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Show DENIALS LATER AFFORD PROOF. On last Monday morning The Tribune presented somo facts concerning polygamy, polyg-amy, giving quotations upon both sides of the question as to whether I the practice was or was not inaugurated at Nauvoo. While there was sufficient showing to raise doubt as to either position, po-sition, this paper still adheres to its original contention that Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Mormon church, instituted this practice in Illinois. Il-linois. Lack of space would prevent a complete exposition of tho matter iu one arlicJc ouly; so lhat conclusions may not be presented in the ono writing. writ-ing. The whole subject is so involved in hj'poerisy and deceit that considerable consider-able research of a painstaking nature is necessary to even an approach to the truth in the matter. What The Tribune did show ou Sunday was the utter disregard which Josoph F. Smith evidently feels for his father and his uncle both of whom were reputed to be, and as ho professes to believe, inspired in-spired tueu. It proved lhat, in order to save his own skin, the pretended prophet would not hesitate to slaudcr and villify oven his own progenitors. Respecting the origin of polygamy in the Mormon church, Tho Tribune, will present a few facts. If they seem to reflect re-flect upou tho characters of Joscphxand Hyrum Smith, Tho Tribune will be', no more blamablo than is Joseph F. Smith for the expositions thus given forth. At a somewhat early poriod .in the career 6f the church, Joseph Smith's natural bent of mind and morals (?) led h i m into numerous indiscretions with members of his organization who wore of the opposite sex. (The Tribune is compelled to speak plainly; for iu plai.ii speaking, only, may anything approaching approach-ing to a proper and correct explanation be given.) II is escapades became partially par-tially known to his family, and there were consequent disagreements which at times threatened lo become very serious, and to expose tho supposed prophet, 's shortcomings. So he cast, about in his mind for some means of justification in confirmation of his laxities iu this respect. Always there was open to him the convenient method of "revelation"; but oven he doubted that tho saints could bo mado to accept ac-cept of such authorization of u prnctico so repulsive as that, which he desired to inaugurate. In fact, he once told the brethren of the inner circlo that if he were lo toll them all of the gospel that he knew, even Lhcy would surely take his life. Eventually, however, the matter had gone so far that it became apparent to his near associates that something must be done. They were in part intimate with the prophet's illicit traffic; tho Gentiles in the vicinity were possessed of some of Iho facts, and were indignant. indig-nant. Recourse must be had to somo means whereby these secret practicos could be made to appear as being legitimate in the sight of tho Almighty, in order to pacify the saints themselves, them-selves, who were also becoming restless. rest-less. Many of the closo associates of Joseph Smith felt uo. repugnance toward the proposed doctrine iu fact, they wore naturally predisposed in its 'favor. Therefore, as a remedy for a situation situa-tion which was fast growing beyond the hierarchical control, they proposed that the prdphot write a revelation, commanding com-manding the practice of polygamy. This, Joseph Smith had already formulated formu-lated in skeleton; but his ideas upon Ihc subject were then in a stale of nebulosity; they were incomplete to a fatal degree. Upon a matter vo grave and stnrtling to civilization, it watf absolutely ab-solutely necossary that when tho mat-tor mat-tor be presented lo the world it. must be sufficiently self-explanatory, and or such consistency in ifs far-reaching ramifications, as to leave little ground for attack from a scriotuxal standpoint. i Care must bo taken to fix tho status of the numerous outbranchings from such a state of family relationship as that which was proposed. So it wn.T agreed that tho revelation should bo written, and its teaching inculcated privately among the select within the church. This was done. Emma Smith, tho first wife of Joseph Smith, was irredeemably opposed to the idea; and when tho written paper was presented to her by tho prophet, as being be-ing a revelation, she exclaimed: "Revelation "Reve-lation bo hanged; it is nothing but a revelation from the devil." And the good woman very properly lore it into fragments. Newell Whitney, however, had a copy of tho screed which was supposed sup-posed lo be a Tovelation from tho Lord fancy the thing and it was preserved pre-served as a guide to tho formulation formula-tion of the instrument which was later ("in tho duo time of the Lord," to use a familiar Mormon expression) to be made public in more perfect form. But there appeared tho necessity for a provision covering the previous immoralities im-moralities of the original prophet. (The "rcvclatiou" was given In IS43, and Joseph F. Smith testified