UTAH GIVES UP POLYGAMY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXV, Issue 7169, 9 March 1892, Page 3

UTAH GIVES UP POLYGAMY.

Mi; Charles S, Zalve, Chiof Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice, Utah, writes in tho Forum for November a short article, describing polygamy as now dead nud buried by the Church of iho latter Day Saints. Ifo thus summarises tho progressive measures .by which polygamy lias been declared to ho unlawful by ihe supreme authority of the Mormons themselves: Years after Joseph Smith founded tho Mormon Church, he declared that the Almighty had revealed to him that polygamy was right, and he adopted it as a doctrine. He and some of his followers commenced tho practice. But in"nbediencc to public opinion, based upon the moral sense of the American people, and according to their own reason aud conscience, I presume, our national law* makers) in 1802 enacted a law deGuiug plural marriage as ti crime, aud'fixing tho punishment. In 1882 they made

another law, mora stringent and comprehensive, defining and puuishing unlawful cohabitation also as a crime, And in 1887 still another law was passed designed to bo yet more stringent and effectual, The courts of the territory of Utah begun the enforcement of the two Acta lirst mentioned in September, 188.1, and of the last law as soon as it took effect. After more than 1,300 men had been sent to prison for their violation, Wilford Woodroff, the president of the Mormon Church, made and published an ollicial declaration j termed the " manifesto," in which was | found the following language: "Wo nro not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting anyporsonto enter upon its practice, Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress for* bidding plural marriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the'court of the last resort, I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws and to uso my inJlueucc with tlio members of the church over which I preside to have them do likewise. , . And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter Day Saints is to re-i frain from contracting any marriage for. bidden by the law of the laud," He declares that his manifesto is practically accepted by the Mormons as a revelation of the will of God, Since its promuh gation, all 'the Mormons wtio have been brought up for polygamy, have declared that they believe it to be religiously and morally wrong, and their action has convinced Mr Zaine that the Mor" mon Church has abandoned polygamy, and will never agf.in adopt it in tho United States; The pressure which was necessary to bung about this divine revelation, seems to have beeu six months' imprisonment iu a penitentiary, and a fine of 800 dollars. Judge Zaine says that there are 150,000 Mormons in Utah, who are industrious, temperate, and law»abiding people, Siuce the revelation which sealed the doom of polygamy (Judge Zaiue thinks the Mor" mons have turned their faces toward 8 the daylight), they are climbing th ft v bills of progress, and Utah will soon b e the home of a patriotic, harmonious progressive, and great people.