Show REGARDING THE TEST OATH DECISION THE following accod account lat of an interview with president ent george qi cannon and the annexed biographical sketch appeared in the st louis robe dem democrat corat of the lust mr george Q cannon first counselor to the president and one of the highest dignitaries of the mormon church talked freely and interestingly today about the de decision cission it is very sweeping in its c conclusions he said and gives the framers of the idaho test oath all they ask for in their proposition to disfranchise our people there is one point however which the court ignored evidence was presented the me case was tried to 10 show that this man who took the oath and voted was not a polygamist it was further set forth by testimony that the mormon church is not at the present time deac teaching hiag or enco encouraging polygamy bishop budge of idaho testified clearly on that but his evidence was not given any consideration in the lower court the fact that the church had in the past taught and abetted polygamy was taken as sufficient in the supreme courts decision the present attitude of the church upon the subject is ignored although counsel were careful to emphasize it in the at giumenta gu menta the supreme court in its decision assumes it as established thu that mormonism today means means polygamy and on that wrong premise declares that mor mons can be franchised disfranchised dis 19 what will your people do about it 11 T dont know what we can do 11 why the head of your church the first presidency and the twelve apostles issue an official declaration la upon the subject why dont you say as a church that polygamy gamy is no longer taught and is not encouraged by the church that meet meet the decision of the supreme court and enable your people to take the test teat oath 64 some think it would and advise such uc h a step be taken but a declaration of that kind is open to objections we have already declared and shown our intention to obey the laws we are trying to live in conformity with the legislation enacted on the subject of polygamy suppose the principal ers almy 0 officers of abe the church put forth the official assertion athas it has been repeatedly charged that our people blindly follow a few leaders will not such a declaration be an admission on our part art that a the charge is true that the rew few me men n control the me lives and consciences of the mass of believers it seems to me we are in danger of ing ourselves if we go further than we have we bow to the law we obey it outwardly surely we ought not to be obliged to declare what we believe or do not believe as aa the price of suffrage our consciences are at least our own you must remember that the doctrine of polygamy was accepted many years ago as a revelation from god rat that revelation stands becan we cannot wi wipe it out bd by a declaration of man M we can submit to the laws of our country and that we are doing it seems to me that is as much as can be asked 90 do you think mr cannon that mormons cormons can take the test oath honestly without committing perjury T AG most of them can doit do it without violation of constence cona cence only the small minority of our people have lived in poly polygamy those who have polygamy lamy plural wives living iving are franchised disfranchised dis the others in the present attitude of the church can truthfully subscribe to the oath P and say that they do not belong to an organization which teaches teach es or advises polygamy poly gamy ro T yes tes there is no question in in my mind that we can take this tH oath honestly I 1 say we I 1 mean our people I 1 do not include myself for I 1 am one of the ultras there are two views of this question of polygamy taken by our people some of us believe that the revelation to is a command from god to take plural wives I 1 so consider it I 1 went into the church when I 1 was very young it has basal ai ways been my belle belief that the revelation commanded polygamy others and they are in the majori majority do not regard the revelation as mak making r ng poly gamy obligatory they consider it as permissive I 1 obey the law but I 1 do not acknowledge knowledge au that I 1 did any wrong in entering into polygamy before the law was wan passed 1 I provide for all of my m children tren and treat them precisely pre cisel alike e since I 1 came out of prison I 1 have provided for my wives but I 1 have not lived with any of them I 1 am living the life of a bachelor and sometimes it is pretty hard on an old man like me for I 1 nave have had a good tames deal of sickness and there are times when I 1 need home care and attention 99 what Wha Civill will the idaho mormons cormons dot will they ake the oath and try to vote can they get this question of the present presena position of the church before the supreme court II 11 doall know know what they will do they can take the oath ly but they will probably be prosecuted for perjury if they do whether the idaho courts will continue to stand on the position taken in the davis da vis case I 1 cant tell if it is assume by the courts that to be FL a mormon is to belong to an organization that ages polygamy then all of our people atio who take the oath will render them liable to punishment by the territorial courts on the charge of perjury I 1 dont know what our people in idaho will do but I 1 dont think they will give up the fight they will keep trying for their rights it Is not characteristic of the mormons cormons to give up up they will fight on in the courts 0 of course will ibe the admission of idaho follow the deci piou sustaining the test teat oath 1 I cant tell but it looks probable there seems to be a general feeling in congress favorable to the admission of new stales stakes any other or any state slate on can by the adoption adopt lon of a similar oath disfranchise the mormons cormons Mor mons yes the decision is sweeping a keepin enough for any of them to stang stand upon ID do you think the idaho precedent will gy be opted adopted y elsewhere no it is not probable there are some mormons cormons in wyoming colo rado new mexico and arizona they are recognized as peaceable industry oua Us and honest citizens so far as I 1 can learn there is no disposition to disfranchise them generally in arizona a law similar to that of idaho was passed by the legislature but the governor vetoed it I 1 hada had a talk the other day with oue one of the most prominent