The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-14

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 Frank J. CanHon, first senator from Utah. editor of the Rocky Mountain News of Denver, Col, organizer of the republican party in Utah and son of the first counselor of the Mormon church, addressed large audience from the plat form of the Birmingham high school lest evening under the auspices of the lyceum course. MT. Cannon's discourse was a vehement protest hurled against the prac- tice of polygany in the Mormon church today and his topic was, "The Modern Mormon Kingdom"
 Born and reared Mormon, but not a believer in the creed and practices of this religion and equipped with thorough po- litical and theological knowledge of his subject matter, the lyceum speaker added a grace of expression and breath of hut nor into his lecture that was most pleas Ing. He gave for the most part the DO. litical aspect of the church and it's threat ening menace to the entire republic, de- claring that the Mormon leaders spent 9( per cent of their time in evolving a politi- cal machinery with the other 10 per cent in theology study he traced their almost invincible power over the two conventions al political parties of the United States He charged that the Mormons were living in violation of the treaty made with the people of this country that plurality of wives should be prohibited in exchange for their retention of church property and the legltimatizing of the Mormon children.
 Mir. Cannon's Speech
 MT. Cannon said In part:
 "The only reason that the politicians of the Mormon church cast their lots with the republican party is because the dem ocrats have never had anything of na- tional consequence to give them for there ain't been any democratic President for some time Usually when any issue or body wants something from the govern ment, 1t seeks the party that can deliver the goods and this has been the repub- lican partisans In this case. When the friends of Roosevelt desired him to be elected to the White House for his own sake and give to the American people those resplendent four years of admin istration that followed, they made an
 
 Reed Shoot should keep his seat in the Senate if the electoral vote from the Mor- mon church should be balloted for Theo- dore This was carried out to the full letter of the compact.
 When William Howard Taft, President of the United States, was making his famous swing around the country two years ago. he stopped at Salt Lake City and sat side by side with the Mormon i, tah for a service On October last, he returned and did likewise, although not so long ago we applauded when Roosevelt re- fused to eat at meat with Lorimer, man who was accused of buying one seat in the Senate. but Taft can affiliate with a man who openly lives in polygamy with out any public remonstrance
 When William Jennings Bryan ran for the presidential office in 1908 the Mormon church suggested to his cam paign managers that the blanks in the democratic platform of 1904 against polygamy and the union of the state and religion be left out of the 1901 platform and this was done. Bryan got what he deserved in influencing the commission of these blanks, for not a single electoral Mormon vote was cast for him and he was defeated for office.
 MentlOHS OHueIWOOu
 Now | have talked about three of the greatest men in the world. A man who was the President of the United States and has retired from that po- sition. temporarily pernaps, and may be again; the man who is president of the United States and would be will ing to be again I believe; the man who ought to have been the President of the United States and never. never was, and possibly never will be.
 You people of Alabama, who now have a presidential potentiality your selves, write to your senators to send you a copy of the proceedings before the committee named on the matter of potest against Reed Smoot to hold 2 seat in the Senate and you will not get 1t, for few people is the country have seen that document. Then write to your Alabama man who is greater than the senators, Oscar W. Under wood and see if he can get it. De- mand reprint if word is sent to you that it is out of print. and if you ac- complish this you will indeed strike good fortune, for it is one of the most outrageous blasphemies on the nations life, as is the majority report on this case.
 There are three remedies for this evil. Ono is the amendment of the United States constitution giving the federal au- thorties Jurisdiction over polygamy prac- tices; another is the instituting of pro- ceedings in the department of justice at Washington to dissolve the property of the Mormon church that Joseph R. Smith may not have the money with which to corrupt politicians; and third, is the de- mand from every citizen of the United States that this plurality of wives fiaunt- ed in the face of the public be oblit- erated.
 ''In conclusion I say that if this was my expiring word I would denounce the Mormon church today for I am convinced that polgyamy is practiced more now among the young people of the church than ever before and I shall endeavor to tell the country of the breach of treaty being committed by this sect.