The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-30
A PROTEST FROM INSIDE.

In another part of this issue of The
Tribune is communication under the
heading "Mormons Humiliated.' and
which is signed "L. D. So that is
good to read because it comes from
sincere member of the Mormon church.
That letter manfully confesses that
what The Tribune has been saying con"
cerning new polygamy and new polyga
mists has been true-for the simple
reason that the writer of the communi-
cation has taken pains to make personal
investigation since our exposures. He
also does well to place responsibility
for the existence of this crminality
right where it belongs-with President
Joseph +. Smith of the Mormon church.
1t may be matter of wonderment to
our correspondent, he being a member
of the Mormon church, that President
Joseph f. Smith should permit these
new polygamous marriages in spite Of
looking to supposed abandonment of
the practice His letter indicates that
he is fully convinced that Joseph Z.
not only has knowledge Of these of
fenses, but that he approves them, and
by his approval authorizes them-he
being the only man on earth today hav-
ing authority so to do. We can at least
enlighten him upon the Smith disposi-
tion in this respect. From an article
printed as the leading editorial in the
Descret News of June IT, 1856, over
the signature of Joseph +. Smith, the
following matter is taken:
We believe the Edmunds law is IA
we will live to see 1t and all such mon
strosities hurled with their authors into
oblivion and eternal contempt. There
fore. let unjust Lawmakers, partisan
ware curb their evil passions and keep
within the law. or there awaits them
by the fat Of eternal justice irrevocable
retrlbutioni
Of course, it may be pleaded that this
was a long time ago, and that the
church has since then pledged itself to
the suppression of polygamy, and that
even Joseph F. Smith has made public
declaration that the organization no
longer countenances plural marriage.
But Joseph F. is a Smith of one particu
lar type-the type that practiceG po-
lygamy in Nauvoo and denied it up and
and most officially in the church publ
cations of that day, Although openly
lying in denial of polygamy, these men
were secretly practiclng it, because of
the vicious bent of their natures. Jo-
seph Smith and Hyrum Smith--the lat
ter the father of Joseph f. Smith
were determined criminals of the po-
lygamous sort, but sufficiently cunning
to know that they must cover their
criminality in secrecy and lies. Joseph
F. Smith is an apt son Of his father in
this respect-it runs In the blood. The
following, taken from this same signed
letter Of Joseph F., and from which
the above quotation is excepted, proves
the secret determination to keep on in
criminality, notwithstanding the law,
and if necessary to personal protection
to lie about it, to lie like very devil;
Every man with common intelligence
may read the Constitution and laws of
| this country, and form his own opinions
| And II he believes a law TO be uncon-
| stitutional he has a right to test II, and
| when tested. If the decision go against
| him. he still has the right TO his judg
ment and opinion. though he may make
UP his mind 10 abide the consequences
| of disobedience to Ii.
Joseph F. has made up his mind to
| break the law and to permit others to
commit crime. under determination to
| abide the consequences, simply because
he and they know there will be no con-
sequences so long as he and they con-.
| troll politics in this State.
In all sincerity The Tribune will give
| it as its opinion that if the Mormon peo-
pie do not arouse themselves, the po-
lygamous cult will eventually drag
their entire church down to the de-
struction that should be the punish
ment of new polygamists alone. AL
ready the Mormon people are in disre-
pute all over the world because of them,
and the stain is deepening day by day.
They must rise up, or confess that they
are helplessly in the power Of polygamy
until they shall be freed by Gentiles,