Show AMENDMENT TO THE immigration ORATION BILL liel delict imers ars in polygamy ny excluded from froin admission to united states the alio immigration bill as passed by congress retains the literacy test despite the llie fight in both houses and probability babi lity of a vote by the president two amendments to the bill were adopted one to exclude all emigrants of african blood and another to strengthen the prohibition against believers in ii polygamy this amendment Is as follows polygamists or persons who believe in advocate or practice polygamy shall be excluded from admission to tho the united states senators smoot and sutherland objected to the wording of amendment stating that it would bar a man from entering this country merely because he entertained an abstract belief in a principle even it if ho he did not believe in its practice senator smoot cited the resolution adopted by the church on april 5 6 1914 and quoted from the official statement of president smith when the resolution was adopt ed by a unanimous vote of the church senator smoot said in part one of the articles of faith of the church Is that we believe the bible to be the word of god 0 the bible particularly the old testament sanctions polygamy and if a mormon were asked do you believe in the bible he would say yes perhaps the immigrant a member of the church coming into this country who should be asked that QU question would have no other thought in his mind than a belief ta in the bible polygamy Is a thing thine of the past and it seems to me that this is the wrong time io try to cast reflection because I 1 cannot see it on any other light than as a reflection upon people who have in good faith agreed that it should not be practiced I 1 do not want any special privileges for this the members of my church but I 1 do not believe that an immigrant should be barred because of a belief in the bible or a mere belief in a form forin of religion that la Is the true situation of the mormon people as I 1 understand it mr president if the senator from missouri mr redd who had charge of the amend amendment mour know knew the true belief of the mormon people I 1 do not believe he for one minute would try to keep that class of people out of the united states for I 1 want to say now that there is not a more honest ft a more industrious a corb god fearing or liberty loving people in all the united than you will find the mormon people to be 1 I wish to say bay to the sen ator from missouri that thero ther would be no objection whatever to his amendment reading or persons who believe in the practice of or who dvo aavo cate cafe the practice of polygamy as long as AN the laws law of the land are opposed to polygamy there la is no good member of oc the mormon church who to going to violate these laws lawa senator ashurst of arizona alliona spoke in glowing terms of the character of the moamoa peaple senator works borka of california and senator borah of idaho challenged the assertion tion of senator smoot that the bible taught polygamy both em phat bato icalla declaring that it taught no such thing r |