The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-02-20
Denies Practice Of polygamy Is
Upheld by Mormon Church.
THAT RELIGION NOT MENACE
Believes That Any Man Taking Polyp.
amous Wife After Issuance Of tho
Manifesto Against Practice
Should Dc Prosecuted.

WASHINGTON. Fob. i9.~~ScDntor
Reed Smoots address 10 the Senate to-
day Ia defense Of his position au sem
ntnr was tho feature of the session. He
was supported by Senator Dillingham;
of Vermont. In an nnalylicn lApeech OF
tho evidence which had boon submit
tod In the case, The senator Hp"nt
several noura In further consideration
OF the forestry provision Of tho nsfi~
cultural bill with the result that HcF-
ofnl amendments were agreed 10 which
rDd,rict the operations 0f tho burchu In
Several respects, one section Of the
bin had not been completed whom the
recess VIA taken for the evening scs"
sion At the nIght scbSion several bills
not Of general importance were passed
apeaking In his own defense, Sem
ntor Reed Smoot addressed the Sem
ate today on tho general subject Of
Mormanam. iIc condemned poly
gamy ln the strongest terms. and de"
clared cmphnllcnlly that he had taken
no oath IN consistent with that he has
taken aH senator Mr. Smoot spoke
In part aa follows;
Mr.. President. In what shall Bay
To the Senate do not Intend 70 annlyze
the yoluminoua testimony taken before
| the committee OF to make an argument
thereon. Tho greater part OF this tcs-
| ,lmony taken before the Senate for
1 more than Two years. and all OF II for
4 nearly one year. II has been fully ar
| gued by the distinguished Senators
who have already spoken upon this
assertion. My own testimony. cover
ins more than i3b pages Of the Record
Il. before you and do not feel that !
should trcspass upon your Indulgence
In nm extended discussion. Indeed. |
should have been content to admit the
case upon the record and speeches
made by others. without saying any
thing myself except, that there ar.
certain matters which can be known
only to myself; and I think tho Sem
ME entitled to n frank statement from
me ns TO my personal attitude rospcc"
ting these matters Tho Senate II on
titled 10 know my personal attitude
upon the subject Of polygamy and up
on the subject Of loyalty 10 this gov
ernmcnt. Upon those two matters |
shall express myself briefly, but with
Candor.
First. desire 10 state M have
heretofore stated. to the Senate ana
10 tho country that am no, and new
or have been n polygamiSt. | have
n,,.f had hn. one wife and she Is my
present wife
There has been n more or less pre-
vnlcnt opinion that the doctrine OF
Npolygamy was obligatory upon the
nMmbera Of the Mormon Church when
In tyuth and in fact no such obligatory
doctrine has ever existed, The rove-
latlon concerning polygamy, as orig
inally made ana as always interpreted
IN permissible. and not mandatory As
| a matter Of fact only IA small percent
age Of the adherents of that faith nave
ever been polygamlsts. The vast maj
| orIty of the adult members from Its
foundation to the president have been
monognmists.
"The Mormon people, however, re-
gard this doctrlne--although permls-
sible I'm charactor-~as part Of their re-
llIgIous faith and when the law was
passed denouncing its practice, the en-"
lforcement of the law was resisted on
the ground that It was uneonstitution-
lal, az being an Interference with theli
religious liberty. Appeals were taken
to the highest courts of the United
States every phase OF the subject was
tested In the courts, and the law was
lpuheld
Then the church adopted tho mani
festo against polygamy, which was
ratified by the general conference o.