The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-21
TESTIMONY IN DETAIL.
Senator Under Examination During
Entire Day.

Washington Jan. Ex-senator Reed
SmoOt was nut on the stand in his own
defense today i'm the investigation of pro-
tests against the senator retaining his
scat IN the senate. \ minority of the
committee on privileges and elections has
been attending the hearings. but when IL
vas announced that Senator SmOOt
would testify the absentees were sent for.
no previous announcement had been
made but the senator had not long been
under examination before the doors Of the
committee room were filled and pas
saEe ways We're kept open with difficulty
= :. Worthlngton. of counsel for the de
Tense was closeted with the senator
throughout the morning He was late in
arriving at the capitol, but stated that
The expected witnesses having failed to
appear ne had decided to examine the
senator at once in order not to lose
DAY. He conducted the direct eXamina-
Senator Smnot was at his ease. al
though every eye in the room was di-
Trcred 70 him. The first questions were
as 10 tho senator's nativity. He said he
was born in salt Lake City in 1862. HIS
Father and mother arc both dead. His
mother was a plural wife. Concerning
N. own family he said ne was. married
Sept. L. 1884. and has but one wife. They
have six children He said that at the
time of his marriage he did not take the
Erdovmcuts but that in 1880 he had gone
through the endowment house At the
request Of his father. for the benefit of
the iatter's health. He said he told his
Father at that time that he did not care
much al bout taking the ceremony
Held Two Church Offices.
Senator smoot said he had been en-
Fagcd in the mercantile business most OF
hi life. Tho only office i'm the church
that he has held other than that of apos-
lie was counselor 10 the president Of the
ftah stake of Zion and he declared that
b, had taken no osths of any character
when ne became counselor nor had nc
taken any oath when he became an apos-
Mr.. worthington asked Mr.. smoot about
the endowment ceremony and ne replied
II could not give it if I wanted to-
WHY not2"
Because have no distinct recoIlec-
tiOn of the ceremony
Mr. WorthinEtou read what witnesses
have alleged 10 be The oath of ven
geancc.' and asked senator Snoot if
There was anything Of that character IN
the ceremony.
There was not
was there anything of vengeance upon
this genera tion2
WAS there anything about avenging
TIE blood Of Joseph Smith
There was not And it would nave
been very strange II there had been
Joseph Smith was the instigator Of the
Endowment ceremony. and IL would have
beeu very strange if ne had asked his poo
pie TO avenge mis- blood when he was
was there anything in the ceremony
which would affect your loyalty TO your
There was not"
How came you TO be a candidate for
kenator?"
Well I had been rather active in poll
tics before the division was made on
party lines I took the leading papers Of
both national parties and at first believed
havseIf gradually drifting toward the
principals Of the Republican party and
Icined that party when the division
came."
Earlier Political Ambitions.
The senator explained in detail his In
terest in political affairs. He said that
In 1898 his political friends in Provo.
most Of them non-M ormons. asked him
10 either run for governor or for the
United States senate.
Il told them" he said. that I did NOT
care to run for office until we could
SEE our own county ia the right poliu-