Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-12
DECLINED TO RUN
IDAHO DEMOCRAT REFUSED TO
FIGHT THE MoRMoNs.
Declares That He Opposed His Party's
And-Mormon Plank as He Be-
lieved It Was Unnecessary.

The defense in the Senator Smoot invest-
cation before the Senate committee on
privileges and elections today called 10 the
stand F. II. Holzheimer, practicing law
yer of Pocatello, Idaho. He LIVED in Utah
about twenty years before going to Idaho
about two years ago. He belongs to the
Episcopal Church, and said he always had
been a democrat except for time in
Utah when, in common with all Gentiles,
he belonged to the liberal party
Opposed Anti-Mormon Plank.
The examination of Mr.. Holzheimer was
confined almost entirely to political con-
ditions in Idaho. He was member or the
last democratic convention, which adopted
an anti-Morrnon plank, and served on the
resolutions committee. He declared that
he had opposed a plank for the extermina-
ton of polygamy and polygamous CO.
habitation and the separation OF churcn
and state" on the grounds that no plank
of that character was needed, as tnere
had been no plural marriages In the state
since the manifesto. The witness SAID
majority of the delegates were opposed TO
the plank, but that the resolution was
forced on the convention because 1t was I'M
derstood that former Senator Heitfeld, VINO
had been Endorsed for governor, had MADE
a pledge ~ the national convention that IL
should be adopted Afterward he was
nominated by the convention for Congress
but subsequently declined to run on the
ticket because the party leaders proposed
to conduct a campaign directed against .ne
ness said, called their plan campaign Oh
publication of Idaho homes.
Democrats Hold Aloof.
Recause they were told that they would
have to conduct their campaign on high
moral plane" democratic leaders not In
sympathy with an attack on the Mormon
Church refused to make speeches IN the
1904 campaign, said the witness. He
thought there was no necessity for the
direct attack, as all young Mormons were
opposed to polygamy. He said that the
practice of polygamy in ldaho is only III
isolated cases; that there had been rev
plural families since the manifesto. put
that there are not more than twenty OF
thirty plural families in the whole state.
Have you ever seen any evidence OF IN
reference by the Mormon Church in pom
tics?" asked Attorney Van Colt
81 have not" replied Mr.. HolZheimer.
Can the Mormon Church get anything
it wants from the legislature In ldaho?
never had anything. They are In the mi
nority, both in the legislature and in the
state" was the reply. The witness was
then cross examined by Mr.. Tayier.
Mr. Holzhemer could name only two
democratic leaders who refused to support
the anti-Mormon campaign, but he named
six democratic newspapers that were OPP
posed to the campaign of the party which
he declared was one of Villification and to
attain personal ends.
Chairman Burrows questioned the wit
ness concerning the sentiment in Idaho on
the subject of legislation to prohibit polyg-
amy.
Mr. Holzheimer said he believed the peo-
pie would favor constitutional amendment
prohibiting polygamy in all states. A re-
cess was then taken.