Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-15


on THE Case OF Reed smoot" which
we here copy in toto;
Here is man who comes to the
United states Senate with the commits
sion u one OF the sovereign States Of
this Union. Although he has not been
charged with being O malcfactor, aud
despite the fact that he is In his pri-
vate life an upright and most useful
citizen, he has had TO fight for his
official lie almost from the hour that
he took his seat IN the Senate. Even
his bltterest enemies do not try TO
show that he Is the husband OF moro
than one wife. The entire war that Is
waged upon him Is based upon his hold
Ing an Office in the Mormon Church. In
other words, the prejudice against that
Church is visited on Mr.. Smoot. He is
to be the vlcarious Offering on the all
tars OF bigotry aud intolerance.
1T Is true that under our form OF
government which gives each house OF
Congress the right to Judge of the quail
iflcatlons OF its members the United
States Senate can arbitrarily eSpel any
man who holds q seat In that body, II
goes without saying that II would new
er have occurred TO Senator Burrows
or Senator Dubois, who are leading the
fight on Mr.. Smoot, to have made any
attack upon him had he been a deacon
or an elder IN one OF the Protestant
churches. He might have been an Ut
terly irrellgious and even an immoral
man. and not have been subjected 10
the merciless persecution that has been
so perslstenty made upon him solely
because OF his church affiliations.
AS Reed Smoot admittedly ranks
Naat ~ 49, L., LIT tsH.
as he has been his whole life long.
scrupulously honest, temperate ana
charitable; as he commands the respect
Of all classes. both GentIles and Nor
mons, as he has not even been charged
With practising polygamy. what can
there be AT the bottom Of this at
tempt to take from him his seat but
spirit OF fandticism and intolerance
or late years II has been the boast Of
liberal-minded people that the old era
OF persecution for opinions sake had
become extinct Ia the United States.
The crusade against Reed Smoot hard
ly sustains this boast. People Of mar
row Views and deep seated prejudice ~
per cent OF whom, without an iota OF
information as to the facts, would go
on the stand and make oath that Smoot
Is q pOlygamlst, have bombarded the
Senate with petitions that he be UNI
seated. The pressure from this source
has been intense and has been conduct
ed in systematic fashion.
THE question arises, can Senators az
ford to be swayed by this clamor that
has been worked up With great dill
gence and which IL without the IN
SEPARATION Of a single lofty motive? sena-
tor Burrows who Is fighting with des-
peratiOn IN the cause of the fanatics,
has plan OF excluding Mr.. Smoot. but
not OF eXpelling him. To laymen It
seems distinction without a differ
ence, but II the Burrows idea is car
rled out, the Utah man can be gotten
rid OF by a majority vote OF the SEN
ate. To expel him two-thlrds vote
is necessary. Against the ridiculous
Burrows motion at least three able
Senator's members Of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, may be count
ed. Bailey. of Texas; Overman, or
North Carolina. and Frazier, OF Tennes-
see. MIR. Bailey, who is reckoned one
of the best lawyers in the country,
holds that there can be no way Of
deprlvlng Smoot of his seat save by
direct expulsion. II he be an unfit man
10 remain In the senatorial body. GER
tainly he should be expelled. and that
can be done by the assent Of two"
thirds of the Senators. So II would APP
pear that Mr.. Burrows nice little plan
Of getting Reed Smoot out OF the Sem
ate will not work. IL Is not within
the range Of probability that two-thirds
OF its membership can be found TO
vote In favor OF election. Furthermore,
II every one In that body in which all
are peers would search his conscience
and ask himself the question, Is II a
Just or righteous thing to take this
mans seat away. thereby not only de-
prlvIng him OF what is legItlmately HIS
own, but likewise multiplying the constl-
tutlonal right Of State TO make It's
own choice OF Senator merely to satisfy
the noise of tho narrow-mlnded? the
prospect Of Mr.. Burrows getting even
corporars guard on his side would te
exceedingly slim"