Little Falls herald., 1906-06-15
MAJORITY OF SENATE coMMIT;
TEE STATES REASONS ron
FAvoRlNc EXPULSION.
Report sevsrs Arrai9nmsnt Of the
Mormon Church and Its Teachings
and PraetIces-Dsfendant Not Ae-
sused Of Po'yoamous cohabltat'en,
but 40 Z Leader Of the Hierarchy
Encourages That Mode of Living.

Washington, June 1.-THE reasons
Tor the action Of the senate committee
on privileges and elections In declar-
ing, by majority vote, that Reed
Smoot Is not entitled to seat In the
senate as senator from Utah. are
stated in report submitted to the
senate by Chairman Burrows and
signed by Burrows, Dolliver, Dubois.
Pettus, Bailey, Overman and Frazier.
to be az follows:
THAT Mr.. Smoot Is one of a self
perpetuating body of men, known as
the first presidency and twelve apos-
ties 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 members of said church in all
things, temporal as we'll as spiritual;
that this authority is, and has been
for several years past, 70 exercised
by the said first presidency and twelve
apostles as to encourage the practice
Of polygamy and polygamous cohabi-
tation in the state of Utah and else
where. 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 af-
fairs Of the state of Utah and have
thus brought about in said state q
union Of church and state, contrary to
the constitution of said state of Utah
and contrary to the constitution Of
the United States, and the said Reed
Smoot comes here, not as the accred-
lted representative Of the state of
Utah In the senats of the United
States, but as the chief hierarchy
which controls the church and has
usurped the functions of the state in
said state Of Utah."
Married Since the Manifesto.
The report names a dozen apostles,
former apostles and other prominent
Iormons, who, according to testi
mony, have taken plural wives since
the manifesto Of 1890, an act impos.
sible except by consent of the pres.
1dent Of the church," says it is shown
by incontrovertible testimony that q
majority of those who gave the law
TO the Mormon church "are now and
have been for years living in open,
notorious and shameless cohabitation; =;
the list being headed by President
Joseph F. Smith. The report con.
tinues:
''These facts abundantly justify the
assertion made in the protest that
the supreme authorities in the
church, of whom Senator-elect Reed
smoot is one,. to-wit: the first pres.
idency of twelve apostles, not only
connive at violation of, but protect
and honor the violators of the laws
against polygamy and polygamous co.
habitation.'"
The majority report characterizea
as wholly untenable" the position
that because Smoot himself does not
practice polygamy, and there is no
evidence to show that he has person
ally and individually encouraged the
practice in others, he ought not be
condemned because Of the acts of his
associates. It is charged that Reed
Smoot is an inseparable part Of the
governing body Of the Mormon church
and In the judgment of the committee
is no more entitled to a seat in the
senate than he would be if he were
associating in polygamous cohabita.
tion with a plurality of wives"
The minority report, signed by five
members of the committee, declares
that Reed Smoot possesses all the
qualifications prescribed by the con-
stitution to make him eligible to q
seat in the senate and that his pri.
Vata character ia irrenrOacha hla