The Washington times., 1907-02-19

and care not vino the man might ba
or what position he might hold in the
church. he should receive the punish
ment pronounced by the law against his
crime
The testimony taken before the COM
inlttee tends to show that there have
| Deeh some polygamOus marriages since
me manifesto L believe sincerely. Mr..
President, that such cases have been
/ rare. They have not received the sane
uoH, or the encouragement of the
chufch. Ihey have been sporadic and
not systematic in their occurrence. but
/ submit that It would be a renlarkabIe
tnlhg' II IN the course of sixteen wears
mere should not have been occasional
instances Of new polygamy.
Endowment Oath Purely Religious
Senator smoot then entered into \ dis
cussion Of polygamous endowment
oath. which, it has been charged. dis
quanhes him for the service of Senator.
Ihe Senate Will understand that
these are of n sacred character 70 mar
tlelpants' and are, therefore. not di-
vulged. They were instituted in the
Mormon Church by Joseph Smith some
time prior TO his death. and are VET
given as part of the temple ceremonies.
Deing Of religious, spiritual Character
they are for the living and for tbs
dead-a part Of the Mormon BELIEF beinS
yicdrlous performance OF ordinances and
ceremonies. A'4N
There does not exist IN the endov,-
ment ceremony Of the Norman Church
the remotest suggestion Of hostiIit,- o.
OF antagonism 70 the United States or
TO any other nation. They are OF .
purely religious nature, wholly between
the person taking them and his God
and, as with the ritual of various rr9-
ternal organizations regarded as sacred
and secret
There IS not n solitary instance
where the influence Of the endownenf
ceremonies has been displayed IN an
act OF hostility to the Government"
The Senator then paid q glowing
tribute 10 the patriotism and loyalty of
the people Of Utah in the war with
MeXlco, the civil war. and especially
IN the Spanish-American war, and sub
sequent fighting in the Philippines.
Responded Freely to Call to Arms.
"when the nations chief, the late
President Mckinley" he declared.
called for volunteers to uphold the
honor and dignity Of the flag. Utah
was neither last nor least IN the ranks
Of patriotic responses. Side by side.
shoulder to shoulder with every other
State in the Union, she furnished her
full quota OF American soldiers and
offered more. There was no question
Of religious distinction or dispute then.
In the face OF an accusation of an
oath OF hostility what IS the reply of
those men of the Utah Light Artillery
VINO had received OF the Mormon church
endowment ceremonles2 II is given in
the roar OF battle at Malate, before Ma
Mia came into possession Of our troops
at Caloocan, when the Philippine insur-
r2ctiOn burst forth in It's fury; along
the Pasig. searching out the ambus-
cades Of a fierce and blOOdthirsty foe:
in the personal privation. the nerve
racking strain Of scores of hard-fought
engagements, and the unswerving lOy-
atty of those American soldiers who
never shrank from duty or wavered in
the face of the enemy; II is given in the
mutilated and lifeless remains OF those
brave boys whom our Government
brought back home to Utah, to be placed
at rest by their loving relatives and
friends
And here, in the Senate of their coun-
trymen, upon the incontrovertible wit
ness borne by the brave survivors and
the heroic dead of the Utah Light Ar
tillery, l hurl back the charge of the
defamer that there ever was a word or
breath of hostility or disloyalty in the
sacred religious ceremonies which they,
or any other persons. participated in. as
members of the Mormon church. %