Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-28
SENATOR SHOOTS DEFENSE.

SENATOR SHOOTS DEFENSE.
Under the above heading the Literary
Digest for Jan. g. 1904 has these per-
tinent paragraphs,
"a noticeable feature Of the anti.
Sm00t crusade has been the fact that
the leading papers of the country have
not Joined in the hue and cry In man
ner 20 be desired by the crusaders.
While many petitions bringing charges
against the Senator have been submit
ted 10 the Senate Committee on Flee
tons and Privileges, most ~ the news
papers have believed the charges 20 b.
unsustained by EVIDENCE, The oppon-
ents Of Senator SmoOt charge that he Is
a polygamist, and that, as an apostle o.
the Mormon Church, he is bound by an
oath that might conflict with his oath
as n Senator The Senator last week re-
piled to these charges. attempting C.
place the burden OF proof upon thost
who demand his expulsion. Many OF
the newspapers now doubt If any OF IN
charges against the Senator can b
proven II seems wholly improbab
AHhA AIf AAAfAA DC VI INishhaflff - hNANf
against SmOOt, can be sustained de
clares the Baltimore American. anc
the st. Louis Chronicle remarks tina
the searching llme-light OF inquiry ant
investigation turned upon him has fail
ed to disclose a single rash or deplor.
able act In his whole llfe.' More such
men as Smoot In the Senate it goes OF
TO say. might infinitely elevate thu
moral and patriotic tone Of that body
"ln his defense the Utah Senator en-
phatcally denies the charge that h
liz q p0lygamist. He AYERS that he Ia,
but one wife, who Is the mother Of a
his children. He leaves the question o
his belief In polygamy open, l. Seyer
only asserting that polygamy Is not
tenet Of his church, and Is not prac
tised by any considerable number OF
It's members. Those who do practise j
according 90 the Senator do so at the
own risk OF punishment under the laws
Mr. Smoot admits that he is membe
of the Mormon Church, and says thal
he II one Of the churChs twelve apos-
ties; but he denies that the church W
any way contravenes the law. He de
cares that he 'honors and respects ant
obeys all the laws OF the State Of Utat
and Of the United States, and has never
been guilty Of any 0ftense against
either The Mormon Church he AYERS
Is Il spiritual organization. and he chal
lenges the Senate's right to discrlmin-
ate on religious grounds against man
who may be elected 10 that body
"ThIs defense, some believe, Is likely
10 lead TO an interesting Investigation
into the tenets and practlses Of the
Mormon Church. ana, further, may
bring on controversy over the rela-
,iOnshlp between church and state. Tho
Washington Post says on these points;
Senator Smoot must feel sure Of his
ground TO invite such Inquiry, and
win probably 60 far toward placing me
Mormon Church In better light In the
| eyes OF the world II the investigation
| is held and Senator Shoots position
indicated. II Will certainly be Il relief
| to the majority OF the people Of the
| country to have It definitely ascertained
whether these stories rejecting upon
| the morality and the patriotism Of the
| Mormon people have any foundation In
fact Senator Smoot declares that they
| have not, and invites, practically de-
mands, vIndlCatlon of his position by an
official inquiry.
| ASIDE from the results that may
| follow an inquiry, In response to this
| challenge OF senator SmoOot into the
| tenets and practlses Of the Mormon
4 Church. the antl-SmOot crusaders np-
| perently have nothing to expect from
| the Senate's consideration of their
| charges. Up to this time no evidence
| has been produced, nor IL there a clalm
| that any can be produced. to show that
| Senator Smoot Is polygamist The
| crusade has apparently been based EN-.
| trely upon an appeal to sentiment, ana
| has had no further effect than an I'M
successful effort to induce the Senate
TO be led into controversy over the
relationship between church ana
state.
We clip The following from the Rock
Springs Independent Of Jan, 30, 1904
1T cannot be denied that Senator
| Smoot makes pretty good answer TO
| his critics and opponents, He Is a
| Mormon, perhaps, but II he II not u
| poygamist what difference does his
belief I'm Mormonism make} Is It any
worse to believe IN the Book Of Mormon
than II is to believe In the books OF
Mother Eddy? senator SmOOt denies
that he believes IN or praCtIses polyg.
amy or that he even broke any law Of
the United states or countenanced
breaking any How do the brethren,
and especially the sisters, who have
been so strenuous against him, propose
that he shall be- kept out? Are we to
begin Mt this late day discriminating
politically against any rolislon?'
The Great Falls, Montana, Leader
remarks
Reed Smoot denies that he has a
multiplicity of wives, or that he ever
had more than one, He further denies
the other charges brought against him
II is up to those who oppose him 10
either prove their charges or forever
| urter hold their ppuCp.'