The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-01-10
THE RECORD IN PROOF.

The Deseret News is discontcutcd
with The Tribune s approving notice
| of former Senator Capnon's book
"Upder the Prophet in Utah II is
especially virulent in its resentment al
onr statement that the fact that the
church leaders were guilty of breach
! of faith with regard TO The abolition
| of polygamy, and that their promise
WAS shamefully betrayed and faith
| broken by those who made it, is a
| matter of common knowledge. This
the News pronounces to be An ''infa.
NOUS falsehood. and it raves about
the concoction thereof AS help TO the
owner of this paper 20 regain his
place in the Senate Of course, the
News is lying altogether in this, as
usual.
y very brief review from the undc-
niable record will convict the News of
willful falsebood herein and of bear
ing false witness against its neighbor.
Tho Manifesto was issued in 1890,
and was ratified by the general con
ference OF the Mormon church in Oc-
tober of that year. II 'counseled -
the discoutinuanco of polygamy. Presi-
dent Woodruff, through whom that
manifesto was issued President Lor-
euzo Snow, and President Joseph i.
Smith all testified that its true meaning
WAS that polygamous living. known
under the law as unlawful cobabita-
ton, was prohibited by that manifesto
as well as new polygamous marriages.
The leaders of the church petitioued
President Harrison for Il general am
ncsty on the pledge that they would
guarantee the submission of their peo-
pie to the laws, The amnesty was
granted accordingly by President lIar.
risou, and later by President Cleveland,
expressly conditioned upon the observ-
ance of all the laws in relation to
polygamy and unlawful cohabitation-
There had been under the operation
Of the Edmunds- Tucker law of 1887,
an cschcat of church property. In the
era of good feeling. when polygamy
was supposed to have been abandoned
in both of its features, the church ap-
piled to Congress 10 have this cs-
cheated property restored. 1t made
its own showing to the effect that the
laws were submitted to, aud that no
further resistance or violations were
occurring. On this expressed coudi-
tion put in the preamble of the resolu-
tion making the restoration, the es-
cheated property was restored.
All this time everyone acknowledged
that all the local practices relating to.
polygsmy in every form were not only
TO be given up but were given up. Ac-
cordiugly. in 1896, the first lcgisla-
ture of Utah lcgitimized all poyga-
nous children born prior TO January
lst of that year This was held by
every one as closing out of the whole |
doctrine, practice. and |
record. The power of the church lead.
ers TO conform to their pledges. both |
for themselves and their people, is not |
in doubt
Aud yet President Joseph r. Smith, |
in his testimony in the Smoot case in |
Washington in 1904. expressly swore |
,hal NC HdN UtNtI dI duN illDe given |
Ip polygamous living and lid not in
end to. President Lyman testified |
.bc same. The Tribune has printed |
ong lists of new polygamists, the
,uilt of not one Of which was ever
ienied.
And we have the polygamy question
With us, The church leaders say that
hey are doing all they can now TO
'radicatc polygamy and polygamous
living. This in itself is a confession
hat polYgamy and polyeamous living
,revail Aud yet il was all supposed |
o have been stopped more than twenty
ears ago,
The record is complete. therefore.
hat what the News calls an "infamous
alscbood coucocted by The Tribune,
S demonstrated TO be accurate and true
~ the upassaiIable record.