The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-08
SMITHS DISHONOR.

1t will be recalled that President
Joseph f. Smith. in the tabernacle at
the opening Of the Mormon conference
on Thursday, most earnestly declared
that he has never broken any pledge
which he had made with his God, the
Mormon people, or the world We now
present the following as taken from
the official record in the Smoot case,
volume /, page l91;
| wish TO assert thdt thc church has
cbeycd the law OF the land. and that ii
has kept it's pledges with this Govern
mcut; but ] have not AS an individual:
and | have taken that chance myself.
This was Joseph r. Smiths state.
mcnt to the United States Senate Com
mittce on Privileges and Elections, un-
der Affirmation. March 4, 1904. Mr..
Smith acknowledges therein that he IS
pledge breaker, and that he is such
by personal and deliberate choice. He
was party TO tho issuance of the
Woodruff manifesto in 1890, which de-
cIared against polygamy and polygam-
Gus living. AS he himself has officially
interpreted it. The manifesto was IN
the nature of a pledge to the Nation
that forever after its emission there
would be submission to the laws of the
land on the part of all the Mormon
people, including their leaders. In
having assisted in promulgating that
document, Joseph f. distinctly pledged
himself to promote faithful observance
Of the promise therein made. At the
same time he pledged himself To his
people to advocate. by precept and eX-
ample, honorable discharge OF the OBJ
legation imposed upon them in the man
ifcsto. He was bound by pledge to
| both the Government of the United
States and the Mormon people But
| he confesses that he has dishonored
himself and disgraced his people
through repudiating his pledges to
them and to the Nation. AS affecting
this matter of pledge breaking there
is also the following. contained in the
Smoot testimony. volume |, page 1877:
The Chairman--Do you obey the law In
| having FIVE wives at this time, and hav-
| ing them bear TO you eleven children since
| the manifesto OF 1890?
Joseph r. Smith--Mr. Chairman, have
| not claimed that in that case ! have
obeycd the law OF the land.
The Cha hairman-That is all
Joseph +. Smith, do not claim so. and
| | have said before that prefer to stand
| my chances against the law.
What is a lawbreaker-and especially
one who will say 81 prefer to stand
my chances against the law" as indi-
eating his vicious determination-but
pledge breaker of the most knavish
variety? AS a citizen Of the United
States Smith is pledged to uphold the
law and TO live in conformity with it.;
but he declares that he "prefers' to
take his chances against it, in violation
of his solemn pledge of citizenship.
1t is doubtful. if one should search
the world over, IL there could be found
case Of wantcn depravity and utter
disregard of the truth such as is pre-
sented in this man, Joseph +. Smith.
There is no obliquity Of which he has
not been guilty; no debased improbity
and malevolence that has not charac-
terized his life at one period or an.
other; but this final falsehood would
seem to set the capstone of knavery
upon a long career of brutal profigacy
that has seen few equals in the annals
Of the whole world.