Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-06-11
Majority of Com.
mittee Unfavor-
able.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Says Minority Members --.
Plural Marriages and Oath
of Vengeance Figure.

Washington, June 1.-THE majority
report of the Senate committee on
privileges and elections in the Smoot
case gives the reasons for action OF
the committee in declaring by ma
jority vote that Reed Smoot was not
entitled to a seat in the Senate. The
majority report is signed by Senator
Burrows, Dolliver, Du Boise, Pettus,
Bailey, Overman and Frasier. 1t says
that Smoot is one Of the self perpetu-
ating body, known as the first presi-
dency and twelve apostles of the
church of Jesus Christ of the Latter
Day Saints, and that these men have
authority over members in temporal
as well as in spiritual things.
Represents Mormon Church More
Than Utah.
Among other matters, the body en-
courages polygamy which is contrary
to the constitution and that it also
controls political affairs in the state
of Utah and that Smoot is not a rep
resentative of the state of Utah, but
comes as the chief hierarchy which
controls the church and has usurped
the functions of the state in Utah.
The report names a dozen apostles,
former apostles and other prominent
Mormons, who, according to the testi-
mony have taken plural wives since
the manifesto of 1890. The report
characterizes as a wholly untenable'
position, that because Smoot himself
does not practice polygamy and be.
cause there was no evidence shown
that he personally encouraged the
practice in Others, he ought not to be
condemned because Of the acts of his
associates. In Judgment the commit.
tee said that Smoot was no more en-.
titled to a seat in the Senate than
he would be if he were associating in
polygamous cohabitation with a plur
ality of wives.
Did He Take oath'of Vengeance?
The final chapter of the report is
devoted to the "oath of vengeance u
and says that no doubt Smoot took
the oath and no one could discharge
the duty of Senator and at the same
time be calling down "the vengeance
OF heaven" on a natins hecatise Of the
lil.inslcf The founders Of the Mormon
Church sixty years ago.
Minority Says smoot Is Good Man.
The minority report of the Senate
committee on privileges and elections
favoring the retention of Smoot as
Senator was signed by Senators For.
aker. Beveridge, Dillingham;, Hopkins
and Knox The report says Shoots
private character is irreproachable.
$50 far as mere belief and member.
ship in the Mormon Church are con.
cerned," says the minority, "Smoot is
within his rights and privileges under
the guaranty of religious freedom
given by the Constitution of the United
States" AS to the endowment oath,
the minority says that the testimony is
utterly unreliable because of the dis.
reputable and untrustworthy charac.
ter of the witnesses and that no ground
has been established on which to pred
icate the finding that Smoot ever took
the obligation involving hostility to
the United States, or requiring him to
regard his allegiance to the Mormon
Church as paramount to his allegiance
and duty to the United States" AS to
the second ground, the report says, "he
has not countenanced or encouraged
plural marriages since the manifesto
Of 1oo0."
Reports to Senate Today.
Washington, June 1.-THE majority
and minority reports of the committee