The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-03
A VAIN INVOCATION.


Trial BY Petition" the Deseret News.
the organ OF the Mormon church. says:
Tho scheme to influence the United
States Senate to act In a manner con-
trary to It's established rules. and even in
opposition to the spirit and letter OF tho
United States Constitution, Will not prob
ably produce the desired effect, II was
arranged that the numerously-sisnedp Pc
titIons from the different States OF the
Union should be piled In on the Senate at
a time when furore could bo raised
against Senator Smoot
The assumption OF the church organ
is that there is an impropriety In the
presentation OF petitions to the Senate
OF the United States concerning a pub
lie matter which IS pending before that
body. Then, what OF the many peti-
tions which the Mormon people have
presented from time to time to Con-
gress7 II 1t be wrongful to ask Con-
gress on one side Of a question 1t Is
wrongful to ask Congress on the other
side Of the same or any similar ques-
ton. II 1T be an evasion Of the pro-
prieties to petition the legislative
branch OF the Government 1t must be
an infraction to petition the executive
branch And II SO what language shall
be severe enough ( to characterize the
action of the Mormon leaders In be-
seeching two Presidents Of the United
States for amnesty? The remarks Of
the Deseret News would lead many Of
Its unthinking readers to imagine that
there had been some violation Of law or
constitution, or some request for vio-
lation thereof, In the signing and send
ing to the Senate OF the memorials by
the women of this country against Reed
Smoot. On the contrary. the Constitu-
ton expressly guarantees the una
brldged right Of petition to the people
of the land
The further assumption of the church
! organ Is that the exclusion Of Apostle
Reed Smoot would be against the spirit
and letter OF the United States Consti-
| tuition Nothing OF the kind, On the
contrary, the Constitution expressly
provides that the Senate shall deter
mine whether n man elected thereto Is
qualified to sit in that body. Unless the
widest latitude were granted to the
Senate Gas to the House in its own mat
ter OF this kind the provision OF the
Constitution would have been meaning
less. It was to cover just such possible
cases that the fathers included within
! the fundamental law this significant
authority.
But what an absurd thing IT Is for the
| Deseret News to be mouthing the word
| Constitution" anyway, 1t Is edited
by and for the Mormon church hie-
rarchy, who nullify the Constitution Of
this State every day OF their lives. and
who defy the laws and the senti-
mentalities which other people must OBJ
serve If there were any constitutional
| inhibition against memorials for the
expulsion Of Smoot. if there were any
| violation of the Constitution In his be-
ing unseated (as there certainly is noO
what a spectacle does the Deseret News
present In making the appeall The
News is the organ of men who sneer at
constitutions and laws. 1t Is the mouth
piece of pretended prophets who claim
to act under a higher law which privI-
leges them to nullify earthly enactment
den to appeal to written statutes. The
Nation could reply to them In almost
their own words that God ands
the uprooting OF the evil government OF
the Mormon church. and to this end
all means are righteous" Happily the
Nation does not need to resort to such
excuses, The case against Reed Smoot
is so plainly a justified proceeding; the
conclusion OF the committee is SO clear.
ly in accord with the facts: the actor
of the Senate, IL 1t shall expel or ex-
clude him. is SO manifestly q recogni-
tion OF the spirit of the Constitution OF
the United States. that one does not
need to resort to subterfuge In argu-
ment to defend and uphold tho proceed
lngs. But the Deseret News in any case