The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-20
ANTI-PoLYGAMY AMENDMENT.


communication aud request:
Salt Lake city, June 10.
Editor Tribune:-In view of the fact
that many distinguished club women will
soon pass through our city who are
unfamiliar with the peculiar social GUS
toms OF the Inhabitants OF Utah, would it
not be well II you should set forth in an
editorial the reason why the social SEN
timent OF Eastern people should be
brought to bear on Utah conditions?
The belief and Justice of polygamy is
so rooted and grounded In the life OF
Utah Inhabitants that with the best Will
stop It. We need the help. Of uncon-
tarninated citizens of the United States
TO correct the abuse and relegate the be-
lief to the limbo where 1t belongs. Very
sincerely, M
We understand the point Of the
above to be that the Eastern delegates
to the convention of Federated
Women's Clubs to be held in San
Francisco shall be informed SO that
they will be able to vote intelligently
on a proposal that is expected to be
made in that convention in support of
the constitutional amendment abolish
ing polygamy.
We say then, that with respect to the
existence Of polygamy in Utah, The
Tribune, in its issue of December 3,
1910, showed upwards Of 23o cases Of
new polygamy; that is, polygamous
marriages since the Manifesto. That
list was prepared with a good deal Of
care, and we believe it to be correct
We understand also that the authorities
Of the church accept it as practically
correct, and that they officially con-
denim those who entered into those
new polygamous relations. There have
been some cases Of discipline for re-
fusal to accept the church's proclaimed
determination to stamp out new polyg-
amy, of which the cases of the former
Apostles Cowley and Taylor are the
most conspicuous examples.
With regard to the continuous living
in polygamy, there is no denial Of that.
Leading members of the church are
living with their plural wives just AS
before the Manifesto, and it will he
remembered that in the Smoot hearings
in 1904 President Smith and President
Lyman Of the Twelve stated that they
intended to continue so to live. This
being directly admitted, the continu
ance OF living in the polygamous reia
tion is manifest.
With respect to the proposed con
stitutional amendment giving Congress:
the power to legislate concerning mar
riage and divorce, (Which would neces
sarily include dealing with polygamy,l
the Mormon church has, as stated BY
President Joseph 7. Smith, no objec
tion whatever to that amendment HI
has publicly in the Tabernacle pro
claimed that there is no opposition OF
the part OF the Mormon church to tha
proposition. This statement beinj
made officially in the Conference, anC
not objected TO there, il may fairly b,
assumed TO express the Mormon atti
tude upon that question. II is fair u
say, therefore, that there is no oppo
sition on the part of the Mormon
church or the Mormon leaders to th
adoption Of such constitutions
/ amendment.
| The desirablity OF such an amend
: HltuL is manifest III INT tOuinAlnn %
r tho various laws Of the differen
r states on marriage and divorce. an
] the desirability Of having Nstiona
D control over this question is especiaII
( evident in the matter Of internetioua
D marriages. which have become so fre
+ quent in recent years, and in respec
!. 10 which the American parties 10 sue
marriages are left wholly defenseles
so far as international law is cor
: ccrned. The States in which thes
= American women who have marie
Z Europeans had their citizenship, hav
q no standing in international affair
4 while the United States, which ba
n that standing, has now no iurisdictio
?. Of the marriage question.
u Therefore, on the three points tina
3 are involved, viz, the extirpatiop o
y polygamy, (Which the Mormon churc