The Springfield herald., 1907-02-22
SCORE SM00T
UTAH MINISTER ANSWERS sENA
TOR kNoXs SPEECH.
PLEA AGAINST PoLYGAMy
Gentle Side OF the Mormon contro.
versy Presented by Or. Paden OF
Salt Lake city-Address at Wash
inoton Anti.PoIyaamy Meeting.


ington Anti-Polygamy Meeting.
Washington. .-Polygamy was scored
and President Joseph Smith and the
leaders of the Mormon Church In Utah
were denounced by the Rev. Dr. VIII
liam M. Paden, pastor of the first
Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake
City and president of the Ministerial
Association Of the Northwest, at an
anti Mormon meeting held at the Met
ropolitan M. E. church in this city
Sunday night under the auspices of the
National League of Women's Organi
cations. DR.. Paden devoted most OF
his speech to reviewing the minority
reports submitted to the Senate In the
Smoot case, and declared the stand
taken by Senator Knox of PennsylVa
MIA was nothing more nor less than
plea to the American people to acqui
esce in the polygamous practices IN
Utah.
DR., Paden presented the Gentle side
of the Mormon controversy, declaring
the law-abiding citizens of Utah VIII
take the Senate's action, If Senator
Smoot is allowed to retain his seat, as
an Endorsement. of the policy OF polys
amous living. He declared the federal
legislation of 1862 against bigamy In
the territories had never been exc
cuted. The law was defective, nc
said, in that 1t made no provision
against the crime of polygamous liv
ing. -
mo law against polygamy is worth
the paper on which 1t Is written, con
tinued the speaker, "unless 1t also
deals with polysamous cohabitation
We cannot this day prove Joseph
Smith is polygamist, but only tha'
he is polygamous cohabitator.
DR.. Paden commended the Edwards
Tucker acts as the only laws which
ever made polygamous living a crime
to be prosecuted and mot to be &C
quiesced in or tolerated. Thousands
Of cases were prosecuted successfully
in the Utah courts, he decided
when these laws were being enforced
| by the government and they were the
direct cause of bringing the polyga
mists to their knees In 1890. when tnt
church capi:ulated and made uncondl
tional surrender
The speaker said President Joseph
F. Smith and several apostles OF the
church have had children born to them
by their plural wives since the mani
festo prohibiting polygamous living
laws issued.
Throughout his speech DIR. PadeI
referred to Senator Smoot as Reed
Smoot, apostle, prophet. seer, reve
lator Of the Mormon Church"
In concluding. DR.. Paden said:
"This toleration of polygamous liv
ing means the federation OF polygamy
| the federation of adultery, with relig
ious sanction. Acknowledging. as We
may, that the majority Of the people oi
Utah do not dare to do other than ac
auiesce, that Senator Smoot acquiesce
is no reason why the people OF the ma
ton should acquiesce. Senator kno,
calls upon us to let polygamous livint
alone and to call our being so satisfied
as no more than religious toleration.
Reed Smoot Is In harmony Will
the quorum to which he is subject
when he acquiesces in the continua
ton of this crime against God ant
man; but can 1t be possible that Sena
tor Knox is in harmony with his con
stltuency in Pennsylvania. in harmony
with the moral and religious will o.
| the people of the United States, wher
he becomes the DEVILS advocate before
the Senate of the United States ant
makes a plea for the religious tolera
tion of polygamous living as he did"