The Elbert County tribune., 1906-06-14
ITO ExPEL SMOOT
SENATE COMMITTEE so RECON-
MENDS.
MINORITY REPORT OBJECTS
Majority Report Declares That Author
ity of the Church Does not Leave
Him Free to Act as a Pa
triotic Citizen

Washingtcn.-The majority and NIL
nority reports of the committee on
privileges and elections in the case of
Senator Red Smoot OF Utah were pre-
sented in the Senate Monday, the for
mer by Senator Burrows. declaring
that Mr.. Smoot is not entitled to his
seat, and the latter by Senator Fora
ker. taking the opposite view
At the same time Senator Bailey,
| who is member of the committee,
stated that while he concurred in the
views of the majority, tHat Mr.. Smoot
is not entitled to his seat. he was of
| opinion that "Mr. Smoot could not be
| deprived of his seat under the consu
tuition, except by a resolution of ex-
pulsion.''
Senator Smoot was present in the
| Senate chamber when the reports were
presented. He smiled broadly when
| Senator Bailey made his statement.
| Under the plan suggested by the Texas
| senator a vote of two-thirds would be
| necessary to vacate the seat of the
| Utah senator.
The reasons for the action of the
| Senate committee on privileges and
elections in declaring by majority
vote, that Reed Smoot is not entitled
to a seat in the Senate as senator from
| Utah are thus stated:
| That Mr.. Smoot is one of a selfper
petuating body of men, known as the
| first presidency and twelve apostles of
| the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, commonly known as the
| Mormon church; that these men claim
divine authority to control the mem
bers of said church in all things, tenn
| poral as well as spiritual; that this
authority is, and has been for several
years past, exercised by the said first
| presidency and twelve apostles as to
| encourage the practice of polygamy
and polygamous cohabitation in the
state of Utah and elsewhere. contrary
to the constitution and laws of the
state of Utah and the law of the land.
that the said first presidency and
twelve apostles do now control and for
a. long time past have controlled, the
political affairs of the state of Utah,
and have thus brought about in said
state a union of church and state, con-
trary to the constitution of said state
of Utah and contrary to the constitu-
tion OF the United States, and that the
said Reed Smoot comes here not as the
accredited representative of the peo-
pie of Utah in the United States Sen
ate, but as representative of the hier-
archy which controls the church and
has usurped the affairs of the said
state of Utah.
The final chapter of the report is
devoted to the oath of vengeance. adj
ministered to those who go through
she ceremony known as taking the
endowment" The committee says il
was proven that an oath was admins
tered expressed substantially in this
form:
Each and all of you do covenant
and prize that you will pray and never
cease to pray Almighty God to avenge
the blood of the prophets upon this
nation, and that you will teach. the
same to your children and to your chill
dren's children unto the third and
fourth generation"
There can be no question" declares
the committee, 'in regard to taking OF
the oath of vengeance by Mr.. Smoot.
He testified that he went through the
ceremony of taking the endowments
in the year 1880, and the head of the
Mormon church stated in his testi-
mony is now the same that 1t has al
ways been.
IAN obligation of the nature of the
one mentioned would seem to be in
/
as a United States senator would owe
to the Nation. 1t is difficult to con
ceive how one could discharge the OBJ
legation which rests upon every SEN
ator to so perform his official duties as
TO promote the welfare of the people
of the United States, and at the same
time be calling down the vengeance
of heaven on this nation because of the
killing of the founders of the Mormon
church sixty years ago"
The minority report is signed by
Senators Foraker, Beveridge, Dilling-
ham, Hopkins and Knox. 1t says that
Senator Smoot's private character is
irreproachable.
so far as mere belief and member
ship in the Mormon church are con
cerned," says the minority, Reed
Smoot is within his rights and priv
ileges under the guaranty of religious
freedom given by the constitution of
the United States"
In conclusion the minority report
says:
I'VE are of the opinion that there is
no just ground for expelling Senator
Smoot or for finding him disqualified
to hold the seat he occupies because
of the fact that he, in common with
all the people of his state, has not
made war upon, but has acquiesced in
condition for which he had no orig
inal responsibility. In doing so ne has
only conformed to what Mormons, hos
tile to his church, as well as Mormons
have concluded is, under all the cir
cumstances, not only the wisest course
to pursue but probably the only course
that promises effective and satisfac-
tory results"