Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-19

| Doubtless the earlier memonaAsts
| against Senator SmOot were equally
| honest as they were equally mistaken
| IN their estimate Of him. His situation
may well move the compassion even OF
those who are hostile TO the Mormon
hierarchy. FOR he has been held up be.
/ fore the country as guilty of violation
/ Of a law that ln fact he has ever e
| spected.
"The esteem On which Senator smooi
! has been held by many OF tho ADLER on
! his colleagues Is evidenced. perhaps. 10
some extent iu the character 0t the
igucrs OF the minority report. such
senators as MegsrA forakfr Knox,
Dillingham;. Bcyerdge and Hopkins are
good Judges or the capabilities ol d
colleague. s veteran Republican .ea1el
0f the senate not "a member OF the
committee on privileges and elections.
once said 100 conversation. 'Smooi "a "a
better Senator than Tom Plat. When
he had been in me Senate a year no
knew more about lbs business ard how
20 transact 90 than p.att knows now.
The New York World has pronounced
Views on the question That Is now up
70 the United states senate. and does
not hesitate 20 express them In a man.
ner that everybody can understand Tile
World says edtorla.iy
six members OF the senate committee
ON privileges and elections hold that b.
reason OF his relations % the M0rmoL
church Reed Smo0t Is not entitled toI
bis seat as a Senator Five membersl
insist that Mr, Sm0ot r. entitled 10 his
seat One member. senator Bailey,
agrees with The majority that Mr..
Sm0ot is not entitled 90 his seat, bun
insists that De- cannot De deprived Of 70
except by a resolution Of expulsion
I IT IS worth While 90 a case like ms
10 count heads as well as noses. or
Itae twelve members OF the committee
three are great constitutional lawyers
Senator Foraker Senator Knox and
Senator Bailey Senator Knox ana
lSenator Foraker signed the minority
report. which holds that Senator Smoot
.s entitled 10 bis seat. Senator Bailey
signed the majority report, but Insists
that Senator Smo0t can be removed
only by a resolution Of expulsion. In
other words. the three constitutional
lawyers on the committee are all OPP
posed to the plan o. excluding Senator
ISmoot and two 81 them believe there
| are no lawful grounds whatever Tor de-
| priving him OF his seat.
THE decision as 20 the method Of
procedure rests with the Senate itself.
II is difficult 20 believe that that body
viii establish a pernicious precedent n,
excluding by a mere majority vote
member who possessed all the qualiiica
tons enumerated By the Constitution
and who had been regularly elected by
a legislature having full power 90 elect
him Expulsion q another ma,ler
Exclusion would be an application OF
lynch law instlgated by manufactured
petitions
The New York Evening Post takes M
the subject as presented in the reports
from the committee on privileges and
elections, IN a lengthy editorial The
greater part Of which we copy ma
which contains the gist OF the entire
article. After discussing the question
OF the possibility OF securing vote at
the present session Of Congress the
Post says.
Whether the original unfounded BE-
lief that Smoot Is a pOlygamlsI has
yet died out through this country Is
doubtful. The story Is told that one OF
the Senators who has been classed as
pro-Smoot found that a rural consutu-
ent was actively opposing him az nome
When the reason Tor his hostility vas
asked this bucolic cato declared ne
didn't propose % support no polos-
amist Thus his Senator was made 20
shoulder vigorously sin which me
accused Mormon himself never COM
mitted.
When. however. We come TO the cold
logic Of the reports. the wonder is that
with SO few facts al al To- dEput-.
able lawyers and conscientious men
can come 10 such diametrically opposu~
conclusions. The man IN the street lee!s
rathdr like Launeelot Gobb0, Con-
science. you counsel well. flend, you
counsel we'll II seems manitestly
unfair 10 punish q man for the sins o.
his associates specifically TO punish
because his church believes IN poly
gamy. an apostle who. az the minority
states. has been noted from early man
hood for HIS opposition TO plural mar
rlages ID Is Just as repugnant how
ever. 70 let Sympathy Tor 'Wrelchyd,
meritorious' Smo0t prevent or avert ne
singing practical robuke which tie
insolent. law-defying hierarchy OF CiJn
SO richly deserves.
what Mr.. Sm0ot had 20 say for HIM
self on some OF the more important
charges Is at this time worth recalling.
Placed on the witness stand 30 Febru.
airy. 1905. he was asked what be- would
do n the Church through he president
or IN any other way should direct MIN
now % vote on a pending bill. Tic re-
Piled:
Il would vote just the way that ]
thought was best for the Interests n
this country, without any dictatilu
from the Church or anybody represent
ing 90 IN the slightest degree GUIDING
me iu casting my vote. because 20 IS
not their business. As matter ot
fact neither the Church nor anybody
representing the Church or purporting
% represent the Church. has undertake
on Do any way 10 dictate or direct ml On
the performance OF duties as Sena or
! would not submit for a moment lo
any dictation Of that kind
IT has been stated by Washington
correspondents that on minor bills iu
which the Church would seem 90 have
some interest. Mr. Smoot has actually
voted against that interest There Us
certainly not q Republican member n
the Senate who could make II more Tus-
tive affirmation % his freedom from .
taa influence OF. say. The great C1rrH.- .
atIous or tho railroads O. fnI. county .
'A- 90 the fearful oath of vengeance .
!. D. H.. &. Hs. u