Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-20
EJATDR-ELECT SMOOT TALKS
xpHs-lS EOtaSPOlygamist and Expects
!, Hu,Ba1at Washington.
gAiksFRAHnHoF THE MORMON CHURCH
DgUisS that Church Takes Any Part
= N, PORstios or Basinsss>-TeIls OF
Material Progress sf state
Of Dtah.

Y DO not think that will have any
dihnuity In taking my seat In the senate"
eaid Reed 6moot. senator elect from Utah,
yesterday afternoon at the Union depot,
for am not poiygamist and never have
been. No man In Utah who knows any
thing about me can say that have ever
taught or praeticed poiygamy, and that is
sn there IL 10 the matter. Any attempt to
oust me because of the church to which I
beions would be raising a question Of re-
hgious prejudice, and from the general tone
Of the newspapers Of the east, as we'll as
those OF the west, do not think that the
country is ready for any religious test as q
qualification for once"
The newly elected senator from Utah was
on his way from his home 70 Washington
where he win remain until the middle Of
March. making arrangements for quarters
when the regular sessions open next fall
and getting tho lay Of the land, unless
special session is called, In the event OF
which he will Immediately enter upon the
discharge OF the duties OF his once.
The junior senator from Utah will be one
Of the few senator's from a state west
Of the Missouri TO be a native Of the state
which he represents. He was born In Utah
IN 1859, the son Of Abraham o. smoot, who
entered the territory at the head Of sec
cross the plains from Council Bluffs IN the
year 1s47. In appearance Mr.. smoot is
youthful. Somewhat over six feet 'tall, he
is slender and 1.-THE. His rathcr small
sized head is we'll set on a slender neck,
and he has acquired q habit of STOPPING.
because of his superior stature. He seems
TO be one of the successful men OF the west
for as manufacturer, merchant, bankerI
politician and one Of the twelVs
apostles Of the Mormon church he
has never met failure, and from
his decided tone when talking OF the expo,
rience he expects at Washington he docs
not believe that he will score failure fer
the first time at the national capital While
he greets the interviewer in a friendly
spirit and says. "I never repulse a report
err" yet he does not volunteer information
and replies briefly and positively 70 ques
tions.
en- Church, Not in Politics.
THE church in politics? Well. 1t isn't
In politics. There are men Of all polite.
beliefs in the church, but the church is
good enough excuse, for the disgruntlC
politician. whenever the people lose COZ
hdence In a man, or he Is defeated Z
any reason, he Immediately sets UP Il
cry of the church in politics. and to Il
outside world attributes his defeat to Il
church organization. which, to my certa.
knowledge, takes no part in politics.
"why. they have even come to considc'
the business organisations as parts Of the
church, and people who know no better be-
lieve that the church conducts business af-
fairs. The 2. c. NJ. I. has among Its board
OF directors a number Of gentiles, and thesa
companies are stock companies in the sama
sense that such companies are organized
in any state. Utah is making wonderful
progfess IN all material lines at this tirnI
Our manufactures are sold in Chicago and
Cincinnati and other eastern cities and
Omaha does not maintain those close trade
relations with our people which It may
some day. / have been in Omaha fire.
quently. but have no acquaintance here
Much talk has been made Of the fact
that / am an apostle in the church. Well,
under the peculiar organization OF the
church nearly every respectable member
has some priestly office. There are many
grades and the apostleship is one. There
are twelve Of these apostles, and while the
church is ruled by what is practically a
democracy, the twelve are looked upon as
a class set apart in a sense. At the same
time every man devotes his time to secular
matters to a large extent. 1 have been a
business man all my life and am now An
terested in banks and other institutions.
AS an apostle u nave never uraWn any
money from the church. and the position
carries with It no particular prestige in
any walk OF life outside OF the church or
ganization proper"
Rsyerting again TO the business condi-
tions In Utah. Senator Smoot said: 1--WE
manufacture almost everything in that
state, and right now we are turning our
attention to sugar beets. which is to be one
OF the principal crops Of the west. The
soil seems to be peculiarly adapted to the
growth Of beets and the people alive to the
possibilities OF the business"
Mr.. smoot is interested in the manufac.
ture Of beet sugar in Idaho as we'll as Utah
and one Of the first questions he asked o
friend who bad been in Salt Lake sinc'
he left was as TO what the Idaho Legislature
had done IN regard to the proposed BOUNTY
on beet sugar. The senator left at 5:2t
over the Northwestern for the east.
Hama 0neen Circle nawaaa