Arizona republican., 1905-01-21
THE DEFENDANT
Senator Shoot Himself
 Takes the Stand
HE'S A REPUBLICAN. FIRST
He Has Forgotten the Endowment CeremOny-The Church Had Noth- ing To Do With His Candidacy and Could Not Influence Him Now.

Washington, Jan. 20.-Senator Reed Shoot was put on the stand in his own defense today in the investigation of the protests against the senator retain ing his seat in the senate. A majority of the committee on privileges and elections has been attending the hear ing, but when it was announced that Senator Shoot would testify the absentees were sent for. No previous announcement had been made but the senator had not long been under ex- animation, before the doors of the com mittee room were filled and the pass age ways were kept open with diff cUIty.
 A. s. Worthington, of counsel for the defense, 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 he had decided to ex- anime the senator ar once in order not to lose . day lie conducted the di- rect examination. Senator Shoot was at his ease although every eye in the room was directed at him.
 The first questions were as to the senator's nativity. He said he was born in Salt Lake City in 1862. His father ana mother are DOIn Qeau. Ills mother was a plural wife. Concerning his own family he said he was married Sept. r, 1884, and has bu:. one wife. They have six children. He said that at the time of his marriage, he did not take the Endowment oath but that in 1888 he had gone through the Endowment House at the request of his father, for the benefit of the latter's health. He said he told his father at that time that he did not care much about taking the ceremony.
 Senator Shoot said he had been en- gagged in the mercantile business most of his life. The only office in the church that he has held other than that of apostle was counsellor to the president of the Utah stake of Zion and he de- clared that he had taken no oaths of any character when he became coun- sellor nor had he taken any oath when he became an apostle.
 MT. Worthington asked Senator Smoot about the Endowment ceremony and he replied: q could not give it if I wanted to-"
 why rot?"
 Because I have no distinct recol- lection of the ceremony"
 MT. WorthingtOn read what witness es have alleged to be the oath of | if there was anything of that character in the ceremony.
 ''There was not"
 was there anything of vengeance upon this generation?"
 No sir
 was there anything about aYenging the blood of Joseph Smith?"
 "There was not. And it would have been very strange if there had been. Joseph Smith was the instigator of the endowment ceremony and it would have been very strange if he had asked his people to avenge his blood when he was alive"
 "Nas there anything in the ceremony which would affect your loyalty to your country?"
 "There vas not"
 How came you to be a candidate for senator?"
 'WeH, I had been rather active in politics before a division was made on party lines. I took the leading papers of both national parties and at first believed myself to be a democrat, but as I studied politics, I found myself gradually drifting to the principles of the republican party and joined that party when the division came"
 The senator explained in detail his interest in political affairs. He said that in 1898 his political friends in Provo, most of them non-Mormons, asked him to run either for governor or for the United States senate.
 'I told them" he said, "that I did not care to run for office until I could get our county in the right political column. and that when that time came I should like to go to the senate. We organized and carried Utah for the re- publican party in 1900. I announced my candidacy for the United States l senate in 1902. Of course, I know of , the rule which required me to ask the president of the church if I could run" |
 Here MT. Worthington interrupted i and asked him to explain this rule. | Senator Smoot replied that it referred | only to officials of the church and | simply to a leave of absence l from church duties. He said he went | first to the presidency, while it was | sitting in one of its regular meetings, | and formally made application for a leave. He told the presidency that if | elected he would require a leave of ab- sence so as not to interfere with his duties as a senator.
 "That consent was given me some time early in May and I announced my candidacy May 19, 1902" continued the "and I immediately began to my forces for a campaign"
 DO you mean, to organize the re- publican forces or your church friends?" asked MT. Worthington.
 "The republicans, most assuredly" was the reply.
 Was the Mormon church factor in politics in your candidacy for the senate?" asked MT. WOrthington.
 Not in the least. No more than -he Presbyterian or Methodist churches. No man or woman can say hat I ever asked them to vote the re- publican ticket because was an apOs- Ie. Whatever I did to promote my was based upon republican arguments alone" |