The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-11
THAT IDAHO NEW PoLYGAMIsT,

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amist,' the Caldwell Qdaho) Tribune
has an editorial which we reproduce
as follows:
The Salt Lake Tribune charges that
Arthur w. Hart ex-prosecutlng attorney
OF Oneida county. is a polygamlst Via the
celestial route. 1t has been thought for
quite a while that Mr., Hart was such.
not hesitate to talk OF his matrimonial
affairs. The Tribune has been loath TO
accept this common rumor as authentic
In the face of the Salt Lake papers
we arc now bound TO believe the story.
And, II Mr.. Hart. why not dozens more?
all, the old Mormons looked upon Presl-
dent Woodrun's manifesto and convenient
revelation us simply pos,poncment of
polygamy until the time seemed oppor-
tune for tho revival OF tho practice This
we thought little Of 1t. it it has always
people could not rcpudInte the doctrine
they would In few years outerow it. In
Mr.. Harts case there can be no excuse
He has reached manhood since the aban-
donment OF the doctrine and practice He
cannot claim that God revealed to him
the sanctity OF polygamy or His. desire
that he enter IL without repudiating the
authority OF his church and the divinity
OF the Woodruff manifesto. If he be
polysamist IL is altogether possible that
there are many others. In the hooks and
corners OF "Zion," where the Mormons
have full sway, there may be many such
cases. At any rate that suspicion will
naturally arise In the minds of the peo-
pie. 1t Is these exposes that bring con-
tempt and grief upon the Mormon people
1t shows that he who desires TO contract
polygamous marriage In spite OF the law
revelation and the public profession OF
the Mormon priesthood, can do so,
Our Idaho contemporary has the case
accurately estimated 1t has also per
formed service to tho public in thus
giving publicity to the Hart matter,
and in presenting its just criticism of
the gross wrongs that are being con
tinually imposed upon Gentiles and
Mormons alike by such men as Arthur
w. Hart. Mr.. Hart is prominently
connected with the Mormon ecclesiasti-
cal authority in Idaho, which only
makes his offense the more grievous,
We desire to say to the Caldwell Trib.
une that there are hundreds of lust
such cases, and that further crimes of
that nature arc encouraged by the Nor
mon hierarchy by tho refusal OF that
governing body TO discipline their re-
creant followers. In fact, when a case
is acknowledged to exist, in so far as
general knowledge in the neighborhood
is concerned, and any suggestion is
made that the offender be punished,
there is Immediate effort made to
suppress the proof, to battle the IN
quirer, and at the last resort, to pro-
tect the offender IN every possible way.
We have given the names of thirty-two
new polygamists, in which Mr.. Hart S
name was included, and there has not
been one denial in any case, nor, do we
believe, can there be truthful denial
AS we contend, where one may become
known here and there score will re.
main hidden; so that it must be evi-
dent to every fair-minded person that
there have been hundreds Of new
plural marriages since the manifesto.
In truth an estimate made under a
knowledge of the peculiar conditions
existing in the Mormon church will
show with comparative accuracy that
there are today larger number of new
polygamists in the Mormon church
than there are Of the old cases, of
those who entered that relation pre-.
vlous to 1880.
incidentally, the Caldwell Tribune
has read moral lesson to the country
press of Utah in the fact that it has
given publicity to this Hart matter
If the rural press of this State would
follow the Caldwell papers example,
there would be some hope that in time
the practice would be obliterated. The
men who insist upon defying what they
profess to believe to be the command
of the Almighty, as well as the law of
the State, should be held up to pub
lie view with no unstinted scorn. They
are disgrace to their country, their
church, their own people, and their
families. But there would be much
smaller number of them if the Utah
papers were to do their full duty IN
this respect AS it is, though; If any of
the country papers have anything at all
to say on the matter, 1t is only to rail
at the Salt Lake Tribune for having
done its obvious duty toward the peo-
pie in publishing the facts.