Show PRES SMITH ADMITS polygamous NO PLURAL MARRIAGES SINCE 1890 none performed in accordance with its teachings or with connivance of the church and 1 know whereof I 1 speak says the head of the mormon church washington march 3 so great has become the interest in the smoot bearing that it was necessary to post a policeman at tho door of the room of the committee all persons except those indirectly intel tested were kept out of the room though outside the door it was impossible almost to maintain a passage way through the corridor of the capitol just before the hearing was begun today mr smoot received a telegram from provo utah stating that his sister mrs george S taylor is dead as the result of an operation he had no previous knowledge of her and exhibited plainly the ef feet of the sudden shock when the committee was called to order seven senators were present chairman burrows gave tho ruling on the questions asked of president smith relating to tho polygamous cohabitation of george F teasdale a mormon apostle objections to such questioning had been made by the defendant fen dant the committee ruled that the testimony bearing upon plural marriages of any member of the twelve apostles of which mr smoot Is one Is competent so far as it relates to such polygamous cohabitation since sept 26 1890 the date of president woodruffs manifesto withdrawing the order of the church commanding plural senator staled that there bad been a misunderstanding as to whether mr smoot was being tried on the charges of polygamy or of having taken an oath incompatible with his oath as a senator now he said it Is apparent that these charges are not pending in this investigation senator dubole dissented from the statement that there had been such a misunderstanding and said tho real charge Is that mr smoot Is a member of a mormon hierarchy which subscribes to vows in conflict with the laws of the country and was bound to support such vows for the first time in fifty years said mr dubois the relations of this organization toward the united states are to be tried senator pettus made a protest against the debate between members of the committee and chairman burrows directed mr taylor to proceed questions were then directed to ascertain mr smiths knowledge of the polygamous marriages of abram cannon and whether mr smith had per formed the service uniting mr cannon and lillian hamlan mr smith said ho had seen news paper reports that he had dona so but he denied the truth ot the statements then mr taylor asked a number of questions which brought out a statement from mr smith regarding his own position under the laws cor ering polygamy he acknowledged that he had violated thorn continuously since tho manifesto of 1890 and la ready now and always has been ready to face alie laws of the land sir taylor asked Is cohabitation with a plural wife contrary to the rules of the church mr smith asked and received permission to make a statement and then answer the question in his own way he spoke with great feeling and directness just the reverse ot his attitudes atti the stand at yesterdays hearing saying in regard to the status of polygamy at the time of the manifesto I 1 want to say that after the hearing before the master of chancery I 1 understood that we should abstain from relations with our plural families and that rule was observed up to the time the enabling act went into effect admitting utah aa a state under that act the only prohibition was that plural marriages should cease nothing was said about cohabitation with our wives with the wives married previous to the tou merji me 1 aji interrupted mr that Is what I 1 meant said mr smith 1 I understood that plural marriages were to cease and ever since the manifesto until the present time there never has been a plural marriage in the church performed in accordance with its teachings or with the connivance of the church and he added with greater emphasis 1 I know whereof I 1 speak then in answer jato the question whether polygamous cohabitation was regarded by the church as contrary to the law he answered it was continuing he eald this was the case and is the case now but I 1 was placed in this position said mr smith 1 I had a family a plural family it you please I 1 married my first wife more than thirty eight years ago and my last wife more than twenty years ago by these wives I 1 have had children and I 1 have preferred to take my own chances with alio law and suffer the consequences the law might visit upon me rather than abandon these children and their mothers 1 I have continued to cohabit with them sanco the manifesto of 1890 and they have borne me children since that date I 1 was fully aware of what I 1 waa doing I 1 knew I 1 was amenable to the law but as I 1 say I 1 preferred to face that situation rather than to desert them I 1 have not cohabited with these wives openly or flaunted the tact but I 1 have acknowledged the wives and children as my family the people ot utah have regarded the situation as an existing fact these people adf a are broadminded broad minded and liberal in their views and have condoned the ottense it offense it is rather than to interfere with my situation as they found it has been known what I 1 have been doing I 1 have not been interfered with nor disturbed in any way it 1 had been I 1 