty was grant
cd upon this pledge, conditioned both by
President Harrison and President Cleve-
land in their proclamatlons, upon the
due observance Of the law by those
TO whom the amnesty applied How.
then, can this amnesty be pleaded by
those who reject the conditions under
which il was obtained? Further, the
first Mormon State Legislature, in pur-
suance of the general understanding
that polygamous living was to be aban.
doned as well as the forma tion Of new
polygamous relations, passed a law lc-
gitimiziBg children born out of lawful