Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-16
MORMON IN POLITICS
Testimony of State Chairman
Jackson of Idaho.
CANDIDATES MARKED
THE CHURCH FIGHTS THOSE NOT
IN SYMPATHY WITH IT.
Mrs. Annie Elliott Repeats the oaths
and Penalties Subscribed to in
the Ceremonies.
CANDIDATES MARKED

Before the Senate committee III
vestigating the protests against
seating Senator Smoot of Utah Mrs.
Annie Elliott today repeated the
oaths of vengeance and various PEN
alties subscribed to in the Temple
ceremonies. She said that every
Mormon who has taken the endow-
ments has worn the garments which
have been previously described.
Charles H. Jackson, chairman OF the
democratic state committee OF
| Idaho, declared that the Mormon
Church interfered in Idaho politics
and practically controlled legislation.
The first witness in the Sentaor Smoot in
quiry today was Mrs Annie Elliott of Price,
Utah She is elderly lady, who went
| from Denmark to Utah in 1872, and left the
| Mormon church in 1S96 She was asked
| concerning the obligations taken In the
| temple and was requested to repeat as
| much of the ceremonies she could re-
| member.
| In a voice shaken with suppressed emo
| ton Mrs Elliott said that the obligations
were so ndeicate that she could not bear
to repeat them. Chairman Burrows told
her to take her own time and not to be en-
barrassed
The witness said the first admontion TO
those who participated was that IL they did
not want to go any further and take the
oaths they should turn back and go out.
oaths and Penalties.
BY slow degrees Mrs. Elliott repeated the
oaths Of vengeance and the various penal
ties ascribed for revealing any part of the
| ceremonies. During her testimony concern
| ing the penalties of mutilation of the body
| the witness trembled continuously and APP
peared to proceed with difficulty. After
saying that each person taking the endow-
| ments agrees to have his or her throat cut,
Mrs. Elliott said 1T would be impossible for
her to go any further.
"At that time / considered Ii all so Sc
rious that 1 thought 1 would put 1t away
and not mention 1t any more. she said
when requested to proceed. Pressed by
Chairman Burrows the witness told of the
other penalties and obligations. which have
been described by other witnesses.
A. the request of Mr.. Tayler Mrs. Elliott
described the garments worn by Mormons
who have taken the endowments. Senator
Overman asked If every Mormon In good
standing is compelled to wear the gar
ments, and the witness said that all such
Mornlons wear the garments as unoer-
clothing.
Looking at Senator Smoot. Senator Over
man asked the witness if she were sure
every Mormon in good standing IN the COM
mittee room had the garments on.
Yes sir, they have" The reply pro-
voked laughter, and the witness repeated:
Il know they all have them on
On ncross-examination Attorney Worth
ington endeavored to draw from the wit
ness whether she had told others of the
endowment ceremonies, but she insisted
that she never had except In a limited
way to the pastor of the Baptist Church
in her town. She declared that the attor-
ney for the protestants had no idea what
she would say when she took the stand.
Senator Foraker asked the witness IL
she had ever heard of the endowment
house penalties being enforced against
any one She said she had not.
Mr. Tayler asked her If she were likely
to suffer by reason of giving testimony
here Mrs Elliott said she expected that
her business would suffer-
Interference in Politics.
Charles H. Jackson of Boise City. Idaho,
chairman of the democratic state COM
mittee, testified at length concerning the
growing power of the Mormon Church
and it's interference in state affairs,
which, he said, was made the paramount
issue by democrats and independents in
the last campaign in Idaho. He said that
apostles of the church from Utah go INTO
Idaho and direct the people how TO vote.
These
tell their people there have been reyela-
tions that they should vote a certain
ticket aid also that the Mormon Church
desires it,
being made by the Mormon Church for the re-
moval from the state constitution OF ldaho OF
the test oath against polygamists. lie tola
of the visit of Apostle John Henry Smltn
| for the purpose of directing legislation, and
said that the Influence of the church ac-
complished the passage of the sugar bounty
of / cent a pound on all sugar manufac-
tured within the state in 1903. and one-halr
cent a pound on all sugar manufactured
in 1904 1t is estimated that the bounty IN
1903 amounted to $4,000, and In 1904 to
Sl:50UOO There are four refineres In the
state and President Joseph Smith of the
Mormon Church is president of three OF
them The fourth factory was constructed
recently and is controlled by gentiles.
Power of the Church.
Speaking of the influence of the church
on the political affairs of the state, Mr..
Jackson took as an illustration the defeat
of Governor Morrison for a second nomf-
nation He declared that Governor Morri-
sons administration had been satisfactory
to his republican constituents, but that he
had run foul of the Mormon Church, and
therefore was denied second term In
this connection, Mr.. Jackson said, with
emphasis: "It is impossible for any man
or any party to stand against the Mormon
Church in Idaho.
In describing the political condition of
the state Mr. Jackson said six of the
twenty-one counties are known as solidly
Mormon and that in all of the southern
tier of counties the Mormons are In control.
and I'm that way, he said, the church prac-
tically is in charge of the legislature, polit-
ical conventions and all gatherings at which
the delegates are elected by the people.
Democratic Opposition.
..The delegates elected by these counties
are not always Mormon in religion. but they
are always Mormon In political action,
said Mr. Jackson. ihe witness gave in mar
rative form the history of the protests