Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-11-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular CorrespondenD
Washington, Nov. 16, 1908.

Editor Press:--
Up to the present the most inter-
esting debate in Congress occurred
in the Senate relative to the recep-
tion of the great number of petit
tions which have been sent that
body from all parts of the country,
demanding that Hon. Reed Smoot,
the Mormon Senator from Utah, be
expelled from the Senate on the
ground that he is an apostle of the
Mormon church, and as such was
compelled to take an oath of alleg-
lance to his church as the highest
civil as we'll as religious authority
in the land. Most of these peti-
tions are printed blanks which
have been distributed throughout
the country to be signed and sent
to Senators. They are signed
principally by women's organiza-
tions, such as the Daughters of the
American Revolution and the w.
G. L. T., and religious organiza-
tions. In many cases the phrase
ology of the petitions is indentical,
showing that they emanated from
the same source. Former Secre-
tary John G. Carlisle is to appear
before the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections, as counsel
for the petitioners. When the
petitions were presented, Senator
Hoar declared that they were out
of order, as the question was a
judicial one to be decided by the
Senate Committee, and that petit
tioning that committee was as
much out of place as petitioning
the Supreme Court of the United
States. Senator Dubois OF Idaho
took issue with Senator Hoar and
declared that "these various organ
izations of Christian men and
women have right to petition the
Senate and it is there duty to do SO.
They know what they are doing.
They represent the moral thought
of the country and should not be
discouraged. 1" Most of the public
men here disagree with Senator
Dubois and believe that instead of
of representing the moral thought
of the country, they represent
the narrow bigotry of those
who are happiest when they
are attacking a religion which is
not Identical with their own.
There is not the slightest chance of
forcing Senator Smoot to give up
his seat, and many people believe
that the mere investigation of his
eligibility is an unworthy conces,
sion to the united bigotry of the
country.
Much comment has been aroused
by the publication of that part OF
the Presidents regular message tc
Congress which related to the cana
negotiations. 1t was written be.
fore the revolution in Panam a and
has now been cut out of the mes.
sage. The President says, "HigE
authorities on international law
hold that the canal can be be dug
as an incident to exercising the
power to prevent the obstruction O
tariff across the isthmus." After
stating that in his judgment it i:
time to declare that the building o
the canal cannot be much longer
delayed he continues, cit seems
evident that in a matter such al
this we should finally docide which
is the best route, and if the advan
tage OF this route over any othe
possible route are sufficiently
marked, we should then Civ
notice that we can no longer sub
NIT to trifing or insincere dealin;
on the part of those whom the &C
cident of possession has placed il
temporary control of the groun'
through which the route mus
pass" He ends by declaring tina
if the possesors of the territory fai
to come to a straightforward agree
ment with us, "We must Forthwith
take the matter into our ow,
hands"