was there to answer the charges 1 was willing to face them and submit to the penalty whatever it might be mr smith paused tor a moment but as mr taylor prepared to ask another question he again proceeded with his statement you must draw a distinction between unlawful cohabitation and plural marriages he continued the state lawin regard to the latter has been complied with no marriages hava been performed with the sanction approval consent knowledge or connivance ot the church or its officials acut the other law IA the one I 1 have presumed to disregard and velch as I 1 have said I 1 am ready to face rather than disgrace myself or degrade my family by turning them off mr taylor resumed his questioning you say thero is a state law forbidding polygamous cohabitation and you have been continuing to violate it in utter disregard of the consequences he asked 1 I think I 1 have was the answer you have caused your plural wives to bear new children in violation ot the law you knew to exist that Is correct said mr smith why have you done so persisted mr taylor for the reason I 1 have told you I 1 preferred to face the law I 1 could not disgrace myself I 1 could not degrade my family do you consider it an abandonment of your family not to maintain marriage relations mr taylor asked mr smith faced mr taylor and in a low ba penetrating voice said 1 I dont like to be impertinent but I 1 should like you to ask any woman who is a wife at this point mr boraker and mr objected and in discussing 6 th expressed tho opan ness had stated fully violated the laws and that bo had been frank in regard to his reasons and finally that the committee was advised on that subject mr foraker said that after such a fa aa had been made by mr smith it was unnecessary to ask the w aness his opinions on the subject of good morals mr hoar moved that such questions bo not allowed at this time but itata future alme lt was d that air smiths statement was not full and complete the committee might question him mr dubols then asked mr smith it it was not understood by those in authority that it was the duty of the to continue to provide tor and support his plural family after the manifesto of 1890 mr smith answered that it was generally BO understood resuming the inquiry concerning mr smiths personal polygamous relations mr taylor asked how many children have you had since the manifesto of 1890 mr worthington objected on the part of the defense and both senators beveridge Beverl dge and foraker again said that they thought as this witness said his wives bad bore children since the manifesto it made no difference how many such children had been born to him 1 I contend that it does make a difference said mr taylor it makes a difference how well tho tact was advertised that he was violating the law it makes a difference whether it was two or twenty two in the effect this example might have on others in the church mr burrows asked mr smith it he had married any wives between the first and the last be had mentioned during bis statement to the committee 1 I have said mr smith how many three then you bavo five wives now said mr burrows that Is correct was the response mr burrows ruled that the question objected to was in order the stenographer to read the question how many children havo you had since the manifesto of 1890 eleven sinco 1890 majd mr continuing bo eaid each ot my five wives have bome mo children since that time asked mr bur rows since that time tho witness ro piled in answer 1 I rather think he added that one of them has bad three children I 1 could tell you a little later he said in reply to mr taylor that he had attended the dedication exercises at the st louis exposition and had been accompanied by his plural wife edna smith by name senator smoot had been with them on that occasion when they bad been photographed in a group in reply to a question by senator smoot be said each of my families has a home of its own in salt lake city and comparatively near to each other since the manifesto my custom has been to live with my first wife at her home but I 1 have visited other families my he also said replying to mr taylor that he had been present at the reception to the president at senator reams residence at salt lake city and that he bad bad one of his plural wives with him but that she was not the one whom he took to st louis my attitude toward my wives was of general knowledge he said senator smoots counsel objected assumption that sen however to the ator smoot knew all the circumstances we connected with smiths wives on the senator prefer to put stand and let him tell what ho remarked mr van cott knows being asked whether he had taken the test oath in 1895 before voting mr smith hesitated and ills counsel asked that be be confronted with the oath the question waa temporarily withdrawn senator ald senator to persist in smoot ever adelsa you polygamous cohabitation your mr smitha Smi thI think not I 1 have never so tar as I 1 remember discussed private affairs with him my are the apostles your advisors i 1 I receive advice from all good men them than other but no more from elders of the church did they ever advise you to desist from the practice not that I 1 know of I 1 has mr you at your residences ho has been to my first alfes aliouse where I 1 make what may be called