Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-10
A NEEDLESS ATTACK.

The April number OF the National
Magazine contained n very fair article
about Senator Reed Smoot with an eX-
cellent portrait The Deseret News
copied the article. In the May issue
OF the same magazine we find as the
leading editorial on Affairs at Wash
ington," deserved eulogy of Sen
ator George Frisbee Hoar but 1t IS
marred by a needless and untruthful at
tack upon President Joseph F. smith,
under the guise Of an effort TO show up
the smartness and versatility of the
NI-.s.ahussi... statesman We quote
from II as follows;
Senator Hoars gravity is now ana
then lighted by flash OF hne sweet
humor; but there was nothing huIllol-
Gus in the way he exposed the defiant
lawlessness OF the Mormon leader SUM
moned before the senate committee Try
ing charges affecting Senator Smoots
fitness to retain his seat. II was
merciless inquisition in which the VII
ness was speedily reduced from pat
roulzinq and semi-insolent attitude to
sheer logged defiance, after being Ut
erolly forced by the senator's inesse as
a cross-eXaminer TO contradict himseH
repeatedly, exposing the sophlstical ma
ture of the inspired teachings when
he receives from heaven and passes on
10 his people. IL made clear this tact'
THAT whatever may be said Of senator
Smoot personally, his associates III the
control of the Mormon Church, or tne
chief among them, have been ana are
living in polygamous relations ~lth
llshed edict Of the Church against sucn
conduct. President Smith even Went
go far as TO declare that natonal law
could not punish him, and as Tor the
law of Utah he had no fear OF that.
The ugly and un-American cohdltloh
revealed by the Smoot inquiry may not
result I'm his election from the senate
hut il certainly should and VIII give
new force to the demand for the eNet-
else OF the Nations authority IN pl9t-
ting out polygamy as pracueeu ui'''
the cloak Of the Mormon Churoh'
We should think that Joe Mitchell
tChapple, whose name Is at the head Oh
the article quoted from, would endeaVor
TO be accurate when writing the inter-
esting chapters in his magazine on al
fairs at Washington. We are sorry 10
see such incorrect statements as those
we have reproduced for they cast n
cloud of doubt on other matters OF IN
formation on which he touches month
ly. The record Of the proceedings as
taken down by the official stenographer
Is no doubt within the reach Of the Ma
tional Magazine, and so there Is no SOL
81 excuse Tor the errors into which It's
editor has fallen, in an attempt to pam
der TO popular prejudice and fall into
line with the crowd in pelting the
"Mormons'
The truth Is that no member Of the
committee on privileges and elections
was more courteous and fair towards
President Smith than was Senator
1oar. And after asking number OF
questions which sometimes were "a trllle
puz2ling in their manner OF presohta-
ton, he kindly put the witness fairly
before the committee by summarizing
what he understood to be the gist OF
President Smiths testimony. We quote
the annexed, verbatim, from the onicia
report,
Senator Hoar-I would like to know
at some convenient time from Mr. Tay
Ter what I'm Mr.. Smiths statement NJ
expects To contradict and what Of II h,
accepts? ! understand that Mr. smith
statement is I'm substance this.
That he and his church accept Ger
tain divine revelations which hay
come to them, including him as on
OF IT'S presidents, In the past that on
of those divine revelations was an in
junction TO polygamy TO plurality o
wives, that he intorprets that injunc
ton not to mean that il Is binding OF
all men under all circumstances bu
that II ia like similar iujunCtions &
persons who believe I'm me ogamy an
that that Is shown by the fact tina
that was the construction OF It., tina
only 3 or 4 per cent IN old times o
that communion lived I'm polygamy
that thereafter, and after the practis
OF polygamy had been declared an OF
tcnse by the civil law, there was an
other revelation suspeuding-l will NO
use the word retracting, but not for IN
fu'ure requiring-p Olygamy, and tina
from that time forward his Church ha
ceased to inculcate It, and has regurde
the practice Of polygdmy, with the eN
ccpti0n ] am about to state an olfens'
and has obeyed the civil law; that lher
have been since then no plural mar
rlages under the sanction or with IN
knowledge Of the Church or soclet!
but that he himself and. according I
his belief, other persons In high place
Of authority OF the Church, and wit
his full appreciation, / suppose, hay
said that while they would contract Il
more plural marriages and would r,
sist with all their influence and ell IN
authority Of the Church, any new on
and while the Church has never san,
TONED or solemnzed one since thi