The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-06-13
MAJORITY Of COMMITTEE
AGAINST APOSTLE SMOOT
REASONS FOR so DECLARING PLAINLY GIVEN
Not in Washington as Representative of State
of Utah, but of Hierarchy Which Con.
trolls Mormon Church

WASHINGTON. June 1.-THE reports
Of both majority ana minority of the
senate committee in the investigation
of the Reed Smoot case was submitted
today.
The reasons for the action of the SEN
ate committee on privileges and cleo
tions in declaring, by majority vote,
that Reed Smoot is not entitled to a
seat in the senate as senator from
Utah are stated in a report submitted
to the senate today by Chairman Bur-
rows and signed by Senators Burrows.
Dolliver, Dubois. Pettus. Bailey, Over
man and Frazier. to be as follows:
THAT Mr.. Smoot is one of self
perpetuating 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 men,
bers of said church in all things, tenn
poral as well as spiritual; that this au-
thority 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 long time past have con rolled
the political affairs of the state of
Utah and have thus brought about in
said state a union Of church and state.
. IT, al
state of Utah and contrary to the con-
stitution of the United States; and the
said Reed Smoot comes here, not as
the accredited representative of the
said 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"
The report says it has been shown
beyond reasonable doubt that the au-
thority of the first presidency and
twelve apostles is so exercised over
the members of the Mormon church as
to inculcate belief in the divine origin
of polygamy and polygamous cohabi-
tation. uotatlons from the book of
Mormon and other publications are
cited to prove the alleged Mormon be-
lief that the revelation on the subject
OF polygamy is of higher authority
than the manifesto forbidding the prac-
tice.
Several instances of plural marriages
by church members are cited and the
report adds:
1T is morally impossible that all
these violations Of the laws of the
state OF Utah BY contracting plural
marriage could have been committed
without the knowledge of the first
presidency ana the twelve apostles or
the Mormon church. Furthermore it
is shown BIZ the testimony Of one Of
the twelve apostles ana other wit
nesses that under the established law
OF the church no person could secure
a plural wife except by the consent of
the president of the church
One intensely interesting chatter is
devoted TO the charge that testimony
was suppressed by Mormon leaders,
through the sending out Of the coun-
try of the apostles and other officials
who were charged with taking plural
wives since the manifesto. The report
says:
1T would be nothing short OF self