official residence my asked about george teasdale Tc asdale one of the twelve apostles mr smith said he knew nothing of his present domestic relations he thought lip wever that until two or three years ago mr teasdale had had two wives mr smith also was asked about apostle john W taylor and it he id reputed to be a 1 I could not eay ot my own knowledge doubt of U have you the slightest 1 I much doubt of it asked aher mr taylor now Is mr smith said he did not know that some weeks ago taylor bad been sent to investigate vesti gate ft tract 0 land offered abs tbs cormons mormons and he had not beard from him since he had been in mr tay lors home in salt lake city only once could not an be ast 1st without your knowledge asked senator dubois no sir not junices be violated rules of the church and I 1 dont any of them would do that then whew 1 I and 1 I aup t continued OB paa til if S fr tn i rf abw r NO PLURAL MARRIAGES SINGE 1890 continued from page one because replied the witness 1 I novel saw any ot them married to any woman mr smith sald that apostles merrill and heber B grant are reputed to be he had seen two women who were out as mr grants wires sir grant Is now in europe in the interest of the church he has with him his second wife john henry smith Is the witness stated the husband of two wives heis a kinsman of mine he said and T know positively about him dd you ever advise him to desist front the polygamous practice 1 I never did I 1 could no t consistently do so while I 1 myself was pra the system sir smith was asked about other apostles sir cowley Is he said a reputed polygamist roger clawson Is not he was especially explicit concerning F M lyman president of the apostles and in the line of succession to himself mr smith said that mr lyman being present should answer for himself but the committee insisted and that lyman was reputed to have two wives have any of these men taken plural wives since the manifesto of 1890 asked senator beveridge Beverl dge 1 I repeat said president smith bringing his hand down on the table some emphasis that since the manifesto of 1890 no man has entered into plural marriage with the knowledge or approval of the church he was asked by sir taylor about Marlon teasdale deceased who it was stated had never met mr teas adale until 1303 mr smith replied that he had not known the lady but that he had understood that mr teasdale Te aBdale had not known when he married her that he had another wife when your elders go out and make converts in other lands do they not present the of polygamy as a rell glou virtue this question was put by senator hoar and was answered in the negative they never discuss polygamy mr smith said unless compelled to do ao they do not advocate polygamy in any way indeed the elders are loi lo i strutted ted not to advocate plural marriages at all it is a thing of the CLOSE yesterdays PROCEED INGS at the afternoon session mr smith was again on the stand before proceeding ce mr hoar said ag wanted to understand one more point regarding the revelations and that was whether women members of the church were to vote on questions of acceptance or rejection of revelations mr smith answered that aomen voted on all of these matters it was brought out that the supreme court decided in 1878 in tho reynolda Hey nolda case that plural marriages aa practiced in the mormon church are polygamous and mr taylor asked whether tho church accepted that ruling of ho supreme court mr smith answered that the law question was finally paes ed on in 1889 and that since that time ho had no knowledge of any plural marriages taking place before that time since the reynolds decision ho said ho probably knew of homo such marriages in answer to a question mr smith said that prior to when tho plural marriages in the church declared by abel church to be constitutional polygamy had been practiced in a limited way mr beveridge Beverl dge inquired concerning tho reasons for tho alno of questions concerning polygamy as said bo understood mr smoot was not charged with being a polygamist sir taylor explained that ho wanted to show the demands of iha arc such that it might affect mr allegiance to alie stalls mr eald alie alno ot rf 1 1 ta J ia questioning was out matters on which there was no dispute and which arc admitted by hla client at the came time he said tho questions relating to a mang private and convictions are improper and tsat it he were attorney for mr smith be would advise him to decline to answer mr burrows ordered mr taylor to proceed with tho case and the commit i teo took no notice of mr worthing tons objection continuing aho inquiry in relation to divine revelations mr taylor asked in regard to the manifesto of president woodruff in 1890 commanding a suspension of the requirement that polygamy be practiced in the church and also tho prayer for amnesty in 1891 the questions acro numerous and were to ascertain whether the of the church considered declarations affected tho continuance or cohabitation of those previously married mr said it waa regarded that they did affect such persona air taylor asked do you so regard it the command did not change my view on tha question of plural marriages ho answered being pressed further on the came subject for ills personal belief mr smith said 1 I believe plural marriages to be |