Salt Lake Tribune | 1908-06-17 | Page 4 | He Sustains Polygamy

HE SUSTAINS POLYGAMY. Docs Senator Reed Smoot approve polygamy po-lygamy or give comfort lo polygamists? In the most emphatic terms he denies that he does. But does his record sustain sus-tain him in that denial? Perhaps it will be well to examine that, record. Here is tho testimony of his superior officer in the church, and from whom Smoot takes his orders as a Senator of the United States: Senator Overman, Did Senator Smoot ever advise you to desist from polygamous cohabitation with your plural wives? Joseph F. Smith. Not that I know of. I do not think that Mr. Smoot has ever attempted to Interfere with my family relations. 'The latter part of the Smith answer seems to intimate in rather plain terms that Senator Reed Smoot, an officer of the United States Government, would not dare to remonstrate with a pretend ed prophet on account of his infraction of the law. But let us see what Smoot himself has to say about, the matter. Upon this same point this was the Smoot testimony: Mr. Worthlngton. When you became an apostle, did you do anything to Interfere with that, or do anything about it? Reed Smoot. Xo; I did not, V Mr. Worthlngton. Were you present at the general conference of your peoplo which wa.s held in the tabernacle on the Cth day of October, 1904? Reed Smoot. I was. At that conference, and after tho confessions of Joseph F. Smith wore made at Washington concerning his infamous in-famous conduct against the law and Christian sentiment, Senator Reed Smoot voted to sustain Smith as his temporal and spiritual superior; as an exemplar to himself nnd all the Mormon Mor-mon peoplo; and as the collector of two millions of annual income. Isn't that somewhat in encouragement of a man and his practices?