Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-07
HI sM0OT INQUIRY
HEARINGS WILL BE RESUMED ON
THE 10Th.
Amendment to Constitution Disqualify'
ing Polygamists From Holding
Federal Office Proposed.

On the nth or this month there VIII De "a
resumption of the Investigation now being
made by the Senate committee on privileges
and elections on the subject of Senator
Reed Shoots right to retain his seat.
At that time there will be about one
dozen Witnesses called in behalf of the
protestants. 1t is not believed that any
thing further can be done in this Congress
In relation to Mr.. Shoots case.
After these witnesses have been exam
ined the defense will then be privileged to
call witnesses. but it Is not expected that a
final decision can be reached until the next
session Of Congress.
A great deal of discussion has been going
on in advance OF the decision Of the COM
mittee as to what is likely to be the out
come of this investigation. A great many
persons who have followed the testimony
carefully, and especially have noted the
nature of questions that have been asked by
members of the committee. are inclined to
think that the result of the Investigation
will not be to unseat Senator Smoot.
The very general petitioning of Congress
for the unseating of the Mormon senator
has In no wise lessened as the case has
progressed. 1t is said that the demand on
senator's today for Senate Shoots eXpul-
sion Is as great as it has been at any time.
To Amend the Constitution.
Many senator's are inclined to believe that
while the committee viii not recommend the
unseating Of the Mormon senator yet the
result of the Investigator will be to bring
about a proposition for an amendment to
the Constitution which it is believed will eff
fectually exclude ~polygamy from every
state of the Union.
The admissions of prominent leaders of
the Mormon Church showing that seven of
the thirteen men who absolutely dominate
that church are polygamists have stirred
the country to such 4 degree that many
senator's believe that a proposition to amend
the Constitution SO as to provide that no
member of an organization advocating
polygamy as one OF its cardinal principles,
ever though that doctrine may be tempo
rarily suspended, shall be qualified to hold
public Office, would receive an enormous in
dcrsement throughout the country.
TIE constitution of the state OF Titan for
ever forbids the practice Of polygamy. but
it has been stated that there has never been
any prosecutions of prominent Mormon
leaders because the prosecuting officers In
that state expressed the conviction that it
would be impossible TO get a jury to bring
in a verdict against President Smith or any
of his associates.
A Proposed Prohibition.
1t is recognized that there would be grave
difficulties in enacting a national law, which
could be done only by an amendment to the
Constitution in this case bearing directly
upon polygamy. Some senators believe that
that can be done but there is a division Of
opinion, others expressing the belief that
the practical method for the stamping out
of the doctrine of polygamy will be by
practically destroying the national citizen
ship of any person who adheres to 1t in the
remotest way. That would be the effect OF
an amendment to the Constitution prohibit
ing persons UNFOLDING the doctrine from
filling any federal office or being qualified
as senators or representatives
Just how this proposed amendment should
be worded is a matter that is receiving a
great deal of attention in the Senate. Until
all the testimony has been taken many sem
ators reserve their opinions as to the meth
cd that shall be adopted for stamping out
the last vestige of polygamy even as a
principle whether or not it's practice is sus-
1t as one of it's cardinal doctrines.
A Petition From Utah.
Senator Burrows presented to the Senate
today protests from more than 600 of 1.-The
law abiding people of Utah" against the
declaration Of President Joseph F. Smith Of
the Mormon Church that they are broad
minded enough to consent to "the shocking
violations of law and public decency which
he confesses to having committed The
protests declare that polygamists have sur
rounded themselves with an impenetrable
wall of secrecy in their preparation of mis-
deeds and that the veil has been lifted in
part for the first time in the testimony
given by church leaders during the investi-
CATION of the Smoot case before the Senate
committee on privileges and elections. The
non-Mormons call for a continuance of the
investigation and say that further disclos-
ures equally startling may be expected.