public men in colorado he told me that the mormons cormons were well liked in his state that they were good citizens in one county he mentioned the mor mons voted the republican ticket at the late election there is no talk in col colorado arado of disfranchisement bow about utah dont you think the idea of a test oath may be applied there well that would have to be done by act of congress for utah uta h our people are very largely in t the h e madori majority ty there and control the terr territorial legislature the test oath co could u d not be in produced trod as it was in idaho where and democrats united and put petit it t through rough the legislature congress could pass a law applying the test oath to utah that would put the entire control of affairs affair in the hands of the non mormons cormons there are in utah about or non mormons cormons Mor mons while our oar people number or more congress could order that the should do the voting in and hold the offices and that the should have no voice in the government but pay the taxes this is possible but it is not probable I 1 think I 1 bansee can see a disposition in both branches of congress not to legislate further in regard to the he mormons cormons Mor mons there seems to be a feeling among leading men that the matter is is working out gradually and that thai it had best be left alone so 0 far as polygamy 0 is concerned there Is ia no call P for 0 r any legislation plural marriages have ceased those of us men and women who went into polygamy years ago are dying off A few years will end that issue and end the mormon church too the old man shook his head and replied no the church to is stronger today than it ever was we were talking about the effects of the decision yesterday shortly after we had heard of it I 1 remarked that I 1 had bad never seen our meetings so well attended aa a they are no v our people are firmer in gieir faith than they were before the adverse legislation began we have had no schisms and no secessions recessions since the persecutions began it is a singular fact that with two or three exceptions the members olt of the first presidency and of the twelve apostles aro are natives of this country george Q cannon is a most notable exception he was a liverpool boy but his him parents were converted to the faith when he was only 12 and trained him in it the plain story of cannons life is stranger than fiction he was a printer arinter on the times and seas seasons at nauvoo when joseph smith was murdered in the jail at carthage three years later when barely of age he went with the advance party part v of mor mons across the plains and was one of the pioneers of salt lake city in 1849 he was a gold digger in california in 1850 he be was a mormon mission missionary fy ou on the sandwich islands acquiring the kanaka language in six weeks pour four years after that he was back in california publishing a paper ailed the western standard when the united states troops under general albert sidney johnston marched to utah in 1859 to sup suppress iress the anticipated mormon uprising young can non noh was in charge of the NEWS and carted the type and presses to a place of safety at the age of 32 in 1862 1852 cannon reached the official position than which there was but one higher in the church he was chosen an apostle then he was sent abroad as president of the european mission in 1862 the mormons cormons Mor mons 1 h having abing resisted all overtures from the south to join the confederacy held a constitutional convention and applied to congress for admission as a state that was in the darkest period of the war for the north and quite a strong movement d at washington in favor of the admission of utah the mormons cormons felt so confident of the support of the republican party in their heir petition for admission that they organized Fed the state of deseret as they cal caned ed it and elected two united states senators these senators elect were wm win H hooper and george Q cannon the latter came from europe to washington to urge the claim of utah when the statehood movement failed cannon went back to his european mission and in two years forwarded converts to salt lake city from europe he returned to utah to become private secretary to brigham young after holding that position three years he took charge of the mormon paper the DESERET NEWS and published it until he was elected territorial delegate to congress in 1872 he held that position nearly ton ten years in cannon the mormons cormons had a strong advocate at washington he is a man of most moat remarkable energy but always suave and gentle in manner to show showkat sho what mormonism wab not as bad as painted mr cannon from time to time brought members of his family to the national capital and permitted his wives to speak for themselves it was respecting delegate cannon the witty gail hamilton once said that the only difference she could see between liim and many of the other public men at washington was that he boldly drove his women abr abreast earst while the others drove theirs tandem mr cannon represented utah in congress until 1882 when governor eli murray refused to issue to him a certificate of election on the ground that he was not a citizen of the united states although he held a certificate of citizenship cannon had received votes and allan Q G campbell had received 1357 1857 v tes Oo vernor murray gave the certificate to campbell gov murrays Mur rays refusal to issue the certificate was based upon the edmunds act diff chasing polygamists ista cannon made no secret of the fact that he had bad three wives the house refused to seat best campbell and declared a vacancy to fill which john T caine was elected by the mormons cormons Mor mons then followed cannons prosecution for polygamy while out on bund bond he ds disappeared appeared and for a couple of years his bis whereabouts was a complete mystery tie one day he reappeared at salt lake city went before the court and received sentence he served his term erm in jail and now he is back in washington his hair and whiskers he wears the latter oncy under the chin are snowy white he has aged some but his figure is still sturdy and his stop step is brisk there Is not a tinge of resentment in his conversation as he talks of the persecution of the church 11 he says we believe that theford the lord means all of these trials for our good and will bring things out right in his own time W B S |