The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-26
THAT FIRM HAND. -

We find the following item going the
rounds Of the Utah press, presented
very much in the form of a patent
medicine testimonial. 1t is a curious
thing, however, to see in Utah, and we
are not surprised that the Deseret
News has fought shy Of it. Here is
the matter referred to;
This is what the Escanaba (Mlch)
| Weekly Journal has to say about Charles
". Bishop. who had long been resi-
Charles w. Bishop, an old time residen,
! OF Escanaba, arrived In the city Tuesday
for a visit with his son. Mr.. Bishop talks
very, interestingly OF Utah and Of the
| impression which Eastern people have,
| that the Mormon church Is not trying to
% serts that hat the Ryihash church is dealing with the
! question with firm hand and metes out
| punishment upon those who seek to eyade
| the law, Mr.. Bishop intends to visit here
| for some time before returning to Salt
] Lake City He Is interested In mineral
lands in that part of the country"
If Mr.. Charles w. Bishop said any
thing of the kind TO the Escanaba
Weekly Journal it would be very in
teresting TO the people Of Utah if he
would present his proofs. He has
found out, it appears from this publ
cation, that the Mormon church is
"dealing with the question lpolyg'
amyI with firm hand and metes out
punishment upon those who seek to
! evade the law
1t is unfortunate (for the Mormon
church, that no one in Utah, who has
any general information on the situa'
tion here, has ever heard anything
about this "dcaling with firm hand y
by the Mormon church with those
who seek to evade the law" Who has
been thus dealt with, or dealt with at
all' The law in this State forbids not
only the entering into new polygamous
relations but forbids unlawful cohabi-
tation, which is the continuous living
in the polygamous relation after the
marriage ceremony has been per
formed. Iuasmuch as President Joseph
T. Smith admitted under oath in Wash
ington that he has never ceased to vio-
late the law against unlawful cohahi-
tation, and inasmuch as Elder Roberts,
speaking under the eye, authority, and
approval of Joseph T. Smith, president
of the Mormon church, said In the Tab.
ernacle, on recent Sunday, that the
polygamists did not intend TO obey the
law-either of God or of man-it
would be exceedingly interesting to
know upon what evidence or basis Mr..
Charles ". Bishop founds his assertion
that the Mormon church is "dealing
with this question with a firm hand. "
Apostle John w. Taylor lays down the
law of the church, and that we believe
is the general acceptation of it in the
church. that Mormons have no need to
give up polygamy anywhere outside of
the United States; that is TO say, in
giving to polygamy the narrow defni-
tion and limitation which the Mormon
expert writers now claim for it, viz,
the entering into new polygamous rela
tions. According to this Interpretation
announced by ex-Apostle Taylor, the
Mormons are free to enter into new
polygamy in Mexico, Canada, or any
where outside of the jurisdiction Of the
United States. The pretense that ex-
Apostle Taylor was disciplined for this
view or for having entered into new
polygamous relations since the mani.
festo of 1890, was never announced
authoritatively from the church. The
pretense that this was so is apparently
abandoned now even by the spokesmen
for the church. EX-Apostle Taylor was
disciplined because he denied the au.
thority of Joseph F, Smith to direct
him in civil affairs. That appears to
be the true Interpretation of the situa-
tion so TAR as he and his fellow ex.
apoStle, Matthias F. Cowley, are con
cerned.
There being no foundation whatever
for the statement of Mr.. Charles W.
Bishop that the Mormon church is deal
ing with the question of polygamy
"with firm hand - in the sense that
ii is dealing adversely to polygamy.
tic natural question must arise, why
did E5 make such statamcntP What
eyer dealing the MArm,'t chur.n has
done with rs|pccr tc pnlygamy for
HVie liHlo DasI d-S E''E III IdN'T ol
polygamy. Nothing in the least against
1T. The item quoted above says that
Mr.. Charles w. Bishop is coming back
to Utah. We trust that when he comes
back be will lose no time in explain"
ing; and if he finds, as he must nee
essarily find, that he was mistaken in
making that sort of a statement, we
trust that he will have the manly can.
dor to come out and confess Judgment.