Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-07
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cause could not be accounted for
The house was kept scrupulousiy clean
steriliZed water was used and every
precaution was taken to protect the
health of the family, but sickness in
some form still prevailed. short
time ago roomer in the house be-
came i'll. he was removed to the hos
pital and the doctors pronounced IT !;
case of typhoid fever. Soon after that
one of the little girls came down with
the disease Still the cause was unac-
counted for AS last resort the
plumbing inspector was called in and
upon examination of the sanitary
plumbing of the house found one of the
worst conditions of affairs, that, ac-
cording to his own words, has ever
come to his notice. Upon application
of the smoke test. which Is the surest
method used in discovering sewer gas.
he found eleven leaks In different parts
of the house six leaks in the base
ment. one leak in the lower bath room
and three in the bed room where the
little girl was lying i'll with typhoid
fever One leak in the bed room was
so bad that upon touching match
to It. the gas became ignited. The
worst and most dangerous leak was
found in the basement under the par
tition This leak was directly In line
with the bed room on the second floor
where the first case of typhoid was
contracted, and would take only a
slight draught to drive the gas between
~. ;,,{1 CIV
aiming the sink in the kitchen 1t was
discovered that there was no grease
trap attached to the sink. This would
drive waste matter to the basement
where it would collect and form sewer
gas. The plumbing work in the base
mept was found to be in the worst pos
sible condition. How long this condi-
ton has existed it could not be deter
mined. People would do we'll to look
to their sanitary sewer conditions.
SMITHS TESTIMONY.
[Sioux City JournaL1
The press reports tell US that
President Smiths testimony In the
Smoot case is very sensational. but. af
ter all, has President Smith told us
that we didn't know The
head of the Mormon church admits
that polygamous practices have rot
died in Utah. He admits the he AMI
other Mormons of high degree have
been supporting and bearing children
by plural wives taken prior to the
manifesto of 1890, requiring that plural
should cease. We would
have known that President Smith was
bearing false witness If he testified
otherwise. President Smith acknowl-
edges that he has violated Utah STAT
ute in maintaining the marriage re-
la;ion with more than one wife. Upon
this point he declares it was matter
of violating a state law or failing TO
sustain an obligation undertaken IN
good faith at a time when po1ygany
was not Illegal. He offers no apology
for this breach of the law, and it IS
quite plain that no Utah court could
convict him for 1t.
If Importance be attached to Mr..
Smiths testimony on this point 1t
would be unfair not to give some i'm
portance to his testimony on another
point. Mr. Smith testifies that since
the taking of plural wives was pro-
hibited in 1890. he knew Of no plural
that have been celebrated in
Utah. He has made none himself, nor
assisted others to do so. The Mormon
church does not now sanction poly
gamy, and we are left to infer that the
practice will die out just as soon as the
plural marriages contracted before 1890
shall be dissolved by death. There
have been all sorts of reports to the
contrary, but it remains to be seen
they can be verified. We
know that President Smith did not
testify falsely as to his own case, even
though his confession involved confess
sion of personal violation of the law.
1t would seem that his testimony
should be entitled to credence in the
absence of definite evidence that the
As to Senator Srnoot, nothing in
President Smiths testimony reflects
upon him. So far as the record goes.
Senator Smoot never approved poly
gamy, and never took more than one
wife. That other members Of the Nor
mon church have been tainted by the
stain OF polygamy affords no reason
why Senator Smoot should be made
to suffer. 1t is possible that the hear
ing may yet disclose something to Mr..
Shoots discredit. but 1t has not yet
appeared. 1t is disclosed that Mr..
Smoot had to secure the approval CT
his brother apostles in the church be-
fore accepting the senatorship, but
President Smith explains that this
means no more than that Mr.. Smoot
had to be absolved of his duty to the
church to the extent that his service
to the country would interfere with it.
1t still remains to be explained wheth-
er in assuming the position of apostle
Of the Mormon church Mr.. Smoot
was required to take an oath placing
allegiance to the church above his
duty as a citizen and statesman. 1t is
possible that Mr. Smoot may have
taken some obligation which would in
Ierfere with his usefulness as a SEN