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Show POLYGAMY IN THE OPEN. Apostlc-Spnator Real Snioot appears to havo Jicon "at it again." This time it is in the form of an interview given i to Pliocbo Dwight. and printed iir the 1 Boston Traveler of June (J. 1910. Ac- i cording to that paper, ho said: You must understand that the husband Is not expected to take n second wlfo until un-til the llrst' Is perfectly willing. The nuthorltos also havo to pass on whether ho Is capable of supporting another fam-!y. fam-!y. It would seem that, a Mormon aposllo ..r.l. I- K ..1.1, I ... ...!.. :.. At.nvnf oillll. IU IIU illJIU HI lllIV'IJr ililuiMuu Mormon doctrine, but Mr. Smoot; faila in this matter, as ho failed to "vindicate "vindi-cate the- gospel in tho halls of Con-gross. Con-gross. " Ho is not truthful when ho sajs that a. Mormon older is obliged to ask tho consent of his first wife before entering into tho polygamous status. As against him is tho recognized best authority, namely, Joseph P. Smith, the filo leader of Snioot. In his testimony at, Washington (see oflicial record, volumo 1, pago 201), Mr. Smith's presentation was as follows: Senator Bailey Sho Is commanded to consent, but If sho does not. then ho Is exempt from tho requirement? Joseph V. Smllh -Then ho is ut liberty to proceed without her consent, under the law. Senator Bevoririge In other words, her consont amounts to nothing? Joseph F. .Smith It amounts to nothing noth-ing hut hor consent. Senator Beverlrige -So that so far as there Is anything ,ln there concerning her consent, It might as well not be there. That this is a truthful statomctit of tho facts may bo proved in the majority of eases. Sometimes tho elder contracts his unlawful liaison unbeknown to thc first wife by even tho slightest suggestion; sug-gestion; and many times the polygamous relationship is assumed in tho face of strong objection of tho first wife. It is known, for instance, that Elder Alpha J. lliggs, who. was associated with Jo-soph Jo-soph F. Smith iu tho publication of thc Improvement Era (tho oflicial periodical of thc Mormon Mutual Improvement Im-provement Associations), ruined the happiness hap-piness of his good first wife by running away with Bessie Badger after ono of tho brothers of thc wronged girl had given him a sound thrashing, with a promiso of more to follow if ho remained re-mained in tho Statu. His sin was committed without tho knowledge, let alone tho consent, of his first wife. Miles A. Romncy is of a stripo -with HigSS, becauso ho ran away from Mexico and came to Utah to take on his fourth conjugal partner in thc Mnuti temple. Probably one ol thc most interesting points iu this outgiving of Apostlo Smoot through thc Boston Traveler is wherein he says that "the authorities also havo to pass on whether he is cap-a.blc cap-a.blc of supporting another fnmily. " In part, Apostle-Senator Smoot is accurate in this particular. Thc authorities, as Tho Tribune lias always contended, pass upon all polygamous marriages. They know of aud give consent to these unlawful unlaw-ful unions; but. capability for supporting additional families dnes.-not cntor into (lie consideration at all. The truth is that if an elder of the Mormon church has met all the requirements laid upon him in the - way of quorum duties, iitlie payments, and meek submission to authority, ho can go to tho bishop and demand a recommend entitling him to tho consideration con-sideration of tho president of his stake, and tho president of tho stake can do no other thing than to pass tho lecher along to tho president of the church. Tlio chief polygamist can, if ho so desire, de-sire, deny tho application; but he docs uot do so, as may be seou in thc hundreds of cases of new polygamy that exist in tho church. It is proper, however, to havo this' certain admission admis-sion from Reed Smoot it is an open confession of tho fact that thc polygamous polyga-mous rccnidoscenco has thc approval of distinguished Mormon authority, and that it is the intention to encourage this class of huv-breaking ro tlio utmost. As those who were acquainted with circumstances cir-cumstances at thc time will remember, when Joseph F. Smith was given charge of tho work in tho old endowment house he 'was most untiring in his activity to drag all thc men and women of the church into polygamy that he could possibly pos-sibly induce. There was never any consideration con-sideration of the ability of thc men to support the added families. Moro than otherwise the slave concubines kept the lazy harem owners. Women and children worked in tlio fields they milked the cows, fed the pigs, harvested tho hay, the grain and tho vegetables, while "paw" loafed around tho Co-op store and iipat tobacco .jtiico on the store stove. The numerous women and children wcro huddled together in one house moro frequently than that they had separate homes. In fact, tho very best that thc polygamists pretended pre-tended to do at ono time hero was to have a house with as many front entrances en-trances as there were wives. Some of these old structures aro standing today, and may be seen by any investigator who cares to oxumino into Thc Tribuno Trib-uno s accuracy. The Boston Traveler also says that "according to Mr. Snioot, in most cases thcro is only tho pleasantcst of feelings .between the different wives." As against this wo here give the testimony of Brigliam Young, as printed iu the Descrct News of October 1, 185(5: And my wives havo got to do one of two things, either round up their shoulders shoul-ders o endure tho afflictions of u,is World and Ive their religion, or thoy may IcaVc. for J will not havo them nhout me. i wl go Into heaven ulone, rather than have scratching and lighting around me I will set all at liberty. "What. Hrst wlrZ too? ' Yes, I will liberate you a II. I know what my women will say; they will say ou can have as many women as you please, Brlgham." But I want to go somo-where somo-where and do something to get rid of the winners,. '.As the crowning bit of confession in corroboration of what Thc Tribuno has asserted during all theso years, thc following fol-lowing from Smoot is imporlunt: Tlio-uc'cond wife Is not taken for ativ motive- of sentiment or any such inntivo hut that wo inuy obey onu of tho Hrst commands In the Blhlo, which Is lo "be fruitful and multiply." ne That is' both au admission of bestiality bes-tiality on tho part of the polygamist and n direct teaching of the righteousness righteous-ness of polygamy a thing that the proponents pro-ponents of Monnonisni say is novor done nowadays. T.horo is one thing for which citizens sholild fool rather thankful than other-wisp; other-wisp; nnd, (hat is thai it is better to fight polygamy in tho open than to have it to contend with like a thug in tho dark. 13 very man, womnn, and child in tho land now lias duo notice that polygamy is a continuous and countenanced counten-anced practice iu tho Mormon qhureh, nnd that the determination is to per-pctuato per-pctuato it upon tho Nation. What will you do about it? |