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Show THE PLEDGE-BREAKING SCRUBS. Tho complaint of Mr. Roberts, ihat polygamists who entered into that relation re-lation previous to tho issuance of the Woodruff manifesto find themsolves in the midst of a difficult situation, came at a rather late date, and recalls io Thu Tribune some facts connected with the first appearance of that document. It is' distinctly within the recollection recollec-tion of many people here that at the timo the Woodruff inhibition of polygamy poly-gamy was promulgated, numerous prom- i inent men in the Mormon church who were polygamists were in a quandary as to which wifo they should live with. Somo of them went so far as to say thai, inasmuch as they wore now prevented pre-vented from living with all of 'their wives, thoy would' live with none, in order to bo impartial. Indeed, a high official in the Salt Lake stake of Zion. was frequently heard to make this sort of a statement. And that is direct evidence evi-dence of what tho understanding was at that time. There was no doubt in tho minds of the men who were in the plural fnmily relation as to what tho manifesto meant that it intended lo inhibit polygamous living as well as plural marriages. The very fact that considerable labor was roquired. upon tho part of the higher church ofiieials who wore sincerely anxious to bring aljout the peace that had so long been desired to bring lesser polygamous lights to an acceptance of the terms, is further proof of what was intended by President Woodruff. Joseph F. Smith himself hesitated duriii" a considerable con-siderable period beforo ho would come to accept the understood requirements of tho manifesto; and the fact that he finally djd subscribe to the conditions, after all of his deliberations, is an in-fallible in-fallible indication that he know he was expected to refrain from poIyg;unous living. That was the contract, and Mr. Roberts, and the men for whom he has protcstiugly spoken.' know this to bo true. But now, having intrenched themselves them-selves in political power, (also in abrogation abro-gation of solemn agreement,) llio8p men seek to say IJiat thoy arc. not' bound .by any, such understanding, ' hk that which characterized tho granting of V- ... . j Statohood. They now complain, personally per-sonally and by authorized spokesmen, that they Jind' themselves in a difficult situation, so far as their family relationships rela-tionships arc concerned. Tho "difficult "diffi-cult situation" appeared at the time of tho manif oslo's reception, as was amply demonstrated at the timo in their great roluctance lo accept it. It is entirely loo late now to make the complaint indicated. in-dicated. The sworn statements of the highest authorities in tho Mormon church, including the personal interpretation inter-pretation by t.he rcvealer of tho manifesto, mani-festo, plainly fixed the status of polygamists poly-gamists and their combined duties under un-der the manifesto toward their families and tho country. No amount of protest; no number of speeches of defiance; no statement concerning con-cerning difficult situations, can at this tinle ajler the contract under which these men wero permitted to havo complete com-plete freedom. They are now expected lo live to agreement and lo law; and so long as they refuso to do this Tho Tribune will continuo to charge that they are the disturbers of the poacc of this State; that thoy creato a condition of lawlessness in this community against which there must bo opposition; opposi-tion; that they havo provoked attack, and then complain because of it; that those who attack them are not tho offenders, of-fenders, but that they aro good citizens who are determined to compel tho high priests to recede from their unlawful position. If the hicrarchs dosiro peace, thoy know how to achievo it by living within the law of the Slate, obeying tho commands of their recognized God, and refraining from maliciously provoking pro-voking strife. And, incidentally, by ceasing to howl "persecution" at the consequences to themselves which they purposely invite. |