The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-14
WHY THE oPPoSITION7


ihe National Constitution against
polygamv, il may be well 10 review
some of the reasons which impel that
paper TO course of that character.
At different times down to date The
Tribune has printed list OF two hun
dred and thirty-threc names of men
who have thus broken the law since
the issuance of the Woodruff manifesto
in 1890 OF course. the offenses of the
majority of these were committed at
5uch distant times within the past
twenty years that no prosecution on
charges of poIygamy could be had, be
cause of the operation Of the statute
of limitations here. There arc some,
however. who are not immune. These
arc still held in good standing in the
Mormon church, and some of them hold
high official position in an ecclesias
ticaI way But should the proposed
amendment be finally determined upon,
even their cases would have outlived
the possibility of prosecution upon
charges Of polygamy by the time the
amendment could become effective.
Therefore, there must be a reserved
thought behind the opposition of tho
News, and consequently that of the
Mormon church authorities. That re
served thought is born of the knowledge
that polygamous marriages within the
church are to continue in the future,
without interference or exposure by the
church leaders, provided that the her
archically accepted course be pursued,
All available evidence in condition, clr-
cumstance, and attitude goes TO prove
tins. IL is well and publicly known
that Notwithstanding the prevalence OF
the crime of new poygamy, Chat which
can occur i'll no quarter except within
the mem bership of the Mormon church,)
there has been practically no procedure
on the part of the officials of that or
ganizaton against the offenders. In
deed, it has been demonstrated in GER
tain instances that where elders have
SO transgressed, they have been exalted
enthusiastically, and have been given
preference in the matter Of bestowal
of material favors on the part Of the
hicrarchs, 1t is true that there have
been communicated from the Mormon
church, on account of new polygamy,
the following named elders: Alpha j..
HIggs, Israel Barlow, Jr., Charles Wool
fendcn, Miles A, Romney; also that
Elder Judson Harmon, helpless patri-
arch of Davis county, was cut off be
cause he had performed the ceremony
which united elders and sisters in the
1890. The latter communication was
unjust, since not all who have been
similarly guilty have been similarly
dealt with. Were that rule carried
out, the following named officials Of
the Mormon church would now be cx-
communicate: President Joseph l..
Smith, for having performed the ccrc-
mony unlawfully uniting Abraham III.
Cannon to Lillian Hamlin, in June,
1896; Apostle Anthony w. WINS, for
having performed the ceremony which
unlawfully united Guy G.. Wilson TO his
daughter, Anna Ivins, in April, 1908;
and there arc others of these same high
officials who have been guilty of siml-
lar offenses, as The Tribune is satisfied,
1t is easily discernible, therefore, why
t is that the Dcscret News and the
Mormon church arc so ready to oppose
constitutional amendment which
hrip nf
within control of the Federal authority,
and which would, in all probability,
make the offensc extraditable. The
church officials and their organ are well
aware of the great and widespread dan
ger that would ensue to the polygamous
offenders, whose sole excuse is in the
doctrine still promulgated by the Nor
mon church that the ''princIple' of
plural marriage is Just as divine now
as it ever was. and is believed in as
much today as when first promulgated
by Brigham Young in August, 1852
if we are to believe the personal tes-
timony of the president of the Nor
mon church. There is altogether too
much at stake for the church-too many
high officials TO be endangered-in an
amendment TO the ,Natalonal Consttu-
tion which shall have tho effect of plac-
ing punishment of the crime and its en-
tailed 2fTcnses in the hands of men
who would enforce the law.
One thing about the whole matter
must necessarily strike the thinker as
being somewhat strange; The Mormon
church claims to have forever washed
! its bsEds Of polygamy-that it is a
dead issue and vet ii is alert and
determined in its efforts to shield polyg.
smists. new and old. II the Mormon
hierarchy were sincere in their protcs-
tations that they had set their faces
! against the polygamous practice, and
! that they were anxious TO see il die of
its own inaDitiou. or bc killed oT by
| other means, why do they now object