The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-13
PROCEEDINGS IN FULL
Holzheimer Of Pocatello Was the
First Witness


Washington, Jan. I2-The defense in
the Senator SmoOt investigs ton be
lore the senate committee on privi-
Jeges and elections today called to the
stand F. H. Holzheimer, a practicing
lawyer of PocatelIo Ida He lived in
Utah about twenty years before 60
ing TO Idaho about two years ago
He belongs to the Episcopal church
and said he always had been a Demo-
crat. except for a time in Utah when
in common with all GentiIes. he be-
longed to the Liberal party.
The examination of Mr. HOlZheimer
was confined almost entirely to pO-
litical conditions i'm Idaho. He was a
member of the last Democratic con-
Nertion' which adopted an anti-Mor-
mon plank and served on the resoIu-
lions committee. He declared that he
had opposed plank for the exterTni-
nation of polygamy and polygamous
cOhabitatlOu, and the separation of
church and state" on the grounds that
3lo plank of that character was need
ed as there had been no plural mar
Iiages in the state since the mani
1eSto. The witness safd a majority of
the delegates We're opposed to the
plank, but that the resolution was
forced on the convention because il
was understood that former Senator
Heitfeld, who had been endorsed for
governor. had made a pledge to the
national convention that it should be
adopted Afterward he was nomi-
mated by the convention for congress-
but subsequently declined to run on
the ticket because the party leaders
proposed to conduct a campaien di-
rected against the Mormon church
These leaders. the witness said. called
their plan "A campaign of publication
OF Idaho homes.
Only Isolated Cases.
Because they were told that they
would have to conduct their canDaien
a MI
leaders not In sympathy with an at
tack on the Mormon church refused
70 make speeches in the 1904 camDairn
said the witness He thought there
was no necessity for the direct attack
as All young Mormons were opposed
10 polygamy. He said that the prac-
lice OF polygamy in Idaho is only in
Isolated cases; that there had been a
Few cases where children have been
born in plural families since the man
ifesto, but that there are not more
thar twenty or thirty plural families
In the whole state.
Have you ever seen evidence of in
reference by the Mormon church IN,
pOlitics2' asked Attorney Van Colt
Il have not" replied Mr. Holz-
heimer.
cant the Mormon church get any,
thing It wants from the legislature in
1daho2''
Il should say decidedly not-tbev
have never had anything. They are
in the minority, both in the IerisJa
ture and in the state" was the re-
ply.
The witness was then cross-eSza mined
by Mr.. Tayler. Mr.. Holzheimer could
name only two Democratic leaders who
refused TO support the antf-Morrnon
campaign but he named six Demo
cratic newspapers that were opposed
70 the campaign Of the party which
ne declared was one of viili6cation
and 10 attain personal ends
Chairman Burrows asked the witness
concerning legislation i'm Idaho to pro-
hibit polygamy. Mr.. Holzheimer said
he believed the people would favor a
constitutional amendment prohibiting
polygamy in all states. Recess.
Frank Martin Testifes.
At the afternoon session Frank Mar
tin an attorney of Boise, Ida. said he
had lived in Idaho since 1856 and had
served as secretary of the state Demo-
cratic committee.
Mr.. WorthingtOn asked Mr.. Martin
what he knew of trips being made to
Salt Lake TO enlist the political aid of
the Mormon CHURCH The witness said
he never heard of any trip of that
character being made. The only Nor
mon the Democrats have nominated for
n state office since statehood was
dropped by a fusion of the party with
the POpulists and only one Republican
Mormon had been named 50 far as the
witness knew