The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-11-30
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.

This shows that Mr.. Hopkins is either mistaken
or has very short memory to facts and if these
six of the twelve apostles have been guilty of polyg
amy since their hypocritical promise to behave them
selves what be said of the numberless polyg-
amous marriages that have taken place since that
time. Now you understand ladies and gentlemen
that as soon as this pretended church able to
become State, they would then be able to carry
on any practice they saw fit SO long they control
the officers who execute the laws of the State.
90 with me, if you please and look in the
majority of these twelve apostles Beginning with
the president-and the others are alike thereunto-
you will see five beautiful homes within block of
each other where resides this chief of the Mormon
church with his five wives and forty-three children
eleven of the latter having been born to him from
these wives since the hypocritical manifesto of $780,
as shown from the evidence taken from the Con-
gressonal Record. He knows that he is violating
the law; that it is afront and disgrace to the
American civilization, but he can do it because the
sheriff, the States Attorney and the majority of the
members of the Legislature are selected by the
Mormon church itself to become officers of the
State, and now they have capped the climax by
making one of their number Senator of the
United States. When they made the promise to
abandon poygamy they did it to secure statehood
l read brief extract from the evidence of Reed
Smoot from the Congressional Record February
26, 1907, at page 1921. Questioned by Chairman
Burrows Mr.. Reed Smoot testified that he heard
the evidence of Joseph F. Smith when he testified
he was living in defiance of the law and that no
steps had been taken to try him for the oenscs of
poygamous cohabitation. And on page 1922 he
says:
ygamous cohabitaton?
A.-By Reed Smooth. l have not
Q-Have you in any way tried to bring
him to trial for these offenses?
Al have not.
Q-Do you intend to?
Al do not
Q.-Do you remember how MANY children
he said had been born to him since 1890?
Al think he said eleven
Q-Now, with the full knowledge of these
facts testified to by him, you sustained him
in October last?
Al did
Q-You not only did not reprimind Presi-
dent Smith for his conduct, but sustained
him in October last in public assembly?
A.-When he presented to be voted
upon as president of the church, voted for
him such.
Q.-Have you ntimated to him, directly
or indirectly, that his conduct is displeasing
to you?
Q-Have you resigned your position as
apostle?
Al have not
| read this much of the record which l hope YOU
nay take time to read more Of to show that this
nan Reed Smoot, whom Mr. Hopkins designates
IS Christian gentleman" is not only not Chris
ian any more than a pagan may be called Chris
ian, and that while SO far the records show, he $
oes not practice polygany, he breaches and teaches
olygamy and stands for for president of his
organization who openly admits that he is violating
ne law OF this country in the above stated '
And Mr.. Hopkins defends his position upon the
round that Reed Smoot is not an actual poygamist
hat ne only teaches and advises the divine right to
omnit this crime, and then draws the cloak of s
eligion around him and says, don't blame me for
eachng this doctrine because that is part of nv O
eligon' The Supreme Court of the United States f
as held in these poygamist cases that while every f
ian is entitled to the perfect liberty of con-
,ence and the right of freedom in religious wor- Il
llp they go further and say that man may COM
ut crime and seek to justify that crime by saw f
g it is part of his religious belief And one of h
ese cases where defense of polygamy was Of a
RED that 1t was part of their religious belief the
'urt said: Suppose church would also teach
q ricrnt to e L. =.