The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-05
THE NAUVoo PoLYGAMY.

with respect TO inc question SUB
mitted to The Tribune as to whether or
not polygamy was practiced at Nauvoo
there is still further evidence. We take
the following from the Southern Star,
the official organ of the Mormon mis-
sion in the Southern States, of June "a,
1899:
1t tplural narriagel was the. key to
the highest heaven, where family rela-
tionshlps formed on earth according 10
diyine law. were perpetuated, Hence the
revelation on plural marriage. com
mitted TO writing July IL. 1s43. but the
principle OF which was revealed and
prophet and other leaders OF the church.
There 1850 much evidence of the fact
that Joseph Smith and other leading
men of the Mormon church at Nauvoo,
Illinois, practiced polygamy that 1T
is rather strange that any effort
should bo made to deny it. OF
course, as offsctting this evidence,
there are the official dcnials of
Joseph and Hyrum Smith, together
with the sworn statement of women who
were members Of the Relief society at
Nauvoo, and all published in the Nau-
VOC Times and Seasons, the official
church organ But these denials count
for practically nothing in view of the
fact that Joseph Smith told Elder Will
lam Marks, just previous to his death,
that polygamy would yet prove to be
the downfall. of the church, and consid.
ering the other circumstance that the
very women who in Nauvoo denied
polygamy aftcrward confessed that at
that very time they wero polygamoUs
wives. In SO far as IS concerned the
denial in the Nauvoo Times and Sea
sons. it amounts to absolutely nothing,
except as proof of the duplicity and
the polygamous church
chiefs. The Deseret News, the present
church organ, has repeatedly denied tho
existence of new polygamy; but the
falschood became so palpable, in view
of the many known cases, that it was
finally obliged to cease its denIals, and
the first presidency of the church event
ually confessed officially that there
were ga few sporadic cases. Tho
Tribune has printed the names of one
hundred and sixty-eight Mormon elders
who have engaged in new polygamy,
and has often made the assertion that
where one has been uncovered ten re
main hidden No denial Of the charge
has been made by other of these men.
and no ono has arisen to contradict our
statement that we have not named IA
tithe of the offenders.
We realize that constant reference to
this subject is unpleasant and perhaps
somewhat tiring; but we do not propose
to sit idly by while the lechers of the
Mormon church are filing the communi
ty with illegitimates, and endeavoring
in that way TO so involve the people of
the State in the polygamous mess that
to oppose the cult would mean injury
TO the majority of our families. 1t is
not necessary for Tho Tribune to pre-
dict that some day the Nation will
awaken and stamp out this evil-it is
already arousing itself and in spite OF
all the political and commercial power
Of the Mormon polygamous cult. and
notwithstanding the ucfarious bargains
contracted between the offenders and
igning politicians, who regard politi-
cal success by any means to be the
desidcratum in public life, the end of
polygamy Will come, for il is already in
siqb1