The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-10
NEVER CONNlvED AT
ANY VIOLATION OF LAWhs
Snoot Denies That He is One
Of the Said Alleged Self
Perpetuating Body Of Fif-
teen and Declares .si
There Is No Such !
Body5of Men. ss28s.
tBy Associated Press.ll

SpUnSe OF Senator Reed SnOOc, OF Utnns,3s 3s
10 the charges l1lado against him was
presented to tho Senate Committee oian
Privileges and Elections to-day by sena- n
tor Burrows, chairman OF that commits II
tco. 1t was greed that at the regula1& Y
meeting of tho committee, 81 to be held
next Saturday, the attorneys for Mr.. Sa
Smoot and also for tho petitioners should 4
be beard They will DO expected to show
nrcccdGnts and authority, and after they
shall have made their presentation 8tlia II;
committee win decide whether to go d
further into tho matter by calling wits
nesses or dispose OF it on the showinga
which will then have been made. II :St
SHOOTS ANSWER. 4. l3s5 u i
b Mr.. Smoot submits In answer to charges
against him the 3followng:t ,5.5s
{'.Thls respondent Is advised and AYERS sa
that but two Of the charges made against
him in saidV protests, either directly or5gs
by Implication, are suchs;ls, II true, could f8
legally; affect his right tohllold his J: seat seat
in the Senate. II ThesTS two charges are s8s
45 II. That 8thc Respondent js T. polJEn ~ e.
ist. ssss. s{ {E Slas VI 8
.,oa. That hn Is bound some oath
or obligation which Is Inconsistent with
tho oath required by tho Constitution, II,
which was administered to him before H
lie took his seat as n senator a5s
4j 'Botl these charges respondent de- p
fnies ai53 Il a5 s. 53 4Ss s4Ss3
NOT64Ls sI'OLYCtANIIST.
Gas to the charge that he is a polygain-S
list, the respondent says that he wus NJ
married on the 18th day Of September.
1881, to Alpha May l1ldridEe. She Is stil Il
his wife, and Is the mother OF all his
chlldrcn. He has never had any other
wife, and has never lived with any other
woman. Ei
"As to he charge that the respondent Is
bound by some oath or obligation control-
ling his duty under his oath as a sena-
tor the respondent says that he nus
never taken any such oath, or II any
way assumed any such i obi ligatlon.s he n
holds himself bound to obey, ana upnola
tho Constitution and laws Of the United
States, including the condition In re II
ence to polygumy upon which the State
OF utah was admitted to the Union. 'f
NO BODY OF FIFTEEN
'Thc respondent denies that he Is ons
OF said alleged sclf-perpetuatins DodT Y
OF fifteen men, or tha I there IS any s'lcls II
body Of men: or that the foliowers e,,' ;p on
members of the Churchg.f Jesus Chrisn
OF Latter Day Saints, or any OF them.
accord tho right to said alleged body
to claim supreme authority, either dis \
vinely sanctioned Or otherwise, to snaps ~
tho bcIaf or control the, conduct OF those i
under them in all or any matters, cvis
or temporal, or that said church or sucls Y
8 ciscs any such alleged rights, or THAI
said church or said alleged body, or any i
person or body, exercises any authority &
or power to inculcate or encourage a be-
lief In tho practice OF poygamy, or tfnd
either countenances8 or connives at y any
vocation OF the laws Of the State of Utalil
or or tho United States, and this re-i U
spoEdent, for himself In particular, de- a
ries that he Is ono OF said alleged self
spcrpetuating body of fifteen men, or that
there Is any such body; or that said
church, or any part thereof or any per- III
~on therein. incucates or encourages q W
belief In tho practice OF polyEamy; and III
this respondent denies that he Is guilty 4
OF such, or that he Is a polygamlst, orr
that lle ever has been4a polygpnist, or r
that no as ever practiced polygamy.
FOLYGAAiY NOT TAUGHT.
Mr.. Smoot denies that le has ever cons
nlyed ut any violation OF any law In Utah
or tho United States, aud declares that D
since tho manifesto OF President vii.
ford Woodruff was Issued In 1890 neither
belief IN nor IL practice of polygamy has
either been taught or encoura ged.
Mr.. Smoot admits that tho first press
ldenuy of the Mormon Church is vested
with supreme authority In all things
spiritual and In all things temporal, ga
far as temporal things pertain to tho
affairs OF tho church, Ile denies that
uro supreme In the exercise OF all mans r
dates. 4$&
Mr., Smoot alleges that since he mans
ifcsto of President Milford Woodruff, ~ 4
1880. the practice Of polygamy by those
who were polygamlsts heretofore has been
abandoned by many hut continued by
some for time, and where continued
1T is on the sole responsibility OF such
persons, and is subject to the penalties
OF tho law .. ~
It Is denied that any body OF Officials y
either practices or connives at poiygamy, y
or that Mr.. Smoot or any body OF olti- ].
clals sought to pass law nullifyins
eliactmcnts against polygamy. II y ii-
mtted that such Il law did pass the
Legislature in 1891, hut that many OF tha
Mormon members voted against tha bill 4
and that 1t was vetoed by tho Governor, *
The charge that Mr. Smoet, from tls
high station OF United States senasGei
would wage war upon the home, Is 1er%
MED An strong terms. lie agrees ina {
tho home is the basic institution. upon
whose purity and perpetuity rests tho
Very government itself, and he alleges
tl,at he has as sacred regard FOR ~ n
station OF senator and for lis duties ~ n
has any OF the ProtesMpt VI tho uvsk IN