The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-01-17
POLYGAMY NOT
PRACTISED HERE
Bishop Libert Is Emphatic in
His Denial Of Story in
Eastern Paper.

Charging that polygamy is l. ing
practiced without iestrsiat in Hawai-
by converts OF the Mormon church o.
Utah, ana citing Bishop Willis OF the
Episcopal Church, ana Bishop Liber,
of the Roman Catholic Church, as
authorities for the charge, an article,
with various sensational headings re
fleeing on the Islands, is being given
wide circulation 10y the mainland
newspapers.
While the article does not directly
quote Bishop Willis 1t docs quote
Bishop Libert, who, when shown 1t as
il appears in the Post.Standard OF
Syracuse, New York, under date OF
October, 10, 1912, branded the pur.
J ported interview with him as an i'm
pudent fake.
In the paper mentioned, tho article
appears as an editorial under the head
ing, {" Hawaii in the Spotlight" The
editor says:
''In Hawaii, according to an APP
parently unbiased account, Mormonism
is stll EAR from being pretty spec
tacle. Bishop Willis of the Episcopal
Church, and Bishop Litert of the
Roman Catholic Church. have been
commented lately upon the present
aspects of Mormonism in this Terri
tory and they view it without salts
faction
''The doctrine of polygamy, how
ever, much it may be depressed or
disapproved in Utah, fourishes I'M
abated in Hawaii among the natives,
the Chinese, the japanese and the
Portuguese. Hundreds of plural mar
riages have been performed or sane
toned by the elders who have gone
from Utah and who in some eases
have taken new wives for themselves
in addition to the ones they left at
home.
"Bishop Libert says: In the remote
districts where women as well as men
work in the fields, raise taro, make
mats and brooms and curios, it is very
easy for man TO figure out that the
number of wives he may possess is
limited only by the number of women
|. who viii consent to live in his house;
for they do not pretend. as in Utah,
Idaho and Wyoming, to have a separ-
ate house for each wife, but herd
them together like concubines.' -
Nothing of the Kind.
"There is an old French proverb,
said Bishop Libert, after reading the
article. (Which says that one who
comes from far country can tell all
the stories he wishes to. and they win
be believed. 1t must apply in this case
for | have never either written or saio
anything of the kind.
Everyone knows that there are
.Mormons here. but if they are prac.
Using polygamy it is a matter for the
federal court and no concern of mine
The statement that the Portuguese alv
practising polygamy as Mormons. is
ridiculous. Everyone knows that they
are Catholics and, in fact. | do not
know of any Mormon Portuguese.
''The article is untrue as far as the
quotations credited to me are concern
ed, for / never made any such state
ment.''
Official Denies 1t.
District Attorney Breckons does mol
believe that polygamy is being prac
tised here by the MormOns.
'Seme years back he said, ga fed
eral grand jury investigated to ascer
tain whether polygamy was being prac
tised here and reported that it wa.
not. have had no cases of polygamy
under the auspices of the Mormon
church called TO my attention.
"T'here are in the Islands perhaps =
half-dOzen Chinese who have more than
one wife, but IN each case these mar
riages were contracted before annexa
ton. The Chinese involved do MOI
parade the fact, and / think in ever
case have sent their extra wives away
Since annexation any attempt by Cm
nese or Others to espouse more than one
wife has been punished, where it wa'
known