Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-02
THE CASE OF SMOOT.'

The following temperate and fair dis
cussion of subject that is attracting
national as well as local attention, APP
peared in a recent issue Of the San
Francisco Call;
Preceding the recent state election in
Utah Apostle Smoot OF the Mormon
Church became an open candidate for
the United States senate. His candi-
daey was an issue that was fought out
by the Mormon and Gentle factions
In that state, and was decided at the
pools In favor OF Smoot. The question
OF polygamy being raised against him,
we believe that he denied ever having
been In polygamy, But be that as il
may, Ii he were involved In that prac-
tice when Il was sanctioned by the Nor
mon hierarchy, and have abandoned
It since the Tucker Edmunds law made
1t a felony his past indulgence cannot be
made bar to his admission to the sem
ate.
Prior to the Tucker Edmunds law
George Q. Cannon aud other avowed
polygamlsts represented Utah territory
as delegates In the house and their
social status was no legal bar what
ever. A mans past conduct IL a
closed chapter in his life, and especially
II at the time Il was not obnoxious In
any existing law, cannot be pleaded
against him in any of his present legal
relations to the government. on Inc
face OF the AFFAIR there exists no legal
reason why Apostle Smoot should be
denied a seat IN the senate Il his state
| choose 10 elect him, That he is the
preference OF majority OF the legal
voters Of Utah Is proved by the result
| az the polls, reached In the full knowl-
| edge OF his ambition and purpose. This
being the situation, II is with some sur
| prise that the country learns that a
| crusade II started with the purpose OF
| denying TO him the seat TO which he
| viii be chosen.
IL IL supposed that this crusade Is a
part OF the anti Mormon movement OF
| the evangelical churches. IL so IL may
not he taken as proof Of the wisdom of
those churches. No religious move
ment was ever killed by persecution.
Il Is probable that Il Joseph Smith had
not been murdered by a mob IN Car
ihage JAIL Mormoniam would have
died In It's first great establishment AZ
| Nauvoo. The murder OF It's leader fur
rished II with q martyr. and. though
| the Nprmons scattered and settled ft-
! fuliy at places Wide apart, the cohesive
! force ~ persecution brought them To-
| ptthrr ln the wilderness on the Jordan,
ind they prospered nightly. though
/ me world was against them
Tire heads of the Church we're Lead
or o. men and proved 1t By inducing
a return 90 plural marriage. a system
that had been abandoned and left FAR
behind IN the march OF civilization. Po-
! lygamy IN he FAR past was a vast i'm.
provcment on the promiscuouF associa-
ton which had characterized the re.
mote ages OF the human race But as
civilization gained and advanced, m0no-
pamy succeeded IL as a further I'M
| proyement It's appearance among the
Mormons was an example OF ataysm.
which the moral sense Of this country
refused 10 tolerate. and the law Fmote
u destructively. To conduct now a
general movement against the political
right of ne Mormons 20 have q mem
her Of their Church In the senate Is "a
make the same kind ~ mistake that
was made when Joseph Smith was muir
drrcd
1t is announced that the case o.