The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-12

| could possibly be concocted TO put the
church in politics and make il potential
therein than this. For. the moment it
is known that q candidate has the in
| dorsement OF the church and permis-
sion Of the hierarchy 10 be n candi-
! date, that moment he has back Of him
the whole power OF the Mormon church
| and his election Is assured There has
been no case In which a candidate for
n high Office in Utah has gained the
| consent of the church TO run and has
| been defeated y
He said that Mr. Smoot' = member
ship in the church governing body,
which inculcatcs a belief in polygamy
is conceded. Concluding that the mem
bers of the hierarchy teach polgamy as
a principle of human conduct, he took
mp the question as TO whether they
practice 1T On that point he said:
1.-The evidence upon this point is so
complete and overwhelming as to leave
no doubt as to the truth of the allega-
tion, The proof is indubitable that in
spite of the manifesto Of 1890 issued
by the head of the church, counsehng
the suspension of polgamy; in spite of
expressed inhibition of the Constitution
of the State and Of the statutory pro
hibition of the commonwealth, it APP
pears that a majority of the members
OF this hierarchy have continually and
persisteutly lived in polygamy, and are
today openly and confessedly defyiug
the laws of the land prohibiting such
crimes, The record is so shocking as
to challenge credulity'
He spoke in this connection of the
| astonlshment of the committee at the
| confessions of President Smith and of
| the revelations of the fact that eight
| of the twelve apostles have plural
wives. Referring TO Smith s contes-
sion OF five wives and forty-two chill
dren, Mr.. Burrows added:
Apostles Live in Polygamy.
eff the public press is to be credit
| ed, this number has been augmented
| during the last wear to forty three, and
while we are discussing the right of the
| representative of the hierarchy to
scat in this body, we can imagine its
sanity head sitting in the home OF his
fifth plural wife. rocking the cradle of
the latest illegitimatc offspring of his
debauchcry and crime, and with sane
timonious air, singing the familiar
hymn Of his church:
Now the Gentle reign is DER,
Darkness covers earth no more,
Gentle tyrants sink to hell,
Nows the day Of Israel.
He then declared "that it is shown
by the testimony that the majority of
| the apostles are living in polygamy, in
! cluding the president of the twelve.
Plural marriages are performed III
| secret in dsrkened rooms on the high
ways remote from habitation.''
Coming TO the connection of Senator
Smoot with the hierarchy, Mr. Burrows
said that practically all of its members
were polygamists when he became
| member.
''The vital question, therefore, is
| he said, Ecan one become a member of
and identify himself with band of
| lawbreakers, knowing them TO be such,
participate in their counsels and sus-
| tain them IN their conferences, and yet
| escape all responsibility for their un
lawful acts? Such contention will not
| stand the test of either law or reason.
| ''The Senator 3 completely In encour-
| aging polygamy and polygamous cohab-
| itation does not consist wholly In the
fact that he is one of the governing
body of that church BY repeated acts
| he has. as member of the quorum of
the twelve apostles, given active aid
| and support to the hierarchy In It's de
| fiance of the statutes of this State, and
| the laws Of common decency and his en-
couragement of the polygamous prac-
tires by both precept and example,
Senator Burrows's address in full fol-
lows:
Mr. President-No duty devolving
upon the Senate can he more important
than that imposed By the fifth sec
tion to the first article Of the Consti-
tuition of the United States, wherein
ii is provided (touching the Congress)
that leach House shall be the Judge of
the elections, returns. and qualifica-
tious of its own members,
The proper exercise of this power
coupled with that other provision Of
the Constitution which declares that
Each House may determine the
rules. of its proceedings. punish it's
members for disorderly behavior. and,
with the concurrence Of two-thirds. ex
pei member, is the only method by
which the legitimacy and integrity of
this body can be secured and main
tanned. Whenever. therefore. the right
Of a Senator TO a seat in this chamber
| is challenged for any cause, IT is in
| cumbeut upon the Senate to make in
vestigation and pass judgment upon
| the issue so raised. No other tribunal
is clothed with jurisdiction to try and
| determine such controversy
When the credentials Of the Hon.
Reed Smoot were laid before the Sen
ate, certifying to his election as
Senator from the State of Utah for
the term of SIX years from the 4th of
time presented TO the Senate a protest
against his being, in the language of
the remonstrance, Permitted to
qualify by taking The oath of office. or
to sit as member of the United
States Senate
subsequently, ana on lne 0lh OF
March, 1903, conforming TO the estab-
lished practice Of the Senate to ac.
cord 10 the holder of duly suthenti-
Gated certificate of election, the prima
facie right 10 admission, the oath of
Office was administered to Mr.. Smoot
and he was admitted to the member
ship of this body as a Senator from
The State of Utah. On the same day
the protest against his admission was,
by order of the Senate. referred to the
Committee on Privileges and Elections.
The grounds Of such protest are sum-
married. in its preamble, as follows:
We protest that Apostle Reed Smoot
ought not TO be permitted 10 qualify or
take the oath OF office to sit as n
member OF the United States Senate for
reasons affecting the honor and dignity
/ OF the United states and their Senators
In congress. and upon the grounds and
Tor The reason that he is one OF the self
perpetuating body OF fifteen men, who.
constituting the ruling authorities OF the
Church Of Iesus ChrIsl of Iaiiar- Dnv