The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-01
THE INCREASING PoLYGAMY.

AS heretofore promised. and in re-
sponse TO numerous requests received at
this office, The Tribune this morning
presents a revised and completed list
TO date of the names of men who have
committed the crime of polygamy within
the Mormon church since the issuance
of the Woodruff manifesto in 1890, that
is, so far as can be found out thus far,
Wherever possible we give obtainable
details in the individual cases. and the
whole story forms a recital of moral
degradation in the name of religion
that could be told of no other people
in the Christian civilized world. For
the enlightenment Of strangers and
those who have come here TO live. but
who have resided here for so short a
time up to the present as 10 be IN.
acquainted with the history and CON
dltlons pertaining TO this practice. we
deem 1T proper to make come prelim-
mary explanations.
In Utah the term "Dew polygamy"
applies to those polygamous marriages
that have been entered into since the
year 1890, when the manifesto of Will
ford Woodruff, president of the Nor
mon church, was issued, inhibiting the
celebration of such plural marriages,
together with the living together in
that relation. There are many Nor.
mons, however, who regard the old pre-.
1Gn6n6 Il
practice, as having authoritative pre-
cedence over the Woodruff manifesto
which was intended to supersede and
nullfy the older command It would
be unfair to say that all those who hold
to this belief have engaged in polypa-
nous marriage since 1890, because that
would make probably one-third of the
adult membership of the Mormon church
subject to the accusation of having
committed the crime. But it is a we'll
known fact in Utah that the difference
Oh OPINION existing in the church itself.
together with pretended adherence to
the Woodruff manifesto as a means of
allaying public suspicion, are causes
leading 10 new polygamy and to the
exercise of the utmost secrecy in the
matter Of taking new polygamous wives.
Under that condition it may be safely
estimated that where one case becomes
known ten remain hidden. And even
where they are known it is impossible
to convict the offenders, because the
only persons having positive knowledg
and convicting evidence are the guilty
ones, and the simple matter of self
protection impels them to secrecy. sub.
terfuge and glaring falsehood Neither
the man nor the woman will admit any
thing lncrimlnating, and certainly the
Mormon elder performing the ceremony
has selfish interest in hiding his com.
pllcIty as an alder and abetter of the
crime. Indeed. in a very few cases
the man engaging in new polyeamy has
actually performed the ceremony for
himself and the woman, without having
called in third party at all In scarce-
ly any case could the woman prove that
she was ever married to the man, or
who performed the ceremony, even if
she desired to do so. No certificate
of marriage is issued, and usually a
strange elder is sought to perform the
ceremony-one whom the woman could
not name if she would The Mormon
church, through press and pulpit, deny
the existence Of general recrudesccnce
of polygamy. By means of its various
agencies it eudeavors to cover up the
offenses. even furnishing means and