And now I come to a subject concerning which the people of the United
States are greatly aroused. It is known that there have been plural
marriages among the Mormon people, by sanction of high authorities in
this church monarchy, since the solemn promise was made to the country
that plural marriages should end. It is well known that the plural
marriage relations have been continued defiantly, according to the will
and pleasure of those who had formerly violated the law, and for whose
obedience to law the church monarchy pledged the faith and honor of its
leaders and followers alike in order to obtain statehood. The pledge was
made repeatedly, as stated in an earlier part of these remarks, that all
of the Mormon people would come within the law. They have not done so.
The church monarch is known to be living in defiance of the laws of God
and man, and in defiance of the covenant made with the country, upon
which amnesty by the President, and statehood by the President and the
Congress, were granted.
I charge that every apostle is in large part responsible for this
condition, so deplorable in its effects upon the people of Utah and so
antagonistic to the institutions of this country. Every apostle is
directed by the law-breaking church monarch. Every apostle teaches by
example and precept to the Mormon people that this church monarch is a
prophet of God, to offend or criticise whom is a sin in the sight of the
Almighty. Every apostle helps to appoint to office and sustain the seven
presidents of seventies, who are below them in dignity, and they are
directly responsible for them and their method of life.
It is quite evident that the church monarchy is endeavoring to
reestablish the rule of a polygamous class over the mass of the Mormon
people. Of the apostles not practicing polygamy there is at most only
three or four men constituting the quorum of which this could be
truthfully said. Special reasons may exist in some particular case why a
man in this class has not entered into such relation.