that the first prophet married Eliza R. Snow polvgamouslj' in 3312.) Not daring to date the supposed revelatiou so far back that the saints would be convinced thereby of its fraudulence, the necessary neces-sary justification of Joseph was in-corpopalcd in-corpopalcd as follows, in part: And again, verily I nay,1 let mine handmaid hand-maid Emma Smith forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses: and then . shall 8ho be forgiven her trespasses, wherein Hhe has trespassed against ' me; and T, the Lord thy God, will bless her. and multiply her, and make her heart to re-Jok-e. - , t Let no one, therefore, set on my servant ser-vant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which T require at his hands, for his transgressions, salth tho Lord your God. Under the supposed authorization furnished by this "revelatiou," which was taught only in secret and to a select se-lect few, the brethren turned themselves loose, and many of them weie drawn into the practice of polygamy. The3o men constituted a defense around Iho prophet, having placed themselves in a similar situation with him. The defense of the prophet was a consequent, defense de-fense of themselves. They wcro all involved in-volved in the same unlawful status and were bound together by the inevitable tics that cement into compactness an-secret an-secret criminal body. Very naturally, then, those who wore on the inside of the secret were loudest in denial of its existence just as i3 tho case in the Mormon church today. Chief among the denicrs was Hj-riuu Smith, brother of the prophet and presiding patriarch of the church. Next to that of Joseph Smith himself, him-self, his word was the most authoritative authori-tative in the church. He therefore, and at the bche.st of the prophet, issued several written statements to the effect that no such doctrine as polygamy was taught in tho church, aud that no such practice was a part of the church life; that no individual iu tho church was. practicing plural marriage, nor was any man living in that status. This was tho utterance of the father of Joseph Jo-seph F. Smith, while yet ho knew that polygamy was being taught, and practiced prac-ticed secretly among the select few, and that there were numerous of his own associates who wcro living in that status. However, Hyrum Smith was always tho hewer of wood and the carrier car-rier of water under tho superior (albeit (al-beit visional1', impracticable, and lowly low-ly in order) mentality of the prophet, his brother. It was not surprising, therefore, that llyrnm Smith should have so stultified himself in an oudcavor lo render obedience to the Lord, as ho professed, and at the same timo to cover up Iho misdeeds of the prophet aud his close associates. Joseph and his defiant iuuer circlo became be-came more bold, finding that so far their schemes had met with success. Gradually their practices became more observed of Mormons and Gentiles alike. The former, to a certain extent, began lo reluctantly accept the situation as being God-sout and unavoidable. But the Gentiles wcro thoroughly aroused, and these openly opposed tho prophots and their nefarious doctrino and practices. prac-tices. A . feeling of antagonism was awakened, iu which many of tho clearheaded clear-headed saints participated. Among tho latter tho climax camo when the prophet proposed to marry for eternity a woman who was already the wifo of a member of the church. Sho told her husband; and from the day that tho outraged woman exposed to hint the porlidy of this supposed man of God, tho plot to undo the prophet thickened. His downfall came from within his own church. Many of th'c formor subjects of Joseph Smith rebelled re-belled and organized thcmsulvos into a body for swift, and sure reprisal. It will be unnecessary to recite the details of the ghastly end of Joseph and Hyrum Smith they are known. In lSoS, aftor the saints had removed to theso valleys, where they fatuously supposed they could dwell in eternal safety from encroachment by the outside out-side world, tho polygamous "'revelation" "'revela-tion" was publicly proclaimed in the tabernacle. Such emendations as were found to bo absolutely necessary in order to give lo the mess sonic Ecnib-lance Ecnib-lance of reason, had boon made after study in Iho intervening time be-twoon be-twoon Nnuvoo and Salt. Lake. In its amended form it was presented lo the world, and at tho same time it was openly open-ly proached that Joseph Smith was a polygamisl. That which was so strenuously denied at Nauvoo was now freely confessed. And this brings us to the end of this ' article in the following assertion: The best cvidenco available today that polygamous marriages arc being performed per-formed in tho Mormon, church at lhe.. present timo is in the very denials of tho church loaders. Tho condition is precisely the same, in that respect, as at Nauvoo. The outcome has been, in part, tho same the church having au-th au-th ontatively admitted new polygamy I since tho manifesto and the donouo-mcnt donouo-mcnt will be iu still further upset of present denials. |