Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-11
SMOOT HEARING.
Important Matters DNuIged at
Session Of Thursday.
estimony Relating to the Senator
from Utah.
Witnesses Say That He Must Have
Consent of Church.

Washington, March LEONE of the
most interesting and important fea-
tures of the investigation OF the Smoot
case before the Senate committee on
privileges and elections was brought:
out. today, in the testimony of +. B.
Critchlow, formerly an assistant Unit
ed State attorney in Utah, who told the
story OF the Moses-Thatcher episode.
According. TO his version, which was
borne out by official records, Apostle
Thatcher persisted in continuing as a
candidate for the United States Senate
against the wishes of a quorum of the
apostles and on that account was held
to be mot in harmony with his quo
rum"
The history of the campaign he made
against the wishes Of his fellow Nor
mons, of his defeat and his subsequent
trial before i commission of church Of
ficials. was given in detail and then
Thatcher's submission to the will OF
the church was read, and put in the
record of the Smoot investigation
This recantation showed Thatcher as
being totally broken in spirit and bow
ing absolutely to the mandates of the
church in that the consent OF an Off
GERS quorum must be obtained in or
der that he may continue in good
standing. The purpose of the testi-
mony was to show that it was neces-
sary, according to the rules of the
church. for Reed Smoot TO have OBJ
tanned the consent of the church be
fore he could have become candidat,
tor the Senate. In addition TO thu
Thatcher episode. Mr.. CritchlOw gave
the history of the prosecutions in Ctah
on charges of polygamous coha bitation
since the passage of the EGmunds' law
and the legislation in the territory ant
state which affects Mormonism or pc
lygamy. His story was concise anC
entertaining and he was interrupted
but little.
Andrew Jensen, the assistant histori-
an of the church, gave testimony show
ing the supremacy of the president O.
the church. He related the methods O
the church, its control by presidents o
Stakes and bishops. The president o
the church, said this witness, appointe,
the president of the SO stakes and thes
latter appointed the bishops, severa
hundred in number. The bishops coulo
not act until their appointment was APP
proved by the president of the church
Washington. March 10.-Andrew Jen-
sen, assistant historian of the Mormon
church, was recalled as the first wit
ness, Thursday, in the Senator Reed
Smoot case before the Senate commit
tee on privileges and elections. He
said on cross-eXaminatiOn that there
We're a number of typographical errors
and misStatementS in the biographies o.
the Later Day Saints and that he go
q great deal of the information for the
volume from other publications.
Chairman Burrows asked the witneS:
to furnish a list OF the presidents o
the 539 Stakes and he agreed to do So
as soon as he could prepare it. The
chairman indicated that he tlso sought
a list of bishops of the 700 wards This
is for the purpose of bringing addition
al witnesses to Washington.
Mr.. WOrthington for the defence an
nounCed that the opposing counsel had
agreed upon a statement of facts in re-
gard to the testimony in the Teasdale
divorce case and would present it in
an executive session of the committee.
Mir. Jensen gave an elaborate eX'
PLANTATION of the machinery of the
church and the distribution of author
ity among a postles, presidents o.
Stakes and bishops.
At the executive session OF the com
mittee certain proceedings from tn
divorce case of Apostle Teasdale were
put into the record as evidence. The
admissions made in the case Were
&C.,
the testimony of President Smith thai
Teasdale was married to Littias Hooi'
for eternity only and that she was nc
considered as Teasdale's wife when hi
| contracted the marriage with Marian
Schcles. The divorce decree sets aside
the marriage.
Ike records and testimony in the
case and decree are unprintable.
Mr.. Jensen said that aside from Salt
Lake, Weaver and Summit counties
the No~mons were III the majority il
al the counties of Utah. Senator Du
bOis asked the witness in regard tC
apostle Heber ]. Grant. Nj. Jense.
said Mr. Grant had the reputation OF
being polygamist. In reply to ques
lions from Chairman Burrows. the wit
ness said Grant was reputed to be
poly gamist at the time he was named
by President Smith as the head of the
mission in Japan. L was understood
Mr.. Jensen said. that Grant took Il wife
to japan and wife to England.
Mr. Worthington asked Mr.. Jensen
if he meant by the term 'reputed to be
a polygamist' that a man has more
than one wife or lives with more than
one wife He said he wanted the for
Tner definition to be understood in ev
cry case, as that was statement
which the church allows to so unchal-
lenged.''
In regard to punishments for break
ing rules of the church. Mr.. Jensen said
that any member, the president not ex-
cepted) is amenable to the bishop of
his ward. and that other officials do not
Interfere.
Chairman Burrows said President
Smith has testified that he had vio-
lated the laws since 1890, and he asked
OF Mr. Jensen: