The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-22
MEANING OF THE MANIFESTO.

MEANING OF THE MANIFESTO,
On last Tuesday evening the Dcseret
News opened an editorial article with
the following statement: eve 6nd IN
the Los Angeles Times. Of December
18th, the following strong argument
agains, the incorporation in the Constr
tuition of the United States, of an
amendment against polyGamy.'
: Now, in that misleading statement
/ the News attempts TO have people he
/ licve that the article referred 10 was
not written nv Mormon elder That
| II Was SO written. though is amply
I demonstrated in its construction, and
~ the use Of terms not only familiar
Ia ard common with Mormon writer's,
but absolutely unknown TO men outside
of the cult, We would almost feel like
going bit further. and saving that
the communication was prepared right
here IN the church Offices except that
we arc aware Of recent visit to Cali.
forn,a cf Young Mormon elder OF
education who has been lately exalted
20 ofice within one of the lesser quo.
runs Of the hierarchy.
But 10 proceed TO what the church
organ here has 10 say with respect to
the polyGamous practice rs eScmplifed
within the Mormon organization. II
makes the following presentations;
II may be lust as Wen TO say here
that what the G.aticr-dey SAINTS claim
with regard TO the practice OF plural mar
riaSe IS this; that no such have been
solemniZed. since the acceptance OF the
Manifesto, With the sanction Of tho
church. or the church authorities. II.
shortly after tho issuance OF that docu-
ment opinions differed with regard TO
its meaning. -or tho extent OF It's juris-
dic,iou. or other questions connected with
IL. that Is no wonder. II had been more
marvellous should this not have been the
case. But time has don" us work. and
today Utah is at least as free from In
fractions OF the laws relating 10 marriage
as any other state in the Union.
That is merely repetition of the
silly statement sent out by the first
presidency of the Mormon church in
April, 1907, added TO which is the dirty
fling at the close concerning other com.
munitics. II is not a question as be
tween the total population. but between
members of religious organizations, and
here Is where the falsehood comes in
But on the main point, the fact is that
men already married are constantly en-
tcring into the lecherous relation of
polygamv, under the doctrine still ad.
vocated 10y the church as principle.
and which the Deseret News. in the
very article referred 10. teaches with
an effect all sufficient 10 encourage the
practice among Mormon elders. The
News had no other purpose in repro.
ducIng that church.constructed article
IN praise and defense of polygsmy.
giving the impression that it was orig.
inal with the Los Angeles Times and
tina, therefore the outside world was
coming to regard plural marriage as a
superior method Of family life, thus
confcsSiug It's divinity as ''re-
vcaled - through Joseph Smith,) than
to encourage the practice here in Utah.
II knows very well that but half such
a hint as It put out on Tuesday night
is sufficient TO entice hundred elders
'hA' hh' cl'ihN h'N1s VI IDla gam
As TO the Understandings and misun.
concerning the Woodruff
manifesto. there was no need for them.
As Senator Frank i. Cannon says. an
official. clear Interpretation had been
placed upon that document. and those
who went outside of that ntcrpreta-
tion disregardcd it from choice and he
came criminals by preference. And all
these criminal unions are sanctioned
by The church in its refusal TO punish
them. and in the fact that. on the con
trsrv. it has exalted the lawbreakers.
That is all there is 10 that,
Finally, the News is owned and di
rccted by the Mormon church officials !
1t IS part Of the organizat ION S prop
erty. When the escheatcd holdings of
the church were returned. il was under
condition that no part of that property
should be thereafter used in the propa.
cation Of the polygamous belief cr the /
perpetuation Of its practice. 1t would /
seem that il the terms of the arcee
ment made before the chanccry court (
were enforced the News might find il
self escbeated-except that the Gov /
ernmcut wonld want no such miserable /
baggage on its hands