Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-27
Wants TO Know IL Tayler's Argument
As to Senator's Disqualification
Applies to All MOrmous
BELIEF IN DIVINE REVELATION
Asked # Argument for Disqualified
ton Applied to All who Believe
Ia the Divine Will.
Especial to the "News."O

washington, u. c., Jan. 2.-The
smoot enquiry is drawing to a close ana
while It may be that the final word VIII
NOT be spoken before Monday there Is
every reason to expect the committees
report viii be ready to submit to the
senate some day next week.
At the opening hour this morning
Waldemar Van Colt addressed the COM
mlttee in the opening argument for the
defense. lie reviewed the testimony
briefly and declared that inasmuch
az Senator Smoot has been guilty of no
violation Of any law, as admitted by
the protestants' attorney, II would be
IN outrage to unseat him. lie said that
the fact that the senator believes In di-
vine revelations Is no reason why he
should not be permitted to occupy his
seat IN the senate for such reason
would bar every man processing the
Mormon faith, and yet the attorney
for the professionals asks for his unseat-
ing because he Is an apostle and as
SuCn lldy ooilc uaS lV'OiNN " 'N'Ni"
ton.
Mr.. Van colt referred to the testi-
mony concerning the alleged inter-
ference Of the Church IN the politics Of
Idaho and declared that conspiracy
existed to induce "Mormons' generally
to vote the Republican ticket in order
to show such interference. Mr. Van
colt viii be followed by Mr. WorthIng-
ton who will close for Senator smoot.
His argument win probably extend
over until tomorrow, then Mr. Tayler
viii proceed for an hour after which
ex-senator Carlisle will make his
first active appearance I'm the case in
the closing speech Of all. Mr., Carlisle
has not been here this year and II is not
expected that he will appear before
Monday.
QUESTIONS ARE SIGNIFICANT.
The questions proposed by Senator
Knox to Atty. Tayler this morning are
regarded as significant In that they
show the drift Of mind OF the former
attorney general. Senator Knox has
been a careful student Of the evidence
from the moment he was appointed to
n place on the committee, When asked
today II it were not virtually a fact
that the only objection to the Nor
mon" faith is the former adherence to
the doctrine of polygamy he demon
strated IN the opinion of those In the
room, that he regarded II was essential
TO show that Senator Smoot has either
contracted "A polygamous marriage, or
that he has advocated polygamy, AS
no evidence whatever has been pro-
duced 10 substantate such "A charge It
Is evident, in the opinion Of those who
have followed the case, that Mr., Knox
regards the attempt to prove Senator
Smoot as unfit to occupy his seat, as
having failed, and 1t is also regarded
as certain that he will sign no report
which contemplates unseating the Utah
senator Up to the present time the
members Of the committee have de-
cIned to express opinions as to the
case, Three weeks ago the prepond-
cfance Of opinion among newspaper
men who have followed the case day
after day was that the majority Of the
committee would sign report against
senator Smoot But this opinion has
materially changed during the past
week. and today 1t is the belief of
majority that larger number of mem
hers Of the committee will sustain him
m his right to represent his state in
the senate,