OCR Text |
Show The Manifesto. How it is Yiewt'tl by Some of the Legal Lights. Money From the 'eihi ank for 3Iuttti. The IJ. Y. Academy ami San I'ete Attendance. OFFICIAL DECLARATION. To Whom it May Concern; Press dispatches havi.ig been sent for political purposes from Salt Lake City, which have been widely published, to -' the effect that the Utah commission, in their recent report to the secretary of the interior, allege that plural mammies mamm-ies have been contracted in Utah since last une or during the Dast year; aiso that in public d.scouises the leaders of the chutch have taught, encouraged and urged the continuance of the practice of polygamy I, therefore, as president of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do hereby, in t ic most solemn manner, deel ire that these charges are false. We are not teaching pjlygamv, or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice, and I deny that either forty or any other number of plural plu-ral marriages have during that peiiod been sohmized in our Temples or in any other place in the Territory One case has been repotted, in which the parties alleged that the marriage was prel irmed in the Endowment House, in Salt Like City, in the Spring ol 1SS9, but I have not been able to learn wh pteformed the ceremony; whatever was done in this nutter was without my knowledge. In consequence ot this alleged occurattce the Endowment Endow-ment house was, by my instuictions.tak-en instuictions.tak-en down without delay. In as much as laws have been enacted bv Congress forb:uu;ng plural marriages which laws have f-ien pronounced con st.tulional by the court of last resop, I hereuy declare mv intention to submit sub-mit to those laws, and to use my influence influ-ence with the members ol the church over whicii I preside to have them do like se. There is nothing in my teaching to the church or in tiiose of my ass.x:iaies, during the time specified, which can reasonably be construed t 1 inculcate or encourage pjlyg iniy, and when any elder ot the cnurch has used language which appeared to convey such teacn-ing teacn-ing he has been promptly reproved. And I now mihlicly declare that my ad vice to the Latter-d ly Saints to refrain Xrom outran mg any marriage forbid-den forbid-den by the law uf the land. U'ilfori) Woodruff, -it-, , , . . President . ol 1 tie Church ot Jesus ' " " Christ of L utei-day Sa.nis, Optxio.vs. In commenting on the above opinions aie so vat, id, mat we believe our re.id-eis re.id-eis will lie eu'ertainrd bv a reproduction reproduct-ion nl a number. Tile lirs. person to be interviewed ny a Rk;iti:r reporter w is Hi. S S. Joi es of P10 o wiio said Ji thought it W is oil right, hi? at least was willing to urcept it as bea; ; a!l light Hon Lmhet X. futile, of Manti, said ne ot nevea it was un tor the best. Hon. William K. Ritd, of Manti, said it was rather strange, but supposed it was all right. Saw no reason wtiy those who were brought up for unlawful cohabitation, co-habitation, and kindred offences s!) mid go to jail n-w, as this made it possible for them to consistently make the promises. pro-mises. He was well satisfied with what had been done, and it did not wreck his faith. George .Sutherland, Esq., of Provo, said it had the right ring, but he did not consider it of much force unless the coming conference sanctioned it, Hon. William H, King, of Provo, said he was perfectly satisfied with it. That Pres. Woodruf) had given it in all faith and it should be so taken by the people. peo-ple. Judge Johnson, of Spring City, said: to give the article the weight it should have, it should be sanctioned by a vote of the people at the next conference. Then it would show sincerity on the part ol the people to keep the law. Atty. VVhitecolton, of Provo, said he Considered the question of national interest. That it was the greatest toupde et at that, the Democrats had ever ma.le. Said he: "It is worthy of the statesmanship statesman-ship of a Bismnrk. The Republicans, (and I am one myself, Mr. Iakeinan)have been playing a fine game, and this com-mji com-mji pletely knocks them out. Idaho will be Uemucratic, as this Manifesto, in my opinion, makes the Idaho test oath a dead-letter, and the Cullum-Bill is worth nothing It is a fine thing for the Democracy, and is certainly of national na-tional importance." Several of Sao Pete's bright progress ive voung men, attending the B. Y. Academy, Ac-ademy, in answer to the enquiry how thearticle was received at that Institution, Institu-tion, one said. ''It cr ated something of a ri,pie at the tune, but Prof. CluB ' gave a very comprehensive lecture on the subject, illustrating the several poin.s by citing the conduct of Nephi, under similiar circumstances, and the feeling was in a great measure allayed. These sentiments seemed to be those of the entire number included in the con ' veisation. The Rerister also has an opinion Pres. Woodruff is a man, who, if his life was called for would give it as freely as did Joseph Sniita. He is a man of cool judgment, and not a policy man. Beleivmg this we are bound to believe tint he gave this Ma ilesto, not for policy's pol-icy's sake, but because it is the right thing to do and we are ready to say thai Pres. Wo id ruff is right, that it will be all right as to results, and we are willing to ab.de t ie issue. |