Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-22
STILL A MATTER OF MOMENT.

have reproduced a number OF editorials
from leading papers which have taken
fair ground on the questions involved,
and now present one or two more. The
Chicago Chronicle gives a brief ac-
count OF the Two reports. ana then
summarizes and expresses its views
upon them in these paragraphs.
"The majority report Is based on two
grounds-hrsl that MI Smoot ~ "a
member OF "a church which makes al
legiance to the church paramount over
allegiance 10 the nation and, second"
iy, that by that membership he is re-
sponsible for polygamous practices ia
others.
"The minority report declares natly
that there is little evidence on the al
legiauce point and what little there u
can not be trusted because Of the
want Of character In the Witnesses
That alone, pronounced by five men
Of the high character OF the senators
named should dispose OF this reason
without qualification. In any event
the allegiance to the Mormon
Church Is hardly IN the nature OF
political allegiance ana PROBABLY does
not differ materially from that
Acknowledged by other men TO some
other churches that might be named
"On that point. too, IL might be said
that for seventy years there were SEN
ators from nearly half the states who
entertained a theory OF an undenlable
political allegiance TO their several
states paramount to tina, 10 the ma
ton. yet nobody objected to their
membership In the senate on that
score unul "a situation, one might call
il an overt situation arose which
brought these two types Of allegiance,
both political. into actual aniagonism.
NO such situation can be said to
exist as to the two kinds of allegiance
alleged IN this case. even II there were
evidence OF their existence. which
evidence the committee minority SAYS
there Is not. II Is conceivable that re-
llgious fcuds or combinations might
readily made Ike allegation against
adherentF OF more than one OF the
other religious creeds
Touching the other ground It IL
claimed even by the majority that Mr.
Shoots responsibility FOR Dolygamous
theory or practice IN others Is only
constructive at most. while 1t Is not
charged by anybody that he has ever
countenanced 90 encouraged the
theory or practice IN others since the
pledge bv The church 10 abandon them
T, twenty years ago. and u Is adj
nitted also that he has never at any
lf6e sustained plural marriage by his
own conduct.
1T would be a strange doctrine even
II he had been polygamist before
that pledge but had ever since kent
the pledge inyiolate that he must now
suffer az II he had NOT kept II. II Is
more curious 20 hold him responsible
when he has never upheld the theory
or She practice. either before or since
the pledge against them. That amounts
90 Furnishing man not for Elm but Tor
cschewinE sin
Holding every member Of any
church punishable for an the sins Of
al the other members would work
some disastrous results IN any church
Senator Smoot should be Judged by
his own capacities and his own deeds
and not by those Of any other persons
OF his own clean living nobody
doubts
These are sensible conclusions
drawn nom a rational consideration n
both sides NJ the subject The Den-
yer News takes % somewhat different
tack. evidently swered by assertions
IN tho majority report that are not
borne out by the Official record Of the
investigation That paper SAYS Of Sem
ator Smcot. the effort 10 oua him is
mot because he IS q Mormon. or a
polygamist but because no. o. a meme
her OF the Mormon APOSTLES, a church
hierarchy. whose functions are such
o. to make his service AS United States
Senator dangerous TO American in-
stitutions' on that hypothesis the
News proceeds % give some opin-
Ions in support Of the findings ~ the
majority Of the committee. and sagcy
argues.
The hlgh authority exercised hv an
apostle no Mormon would question
he IS hv virtue of h.s Office ono of the
heads of "a the vast business under.
iakings which makes OF the Mormon
Church a great industrial corporation.
~ well as the source from which em-
Rnates all the vast religious oreaniz8-
lions of the Church. How a man 40
elevated and cousrcmfed 20 religious
and financial duties can De spared for
q political office Is "a question that tle
hest friend Of Mow0nism might Wen
ask and one which The critics NJ that
body say can only Doe answered on
the assumption that tha Mormon hicr-
srchy wishes 20 make ils political cone
troll complete.
The Denver News iu that on, para
graph shows pitIable ignorance Of Ttah
srairs althourh 30 is such mar
neighhor There is no apostle who
by virtue Of his ofic. is one of me
heads OF 900 the ,ast business UNDER
mkings which makes Of the Mormon
Church a grr1t industrial corporation
1.-THE Denver News editor had read the
tui report OF the Investigation hr
might have learned better thaU that Zoo
ssy nothing Of INQUIRY luto business
conditions here The office of au Auos-
ne IN the Mormon church docs not
ATTY With 10 position POD ans of tte
business undertaking. lu ihi- e.t, or boz
MS State And AS matter ot flct.
ne church itself is Uehti.
Interested financially ln hut o. Few n
hem and MOI at an On MOST ~ Them
President Joseph r. Smith l- rr..-
Sent Of several bushes. Institutions
Ehich ore joiui-sock concerns 1ul hr
. elected by thc sgme means and
METHODS as any layman might he
,hosen. or Is chosen. Ga a banking.
numerical or railroad corporation.
, few q he Apostles have shares iu
nme 81 these mercantile and manu-
scturing Institutions which hc, have
'cquired hy purchase ana which ars or
ave been on the public market
"Hcw Reed Smolt ~ an Apostle