The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-27

| import to the Mormon community as It
was terrible in It's immediate consc-
quenccs TO all our family.
BY his denial OF responsibility and by
secret whisper within the church Smith
| has placed the disgrace OF the betrayal
upon my father, who was gultless OF II
and olsckened the memory OF my dead
brother by n misrepresentation OF his mo-
tIves. | feel that IL is incumbent upon
me, therefore. at whatever pain to my
self. To relate the whole unhappy truth
memory of the dead as TO dcnounce the
betrayal Of the living. TO expose a pub
lice treason against the comVunity not
less than 10 correct private wrong done
my right to defend.
Late I'm July. 1896 When / was in New
York on business for the presidency.
received u telegram announcing the death
of my brother. Apostle Abraham II. Cam
non. We had been companions all our
lives: he had been the ncares, 10 me Of
our family the dearest of my friends
but even in the first shock OF my grief
realized that my father would have
greater stroke OF sorrow To bear than /: ::
and In hurryng back to Salt Lake City
l nerved myself with the hope that
might console him.
Fathers Words Startling.
I found him and Joseph F. Smith in
the office OF the presidency. sitting at
their desks. My father turned as i en-
tered. and his face was unusually pale
In spite OF its composure; but the moment
he recognized me, his expression changed
to look OF pain that alarmed me. He
rose and put his hand ON my shoulder
with n tenderness that Il was his habit TO
conceal
II know how you feel his loss" he
said; hoarsely, but when | think what he
would have had TO pass through II he
had lived-f cannot regret his death"
The almost agonized expression OF his
face. as much as the terrible Implication
OF his words. startled me with l cannot
say what horrible fear about my brother.
| asked-"Why. Why-what has hap
pened?"
With a sweep OF his hand toward Smith
AT his desk-a gesture and a look the
answered. "A few weeks ago. Abraham
took plural wife. Lillian HamIin. 1t
became known. He would have had TO
face n prosecution In court. His death
has saved us from calamity that would
have been dreadful for the church-and
for the state"
come back again! And the ink hardly
dry on the bill that restored your church
property on the pledge of honor that
there would never be another case" ]
had caught the look on Smiths face. and
u was look OF sullen defiance. How
did II happen?"
My father replied: 81 know-it's awful.
! would have prevented It II I could. RI
was asked for my consent, and | refused
It. President Smith obtained the ac-
quiescence OF President Woodruff ON the
polygamy but merely fulfillment OF tho
Biblical instruction that n man should
take his dead brothers wife. Lillian was
bethrothed TO David, and had been sealed
TO MIN In eternity after his death. /
understand that President Woodruff told
Abraham he would leave the matter with
them " they wished 10 take the respon-
sibility-and President Smith performed
the ceremony"
No Denial by Smith.
Smith could hear every word that was
said. My father had included him in the
conversation. and he was listening He
not only did not deny his guilt: he ac-
cepted 1t In silence, with an expression
OF sulky disrespect
All OF which did not prevent Joseph F.
Smith from testfyipg-in the Smoot in
vestlgation at Washington in 190l-tba
he did not marry Abraham Cannon and
conversation with my father about the
marriage. that he did not know Lillian
Iiamlin had been betrothed to Abraham's &
dead brother, that the first time he heard |
OF the charge that he had married them
was when he saw 1t printed in the news
papers!
The world understands that polygamy
Is an enslavement of women. The &C.
clesiastical authorities in Utah today have
discovered that II is more powerful as |
an enslaver of men.
Once man is bound In n polygamous
relation, there is no place for him In the |
civilized world outside OF a Mormon COM
inunlty- lie must remain there. shielded |
by the church. or suffer elsewhere social |
ostracism and the prosecution of big |
amous relations Since 1890, the date OF |
the manifesto (and II Is TO the period |
since 1890 that my criticism solely ap-
plies), the poIygamist must be abjectly |
suhservient TO the prophets who protect |
him; he must obey their orders and do |
their work or endure punishment |
which they can innict upon him and his
wives and his children.
Inveigled into plural marriage by the |
authority OF a clandcstine religious dog
ma encouraged by his elders, seduced by
the prospect OF their favor. and impelled |
perhaps by daring impulse To take the
covenant and bond that shall swear him
into the dangerous fellowship Of the law
lessly faithful-he finds himself, at once,
n law breaker who must pay tho church
hierarchy for his protection by yielding
TO them every political right, every per-
soDal independence. every freedom OF
opinion, every liberty to act
Analyses Smith IS Motives
/ do not believe that Smith fully fore
saw the policy which he has since un-
pursued. | believe now as
did then, that In bctrayng my brother
into polygamy Smith was actuated by his
anger against my father for having in
spired the recession from the doctrine;
that he desired to impair the success of
the recession by having my brother dig
Nifty the rccrudescence Of polygamy by