The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-22
The Forum
Opinions Of the Readers OF the
Eagle on Current Topics.
SHOULD BE oUSTED FROM THE
SENATE? WILL HE BE?

| Senator Smoot occupies a seat in the
United States senate by virtue Of az
agreement made prior TO last general
election by and between the Mormon
church authorities, on the one hand and
the Utah state Republican central COM
mittee, on the other, which agreement
was approved by the national committee
and was to the effect that the Presiden-
tial electors of said party should be sup
ported at the polls and in return a Nor
man legislature and United States sena-
tor should be chosen.
The agreement was carried out and
Smoot sits in the senate.
1t is conceded he is clean, able and
bright-that he is not himself a polyga-
mist in practice, having only one wife.
The book of Mormon neither teaches
or authorizes polygamy, and the ajudicat-
ed real head of that church, located at
Des Moines, Ia, has ever bitterly opposed
and denounced polygamy. Only that fac
ton that located in Utah accepted a So
called revelation promulgated by few
treacherous leaders for sensual purposes,
authorizing polygamy, but knew that fac
ton were compelled to cancel the ''reyela-
tion,'' and forbil polygamous marriages
and also to adopt clause in. their state
constitution and in their statutes, for
bidding its practice. Cniy few weeks
/ ago an old-time polyg named Grant, on
the eve OF starting for Europe as a mis-
sionary, stuck up his head to say that
he had two wives and two large families
Immediately a warrant was isued for his
n.y. lNa;a I,a
lust the time for disappearing" and
took a header and went below
Do we in Kansas and Wichita ever
hear of anyone violating our constitution
and laws? And, if we do, does a warrant
issue for the cuiprit? Or do our officers
pat him on the back, saying "divvy up
and the business men assure him that
the very prosperity we enjoy comes from
his business, and do our ministers of the
gospel hasten to tell the violater neither
do we condemn thee" go on and sin all
you can, only don't fail to give US a snug
contribution to send missionary to the
heather in Asia2
Can We point with pride to the social
purity record of our own senators? When
the roll is called on Shoots case in the
United States senate. if the President of
the senate should direct that only those
senators who were socially pure should
vote for Shoots unseating. how many
affirmative votes would there be, or would
it be as of old, that all sneaked out, be-
ginning. with the Oldest senator, and
wouldn't Kansas senators jump out
through the window precipally?
Hadn't we as well extract the beans
cordwood cinders ard cinder beetles out
of our own eyes and cease to fret ana
agonize over the Smoct in Utah's eyes?
Dollars to doughnuts Smoot win keep his
seat 1t won't do TO be too utterly to.
Just think of David and Solomon and
"sich
A few years since the writer spent
winter in Boston. and tne;r legislature
was in session, and a petition was pre-
scented, signed by seventeen spinsters,
praying that the law be so amended that
a good man good in VIVA; way?) would
be allowed to take more than one wife,
claiming. as an argument. that three
fourths of the bright young men went
west in quest of a fortune and married
there. So the dear girls had to marry
the scrawny unambitious leavings or die
unsolaced old maids. Just think of it;
and that in 'Bosting," aesthetic ''Bos-
ting Let's pray.
by AN OLD-TIMER.