Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23
TO BE INVESTIGATED
ACTION OF SENATE COMMITTEES
IN sMooT CASE.
Authority to Be Asked Monday-All
Documentary Evidence Consld-
cred at Today's Session.

An investigation of the case of Senator
pead Smoot by the committee on priVi-
,eees and elections was today decided upon
and authority will be asked of the Senate
Monday for the sending for persons and pa
pers.
The committee met today. Senator'S Bur
rows. the chairman. calling the meeting
to order The session was a secret one
and lasted an hour and half. Inc COM
mittee had before it in printed form all
the documentary evidence that has been
secured up to the present time rms IN
cludes the charges against Senator Smoot
together with the replies he has made to
them through his attorneys
Senator Shoots supplemental reply to
the charges was read by the committee ana
commented on as of great Importance He
AYERS that none of the matters contained
in the revised and amended charges, even
If true, would furnish legal ground for his
expulsion from the Senate.
Denials and Admissions.
Insisting upon this objection to the juris-
diction of the Senate" he says in his reply,
which had before been published, land re-
newing and applying to these new charges
the motion to strike out heretofore made
in reference to the original charges, l an
swer as follows:
LAS to the. first charge-I deny that the
Mormon priesthood. according to the doc
trine of the church or the belief or prac-
tice of it's membership, is vested with or
assumes to exercise supreme authority in
all things temporal, spiritual, civil and po-
litical. l admit that the first presidency
of the church has supreme authority in
things spiritual and in things temporal re-
lating to the property, business and affairs
of the church itself.
Il admit that the head of the church
claims torreeeiye divine revelations. l adj
init and aver that l am bound to accept
and obeyssuch revelations so far, and SO
far only, as they relate to things spiritual,
or to the property, business or affairs OF
the church itself And i especially deny
that / amcor can be bound in any way to
obey any such revelation when such ODE
dience would be a violation of the Consti-
tuition or laws of the United States or of
the state OF Utah.
LAS to the second charge. admit that 1
am one of the twelve apostles of the
church. and that the members of the first
presidency and the twelve apostles are sus-
tanned (or voted for) in the general confer
ence of the church. as prophets. seers and
reyelators. Under the rule and practice of
the church the president only is recognized
as authorized to receive revelations for the
church.
II admit and aver that the president and
his two counselors, constituting the first
pre sidency, and they only, are supreme in
the exercise of the authority of the church
on ALI ordinary occasions: and that when
the first presidency is disorganized by n
vacancy in the office of the president, and
then only, is such supreme authority vested
in the apostles. This has happened only
once since / became an apostle, and such
exigency lasted about fourteen days.
As to Polygamy.
GAS to the third charge: I deny that, as
shown by their teaching or by their own
lives. said alleged body of men has not
abandoned belief in the practice Of poiyg-
amy and polygamous cohabitation. except
that 1 admit that the practice of polyg-
amous cohabitation by some who were
polyganists before the manifesto has been
Abandoned. but continued for time by
1t1,o,r and where continued Ii has been On