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Show IS HE THE SEVENTH P The Tribune has no desire to Invado family affairs, but It begs to convoy to Itsreaders an assurance that the article published in today's issue of this puper under tho title "How Many Wives?" and signed by "Observer," exposes with all due moderation a grout question In this Stnle. " Nowhere has the American party, nnd at no timo has Tho Trlbuno, charged that Rood Smoot waa a polygamlst. However, there la not and cannot bo within the possession of anyone, outsldo of a limited clrclo in the Mormon church, the ability to dlsprovo any accusation that ho is a polygnmlBt. Brlgham H. Roberts Is something like Reed Smoot, arrogant, ar-rogant, defiant, self-willed, reckless of community welfare, treading on the Hves of men and women to make bin own aggrandizement, heedless of everybody's welfaro in consideration of his own pleasure. Brlgham H. Roberts testified, as shown by "Observer," that ho was married to one Mrs. Mngglo Shlpp for two or three years before his legal wife knew of tho fact. Unless Brlgham H. Roberts was a perjurer, how is anyone to assume that Reed Smoot is the husband of only one woman? It has been proved by ono of his co-partntrs that or.c may be married mar-ried to a woman under the plural ceremony and live wltn her In nil the Joy of conjugal relation, and yet conceal the fact from tho wife of one's bosom. Not long since a noted apostle of the Mormon church died. Up to the hour of his demise tens of thousands of Mormons and Oentllcs would have been willing to assert as their solemn belief that he had but one wife; he was one of the youngest of the apostles, nnd ho was reputed re-puted not to be a polygamlst In practice. When ho was dead. It came out that he had a plural wife taken within a year before his death nnd within throo years last passing. It Is all right to assert that Reed Smoot Is a non-polygamlsU No one outside of the Mormon hierarchy, Including himself, can prove that he Is not. It would bo all wrong to assert that he Is a polygamlst. No ono outside of tho Mormon hierarchy, hie-rarchy, Including himself, can prove that he Is. But when the Boston Transcript, published three thousand miles from the scone of conjugal riot, assumes to speak on this subject, It rushes In whero Utah men would not dare to tread. Wo know In Utah that the rule has been that an apostle must he a polygamlst. We know that six apostles have taken plural wives since tho church prohibited polygamy. Inasmuch as six of these ordained or-dained prophets, seers, nnd revelators have obeyed the celestial law, how Is any man, even In Boston, to be assured that Reed Smoot does not make the seventh? |
