The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-05-16
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.

polygamy and bigamy, but no law against unlawful
cohabtation
A few days ago two Genties were convicted in
Salt Lake City of polygamy, and sent to the pen-
tertiary of Utah. That was right and proper-they
should have been convicted and to the peniten-
tiary, for the proof was conclusive The proof con-
sisted in producing the marriage certificate for each
marriage.
1t is easy to convict a Gentle in Idaho of polygamy
or bigamy, because his plural wife will not marry him
without a marriage certificate, and in every of
polygamous marriage between non Mormons poly
gamous man deceives the second wife into believing
he is not married 1t is impossible to convict a
Mormon of poygamy because the only way by which
you prove polygamy bgamy is by a record
evidence-thc certificate of marriage. There is no
record evidence kept and never was of polygamous
marriage between Mormons. The polygamous cere-
mony is celebrated in the Endowment houses of the
church, by high official of the church in
out of the way place, and no record of any kind
description is kept of the plural marriages.
In the early days when the government had full
power over this subject and Idaho was territory
while there hundreds of convictions of Nor
in Idaho and thousands of convictions in Utah
and the other territories; there for poly
gamy. They all convicted of unlawful cohab-
tation, excepting few who convicted of adul-
terry.
You can convict the poygamous Mormons of un-
lawful cohabtation provided you have the laws and
the public sentiment The supreme court of the
United States by unanimous decision defined unlawful
cohabitation to be the holding out to the world by
man, of more than woman as his wife The
supreme court affrms that it is not necessary even
that actual cohabitaton should have taken place; it
is not necessary to prove that the and his poly
gamous wife living in the relation of man and
wife. The fact that he held out to the world as his
wife more than woman obnoxious and
fatal to morality and civilization and to law, that
the supreme court held it sufficient only prove
this
In southeastern Idaho to-day there is scarcely
a community where you cannot point man and
his poygamous wives. Under the definition of the
supreme court you could easily prove unlawful CO.
habitation against such one, but it would be
utterly impossible to prove polygamy.
Take the case of Godfrey Eschler for instance, of
Raymond Bear Lake county, Idaho Let us ask the
Tribune in all seriousness if it thinks it conduces to
the morality of the state of Idaho that such con-
dition exists there should be allowed to continue?
Does the Tribune think that its defense of such a
condition COMFORTS with the high position which the
Tribune and its editor occupies as a director of
thought in the state?
Godfrey Eschler was removed as postmaster at
Raymond because of resolution passed through the
United States senate The department at Washing
ton found out that Godfrey Escher was a po1yga-
mist and that of his polygamous wives was Rose
Kunz Escher. Their agent reported this the post
master general notified Congressman French of the
facts the congressman fully aware of them and
was asked to make another appointment. A temper
airy appointment made of Fred Evans, a relative
of Godfrey Eschler, but in practically short time
and when supposed the incident was forgotten