The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-05
MORE MISTAKES.

The Independent, of New York, in its
editorial on the Smoot case, follows up
its previous arguments in behalf Of the
Mormon apostle, and says:
The only question which It was right
! to introduce was, whether he was himself
! n polygamist or was the defender and
| representative Of social system con-
! demned by the conscience and laws of
/ the Nation. But such he was not He
| has never had more than one wife, and
| he has constantly and consistently op-
posed polygamy.
The Independent may deem it an act
of temerity for The Tribune TO take
issue with that distinguished journal
on a question of fact, but at the jeo-
pardy of the Independent S vanity in
this case, we Will venture to dispute
the proof and accuracy of its state
mcnts.
How does the Independent know that
Reed Smoot is not polygamist' Every
apostle who had entered the quorum of
the twelve from the time of Brigham
Young down to Reed Smoot, was A po"
lygamist. Several men in the apostle
lie quorum since Reed Smoot' Undue
tion thereunto, were polygamists. A
Mormon apostle may be in polygamy
for an indefinite term of years; he
may have a wife in each of half a
dozen Mormon towns, who may bear
children to him; and the world will not
know of these facts so long as he cares
to conceal them-for to his marriages
there are no witnesses but himself and
the plural wives and the ofliciant; and
to his polygamous living the only wit.
nesses are oath-bound devotees of the
creed, who believe that the more sac
ri6ces they make in obedience to the
apostles, the higher will be their ex-
altation. 1T is known that men have
lived in polygamy for twenty years in
Utah, believed all the time by their
business associates TO be monogamlsts,
and only known after their death to
have been polygamists. Where does the
Independent obtain its information?
The Tribune would like TO know. Does
it rely upon the word of Reed Smoot7
Every man who has been in Utah for
twenty years and who has mingled
with the Mormon people can bear tes-
tlmony that polygamists have looked
HIM squarely in the eye and have said
that they were monogamists. Is there
anything in Reed Smoot S attitude
toward this question which would make
his word superior to circumstances and
general information contradic tory Of
his word7 1t is demonstrated that he
IS either false apostle or a false
citizen. If he is opposing the Mormon
church, as his defenders assert. then
he Is false IN his relation to the church:
II man is hypocritical there is no
reason TO believe that he is testifving
to the truth when he snys that he is
a monogamist, particularly AS the evil
dence is given in his own selfish in.
terest, What other proof, if any, is
IN possession of the independent The
Tribune does not charge Reed Smoot
with being polygamist. But The |
Tribune charges that every other apos-
tie up TO his time was a polygamist: |
that he voted TO induct a polvpamist |
INTO the quorum after he himself was
an apostle; that at least one Younger
man than himself-an apost!c-took
plural wife while the Smoot case was
pending; that an apostle is ordained to
be prince and god IN the Here.
after and that, according to the cx.
plict teaching of the church, he can
ouly attain TO this eternal destiny by 4
The practice of polygamy; and The
Tribune merely inquiries whether Reed
Smoot has succeeded in turning back
all the immutable laws of God in or
Ter that he alone of all the destined
elect may De an apostle, an eternal
god, and monogamisi
So much for the question of proof
except TO renew the request upon the
independent for such evidence as II
nay possess. on the point of Reed
;moot S monogamy. The Tribune
would like TO be informed and in good
aith asks the Independent to adduce
is proofs which will overcome the
circumstances and the wide belief in
his community. ,
BY the way, would the independent