Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-18

|
Senator Smoot, today, put on the stand
witnesses to discredit the testimony,
three witnesses for the Protestants,
who gave what they alleged to be the
oaths taken by Mormons who go
| through the temples and take the en-
| dowment ceremony of the Mormon
| church The session was shorter than
| usual. today, because of the absence
| of witnesses. 1t is expected several
| witnesses will arrive, tonight and the
hearing will go on at 10 y. NJ, TO-
| morrow.
Washington, Jan. 17.-When the
Smoot investigation opened, today
Judge W. NJ. Mccarthy of the supreme
| court of Utah, who was on the stand,
| yesterday, WAS recalled by Chairman
Burrows and examined concerning the
| division Of officers between MormOnS
| and Gentiles. He said there was no
| agreement bat thai it is understood
| that the candidates on the tickets shall
| he about evenly divided. He repeat
| ed the statement made. yesterday that
| there is an understanding that one
United states senator shall be a Cen
| tile ana the other Il Mormon.
Richard ". Young of Salt Lake, a
| graduate Of Vest Point. and also of
| The law department of Columbia Uni
vcrsity, WAS sworn. While serving in
he Philippines he was president of the
criminal branch of the supreme court
of the islands. He returned to Salt
| Lake in 1901 and is now president of
one Of the four Mormon stakes Of that
| &c let md
says the sentiment of Mormons is de-
cidedly hostile to pOlygamy. He said
| there is no teaching of polygamy and
has been none since the manifesto
WAS issued. In relation to whisper
| ings' in politics he said he knew Of
| no instance where the 'whsper' had
| been traced to any Mormon authori-
| ties. SO far as he was concerned per-
sonally he said no person had ever
! sought to influence his vote.
ON cross examination. Mr.. Young
said he believed that the manifesto
was inspired. and that while there are
| people i'll the church who have not ac-
copied the doctrine of revelations. the
overwhelmingly larger majority be-
| lieve that the revelation in reference
to celestial marriage was inspired.
| MIR. Taylor called attention to a
| dispatch from Eureka. Utah. to the
| effect that ut a meeting, Sunday night,
| Bishop Daniel Connolly denounced
! those who had betrayed endowment
| olths at Washington as traitors. and
| said he had known traitors TO be
shot"
Mr.. Young did not approve the
reference to the shooting Of traitors.
| but said he thought that otherwise the
| bishop had expressed the sentiment
| of Mormon people toward those who
| lad testified in the Smoot investiga
| ton concerning the Endowment house
| ceremonies Normons loathe traitors.
| In answer to questions by Chairman
| Burrows. Mr.. Young said that until
| two years after its issuance the mani
| festO was not construed to I've directed
| against the practice Of polygamy, but
| only against new plural marriages.
| Mr.. Young was on the stand ut the
| afternoon session. Attorney Worth
ington for Senator Smoot and Sena-
tors burrows and McComas. engaged
| in an argument as to the propri"ty Of
| Il question as to whether the Endow-
| meut house contains anything hostile
| declines to give the wording of the
oath taken by Mormons who so
| through the ceremony.
Chairman Burrows ruled that if the
questions were proper he would in
1uirc of the witness as to the char
acter Of the ceremony and all of the
| obligations. whereupon Mr.. Young de-
| clinei to answer. He said he had
never heard Of any person being
harmed for revealing oaths of the En-
dowmcnt house.
i. Il. Thompson, an attorney of Salt
Lake ana a Gentle. testified concern
ing the circulation of Il rcmonStrHncc
against the testimony Of President
Smith that the Gcntiles condone the
offenSe Of poiygamous cohabitation.
Charles Demoisy of Salt Lake. COM
missioner of the state bureau of sta
tistics ara a non Mormon. testified
that he though the story of church in
reference Of politics lis a buEaboo
created for the benefit of disgruntled
politicians" He declared also that
Senator Smoot was the logical candi-
date for the scnatorship. and the fact
that he was an apostle made no diff
ference in his candidacy.
T.. S. Fernstrom of Salt Lake, who
has been a Mormon for more than so
years and two other witnesses swOre
that Augusta Lundstrom, witness
for the Protcstants. who gave what
he alleged to be the Endowment house
ceremony, could not be believed under
oath.
William Langton of Salt Lake, a
Mormon. testified that j. H. Wallis.
ST.. another witness. who revealed
what he said was the Endowment
house ceremony. bore n bad general
reputation and could not be believed
Witness admitted he had been a poly
samist.
Adjourned until tomorrow.