Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-11
sENATORSMOOT 'SCAsE
Reports Submitted by the SEN
ate Elections Committee.
NOT ENTITLED TO SEAT
Involved in Church Domination in
Politics.
CHARACTER NOT IMPUGNED
Not Charged That He Has Been
Guilty Of Polygamous Practices
Defense by Minority.

| The majority and minority reports Of the
committee on privileges and elections in the
case Of Senator Reed Smoot of Utah were
today presented in the Senate. the former
by Senator Burrows. declaring that Mr..
Smoot is not entitled to his seat. and the
latter by Senator Foraker. taking the op-
poste view. At the same time Senator
Bailey. who Is member OF the committee.
stated that while be concurred in the views
of the majority. that Mr.. Smoot Is not en-
| titled to his seat he was Of the opinion
that Mr.. Smoot could net be deprived Of
his seat under the Constitution except by
| q resolution Of expulsion
| In accordance with Senator Burrows re-
/ quest. an extra number OF copies of the re-
ports and of the hearings in the case was
ordered printed. Mr.. Burrows also gave
| notice that he would call up the case at
| the earliest possible moment consistent
| with the public business" and Senator For
| aker expressed his approval OF this an
nouncement.
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 sug
S6SleQ ny Lie lSAdS stIidtOE NOlo VI tWO-
thirds would be necessary to vacate the
seat of the Utah senator.
The reasons for the action of the Senate
committee privileges and elections In
declaring by a majority vote. that Reed
Smoot is not entitled to a seat in the Sem
ate as senator from Utah ore stated in
report submitted to the Senate today by
Chairman Burrows and signed by Senators
Burrows Dolliver. Dubois, Pettus Bailey.
Overman and Frazier to be follows:
THAT Mr.. Smoot is one of a self-perpet-
uating body of men, known as the first
presidency and twelve apostles of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day
Saints, commonly known as the Mormon
Church; that these men claim Divine au-
thority to control the members of said
church in all things temporal as well as
spiritual; that this authority Is, and has
been for several years past, SO exercised
by the said first presidency and twelve
apostles as to encourage the practice OF
| polygamy and polygamous cohabitation In
| the state of Utan 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 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 the United
States and that said Reed Smoot comes
here, not as the accredited representative
| of the state of Utah in the Senate OF the
United States, but as the choice Of the
hierarchy which controls the church and
has usurped the functions Of the state in
| said state of Utah.
Example Set by Church Leaders.
The report says It Is shown beyond rea-
sonable doubt that the authority of the
| first presidency and twelve apostles is so
exercised over the members Of the Mormon
| Church as to inculcate belief In the d.
vine origin of polygamy and polygamous
| cohabitation. Quotations from the Book OF
| Mormon and other publications are cited
! to prove the alleged Mormon belief that tf1e
revelation on the subject of polygamy Is or
| higher authority than the manifesto forbid
| ding the practice. 1T is very evident.
| the report says. that IL polygamy were
discountenanced by the leaders of that
| church it would very soon be thing Of
! the past among the members OF that
| church On the contrary. 1t appears that
| since the admission of Utah into the Union
! as a state the authorities of the Mormon
| Church have countenanced and encouraged
| the commission of the crime of polygamy
| instead of preventing 1t. as they could cas-
| lily have done.
A SUFFICIENT number of specific instances
| of the taking of plural wives among off,
! Gals Of the Mormon Church since the mani
| festo of 1890 have been shown by the tes-
| timony. says the majority. Ito demonstrate
| that the leaders, the first presidency and
| the twelve apostles. connive at the practice
| OF taking plural wives, and have done SO
/ ever since the manifesto was issued. which
p,.rported to put an end to the practice.
| at has been shown by the testimony, so
| clearly as to leave no doubt of the fact,
| that as late as 1896 one Lillian Hamlin be-
| came the plural wife of Abraham H. Can
| non who was then an apostle OF the Nor
| mon Church. George Teasdale. another
| apostle of the Mormon Church, contracted
| a plural marriage with Marion Scholes
| tha y7;f of 1SSN0 q q n
| evidence that Walter Steed, prominent
| Mormon. contracted plural marriage after
| the manifesto of 1890. Charles e. Merrill.
/ a bishop of the Mormon Church. took q
plural wife In 1891, more than a year after
| the issuing of the manifesto the ceremony
| being performed by his father. who was
| Their and until the time OF his death an
| apostle in the Mormon Church. 1t is also
4 shown that John w. Taylor. another
apostle OF the Mormon Church. has been
| married to two plural wives since the Is
| suing OF the so-called manifesto. Matthias
| F. Cowley, another OF the twelve apostles.
| has also taken one or more plural wives
stree the manifesto.
| 1t is asserted that Abraham II. Cannon
and Lillian Hamhn were married on the
| high seas OFF Los Angeles. Cal. by Joseph
4 F. Smith, now president of the Mormon
/ Church. OF the marriages OF apostles. the
| report says:
| and Cowley have married plural wives since
/ the manifesto may not be so free from all
| possible doubt as Is the proof in the case Of
1 Abraham Cannon, the fact that the proofs
| presented to the committee showing such
| marriages by Taylor and Cannon stand
| wholly uncontroverted. and the further fact
that Apostles Taylor and Cowley. instead
| of appearing before the committee and de-
nying the allegation. evade service Of pro-
1 cess issued by the committee for their ap-
| pearance, and refuse to appear after being
requested to do 80. warrant the concur
| sion that the allegation IL true and that
| said Taylor and Cowley have taken plural
/ wives since the manifesto"
Taylor and Cowley have recently been
dropped from the Hist of apostles ana this
action by the church Is offered as amount
| ing to an admission by the first presi-
dency and twelve apostles that Apostles
l Taylor and Cowiey have each taken one
i or more plural wives since the manifesto.
| Several instances OF plural marriages by
other church members are cited, and the
report adds:
ut is morally impossible that all these
l violations Of the laws of the state OF Utah
by the contracting OF plural marriages
could have been committed without the
/ knoWledga OF the drst preSidency and the