Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-12
some HOT SHOTS
ON SM00T CASE,
Salt Lake Truth Says Directors
Have Made Monkeys Of Sen.
ate Committee.
REVIEW OF The SITUATION.
"Fossilerous Editor Of Kearns Organ
Is Arraigucd by the Snappy
Gentle Weekly.

Today's Truth, the freelance weekly
edited and published by non Nor
mons" has the following to say In re-
gard to the smoot investigation before
the senate committee on privileges and
elections:
Truth has some more reading mat
ter this week that is highly enter
tanning. not only TO people here, but TO
dignlned United States senators and
the enlightened newspaper editors OF
the country. Before this smoot inves-
tlgatIon began we stated that we fear
ed 1t would prove a whimpering seniie
farce. And how II has done! how the
directors 10 Smoot have made mon
keys OF the senate committee on priv
lleges and elections. by leading II into
q hullabaloo about the Mormon
Church, but not thing against Sena-
tor Smootl As predicted by Truth
some weeks ago, the prosecution has
gone into the cohabtation of old-time
polygamists with their plural wives, for
the purpose Of creating excitement and
prejudice against Smoot, and thereby
| influencing those who are uniformed
on Utah affairs.
That these old cases existed has been
of common knowledge here, and else
where, too, and there never was any
| sntiment among the Gentiles here 10
prosecute them. In fact, the sentiment
was the other way. The Gentiles here
| knew the stuation--knew that such
| prosecutions would be inhuman under
| existing conditions here. The Ameri-
can people are not heartless and cruel,
| and those who knew the situation and
| were not oase-hardened bgots were
quite willing to let the old relations
continue undlsturbed; but they insisted
| that no new relations be formed, realiz-
| Ing that In the course OF nature the
grave would cover all the others within
| few years. The claim made by
some papers that this state has broken
Its compact with the general govern
ment Is, In the light Of facts. ridiculous,
and even mendacious. The Enabling
Act, by which the state was admitted
specifically stipulates as q condition
OF the compact with the people Of Utah
that polygamons or plural marriages
are forever prohibited" and so they
have been. The testimony introduced
so far before the committed has had no
bearing whatever upon this pfohibl-
ton. Utah kept the compact, The pro-
| testants against Smoot have effectual-
ly demonstrated that fact, however dis
| tasteful to them II may be.
| That a distinction was drawn be-
! tween polygamy and polygamous CO.
1 halItatIn, In, Ia. nAnattt.ttinnal
| vention and by the prominent Gem
! tiles NJ that Is well known and can be
proved readily. as can be seen right
here. Take look at the consttu-
| tional convention proceedings, COM
mencing on page 1876, Hon. c. s.
VarIan, q leading Gentle member OF
the convention. introduced the follow
ing as an amendment to Section 2 of
the schedule, and It Is now a part Of
our Constitutions
1.-THE act Of the governor and the
legislative assembly OF the territory OF
| Utah, entitled An act TO punish polyg.
amy and other kindred offenses ap.
proved Feb 4, 1892 In so far as thu
same defines and imposes penalties tor
polygamy. Is hereby declared TO be IN
| force I'm the state OF Utah"
The act referred to imposed a PEN
atty for polygamous cohabltation,
known to the law as unlawful c0hab-
itation Why was that territorial
statute modified, II II was not the ia
tention of the leading GentIles in the
convention TO leave. the old cases OF
| polygamous families alone? remrm-
Der, this amendment was offered by
C. s, Yarian. former United States
district attorney for Utah. man
who had been vigllant and determined
In prosecuting large number OF UNI
! lawful cohabitation cases. and who
had fun knowledge OF what this modl-
fcation meant. He was backed up IN
this by Judge c., C. Goodwin then
editor OF the Salt Lake Tribune, by
| present Senator Thomas Kcarns. by