The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-21
MR.. SHOOTS CASE.
Nothing to show. that Mormon Is Not
LOYAL.

LOYal.
New York Independently
The Mormon investigation is taking a
wide course. The question before the
senate committee Is whether Mr.. SmoOt.
a mormon apostle, shall be admit ted 10
the United states senate, II Is agreed
congress. but Mr.. STnoot~is not poly
gamist and no one pretends- that he is
50 the real question in discussion is
active ruling member OF the Mormon
church, can be received as a United
states senator or representative.
On the face Of il, the question would
seem ridiculous, for or constitution ex-
cluoes religious tests. But II does not
exclude moral tests Yet no one charges
immlorality of this or any other sort
Then, If no immortality IS in a primary
ana personal way chargeaDle against Mr..
Smoot, is he guilty in any such secondary
way, by Indictment or eOllusion. that he
may properly be excluded. This is a main
question now under nvestigation.
To prove this it must De shown that
Mr. Smoot, as a ruling officer of his
church. encourages other people to prac-
polygamy. of which he is not himself
guilty. and to this purpose the evidence
is now being present ed. The present head
Of the Mormon church has been under
long examination by the committee, and
he has admitted nearly everything which
the opponents of Mr.. SmoOt nave charged.
While he denies that any new polygam-
Gus marriages have taken place. unless
II may be in very rare cases against the
law of the church. he conresses that he
has himself lived, and scores of other old
men have lived. since the admission of
U IIda, as STATE IN continuous polygamous
relations with plural wives whom they
took before that time. When asked if that
IS not polygamy he said no; that polyg-
amy is the taking of an additional wife
which he has not done, but that it IS
gOlygamOus cOhabitation. When asked
II ne does not know that this is against
the law Of Utah, he said yes. but that
he felt he must take. that risk for the
peace of his families. He did not think
II right TO throw off his lives and chill
dren; and to avoid jealousies and friction
he must remain i'm husbandlyi relations
TO his wives He has not taught others.
he says, TO disooey the Law, but he chose
TO do SO for what he thought good rea-
sons, while taking no new wives. The
vast ma jOrity of his people. he said. are
monogamists, and the polygamists are
dying off. being now old men. and in
Few years there will be none left.
This is a very frank statement 1t adj
mits pretty much all that is charged. 1t
IS. confession that would exclude Apostle
Smith from the senate but not Apostle
Smoot. 1t raises question on which
honest moralists may differ. The question
whether polygamy or adultery or murder
barred from public discussion; but the
question whether those who. living IN
polygamous communities ormons or
Moslems or Pagans-have contracted
tians. give up all but one Of their wives.
is one that good missionaries have dit
Tered about. A year or two ago family
of one OF our Indians was converted The
old man was told that before he was re-
ceived into the church hc must give up
one of his wives. 1t was a very hard
thing TO do; but the old Woman took her
blanket, departed to live alone, saying
that the younger wife needed his pTotec
ton and care more than she did. Good
moralists differed as to whether the right
instruction
Utah law forbids living III plural mar
riage. as well as plural marriage itself
and no pluralist has any place in Wash
ingtou. The testimony of the head of the
Mormon church shows that while the
church holds that plural marriage IS In
itself right and that 1t Was ordained oy
revelation 10 Joseph smith, yet. the fur
Their continuance of plural relations with
those previously taken is Winked at. but
not taught. So far no evidence has ap-
peared on this line To- exclude Mr.. Smoot.
But another line OF testimony is being
prepared which will show, II possible.
that MormOns are under such bonds 10
obey their church that they are not free
70 be good citizens of their country-that
IS, that the authorities Of the church rule
and control the political action of their
members, so that q man has-no right 10
accept a political office except by per-
mission of the apostles of the church. 1t
is recalled that Mr.. Thatcher was ex-
cluded from the Mormon church for act
ing politically against the church's or
ders. 1t has been asserted that there are
oaths taken which are reasonable. For
this we await further evidence. Thus far
nothing has been proved that is likely 10
show that a loyal Mormon may not also
he a loyal citizen, unless he be living IN
a pOlygamOuS life. Practically. the Ques-
ton before the senate is whether any
Mormon can be a member OF that body.
Must that Mormon state be represented
only by a Gentile2 Much as we despise
and detest Mormonism. we must wait
further evidence that q Mormon cannot
be admitted to congress.