Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-12-29
SENATORS PREDICT
GUSHING OF sMooT
Republicans As Well AZ Democrats
Ready to Condemn Practices.

Washington: The protestants OPP
posed to the seating of Senator Smoot
Of Utah closed their case before the
Senate committee on privileges and
elections Tuesday afternoon. Until
the holidays have passed there is
little prospect that there will be any
attempt to line up the defense. 1t
will be given as much time as X
wants, and It is understood that SEN
atOr SmOot and the attorneys he has
retained will summon many witnesses
from Utah as well as from other
states.
The preponderance o. opinion is
against any final action by the Sen
ate on the Smoot case by the adjourn
ment of the session of Congress. II
Is barely possible that the committee
which has spent so much time making
the investigations will make its report
to the Senate this session. but it is
even possible that this will not be
done. There is no disposition to
hurry those who have attempted the
unseating of Smoot. So, By the same
token there will be a disposition to
give the accused man as much time
as he may want.
The opinion of many senators who
have watched the hearings from day
20 day, and who have talked with their
colleagues who are members of the
committee having the matter in hand,
is that the report will be unfavorable
TO Senator Smoot.
The evidence which has been given
since the hearings were resumed at
the present session of the Congress
are responsible for this feeling. Until
the last month when the new witness
es were examined there was a feeling
that the evidence had in no way shak-
en- the seat occupied by Senator
Smoot.
Now, whatever may be the personal
prejudices of the senators who will
finally pass upon the question of re-
tanning Smoot in membership no one
is able to successfully deny that a
deplorable condition has been devel-
oped in the examination of the wit
nesses.
1t has been developed that since the
admission of the state to the Union
and the passing of laws absolutely pro-
hibiting poygamy, there have been
plural marriages and that the church
| authorities have repeatedly set at
naught the laws of the land.
1t has been established that the
church is supreme with it's members
! and that civil as well as religious
affairs are ruled by the council of the
church, which consists of thirteen
members and of which Smoot is one.
OF this council seven have been
shown to have more than one wife
and several to have contracted plural
marriages since the passage of the
laws prohibiting the practice.
In the eyes of many of the senators
an even worse condition Is that shown
In the disclosures relative to the
vows taken in connection with the
! church ceremonies. as they clearly
and plainly arrayed those who sub
, scribed to them against the existing
government and swore vengeance
against those responsible for the
death Of the church's first prophet.
The Oaths as described and repeat
, ed before tt? sea2te committee, a.,
Reasonable In the i..tI LIE.
The effort to make he case partisan
has failed entirely 1t will be found
| when the report is made and the case
/ comes before the Senate that Repub-
licans as well as Democrats will be
found ready to condemn the practices
in Shoots state and who will not
defend him, though it is proposed to
deprive the dominant party of a
member of its majority.
The case of the respondent will be
! reopened January 10, to which date
the hearings have been postponed.
Judge Howell Is Acquitted.
Linaeus. Mo-: Judge ID. c. Howell.