Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-28
A PERJuREp PREACHER.

Nothing in the endoayors Of the oppo-
nents OF senator.elect Reed smoot tc
prevent his occupation Of seat In the
United States Senate. has created SC
much agitation as The exploit Of Rev
% j. l.. Leillch. His charge that Mr..
smooi has plural wife with whom he
has lived as opportunity afforded, was
made under OATH The perady exhibited
in this proceeding Is appalling when
his standing as a professed minister Of
the Christian religion Is kept In view.
The untruth OF his statement is univer-
sally conceded In Utah, and is especial
~ denounced in the city where Mr..
smoot resides and where his life and
conduct are well known and admired,
In all the attacks made upon the
senator-elect, whether from secular or
religious sources, II has been confessed
that he Is not a polygamst and that his
personal character Is above objection
II Is not thought that his accuser be-
lieyes he has any ground for the
charge he has made, or that he ex-
poets to be able to substantate It by
evidence, The general opinion is that,
seeing the limslness Of the protests
previously entered against the seating
Of Senator smoot, and the slight i'm
preston they have made, the polygam-
Gus accusation was presented as a
tangible excuse for hating him at the
door Of the Senate, and to give occasion
for the widespread hostility that was
vainly anticipated as a result Of those
protests j L. Leilich stands therefore
in the public estimation as deliberate
perjurer.
The evidence from every reliable
source Is OF the most positive character
that Reed Smoot never had but one
wife His religious associates. his near
est neighbors, his closest friends are
an certain that he is a monogamlst
and that there is not the slightest rea-
son for the charge now sprung upon
him by his clerical antagonist The
infamy Of the false accusation IL rens
dered blacker and deeper by the fact
that the accuser IS a Christian pastor
and superintendent Of other ministers.
The villainy Of Leilichs conduct is
made 20 appear more prominent and
shameful by its hrstfruits the stupid
resolution presented to the Pennsyl-
vania House Of Representatives. When
introduced it ought to have been tabled
indefinitely. The reason offered for It
was. that the story about Senator-elect
smoot being u polygamist had been
published IN the public press Think
Of protest from a state Legislature
based solely on an unsupported slate-
ment In the public press" Because a
newspaper story has been started about
Reed smoot therefore the Legislature
Of the State Of Pennsylvania Is to pro.
test against his being seated. When II
was proposed that the matter be re-
ferred to a committee, so that inquiry
might be made as 70 the truth or false
hood of the charge. the mover OF the
resolution withdrew 1t until Monday, in
the hope that he could then put 1t
through without Investigation.
The purpose Of the Reverend libellaT
Is disclosed By that resolution. lie
lift Washington for Harrisburg ms
soon as he had placed his oathbouni
falsehood IN senatorial hands ami
there The plant tool was found ready
TO do his dirty work IN the State Leg
ielahne. Agitation rs to be aroused on
the baseless story he has told, and
when the time comes for evidence 60
support It. he fondly hopes the intended
mischief will have been done. and pro.
tests win come from an quarters, as
explosive as that proposed at Harris
prrg.
The burden OF proof in a charge like
that preferred BY Ieillch IS legally
placed on the accuser. But IN this case
he wants TO make the accused furnish
either proof OF his own innocence or the
evidence OF his guilt The impudence
Of demanding the production OF "secret
records Of plural marriages Is cqualcl
only by the reckless falsehood OF thc
accuscr. There are no such records,
because no such marriages are soirmn-
tied. Let Leilch name the woman with
whom he alleges the plural marriage
hat been contracted IL she is ln ey.
islcuce her Whereabouts can be traced
and the facts can be brought out HsI
knows that this disclosure would prove
fatal to his cause, 70 he keeps the
pretended name under cover
Why should such false charges be
permitted to go UNPUBLISHED? The per.
s''rcr ought not 10 escape the conae.
Quences Of his crime. PROGRESSED min
isters have maligned the "M0rmons'
by wholesale. and have no, hes'taitl
on occasion 70 DO the same by retail,
naming individuals as guilty of wrong
when they were entirely innocent They
have been allowed TO 20 90 with their
vile work unwhlpped OF jnsticc 10
this case there Is no religious restraint
required or advisable. u Is a secular
affair Turning the other check" Is
rot applicable. The general sen,imen,
Is expressed that the periurcd preacher,
when his damnable project fails and
his perfdy Is exposed, should be prose-
Gated to the laws extent Like ihe
rest q his associate pious maligncrs
here, he has nothing from which dam