Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-06-14
REED SHOOTS CASE
MAJORITY OF SENATE COMMIT.
TEE STATES REASONS FOR
FAvoRING EXPULSION.

Report a Severe Arrangement Of the
Mormon Church and Its Teachings
and Observation-Disclosures Not Ac-
eused Of Polyeamous Capitalization,
but as a Leader of the Hierarchy
Encourages That Mode Of Living.
Washington, June 12.-The reasons
tor the action Of the senate committee
On privileges and elections In declar-
Ing. by a majority vote, that Reed
Dmoot is not entitled to a seat In the
senate as senator from Utah, are
stated In q report submitted to the
senate by Chairman Burrows and
signed by Burrows, Dolliver. Dubois,
Pettus. Bailey. Overman and Frazier,
y be as follows:
THAT Mr. Smoot Is one of self
perpetuating body of men, known as
the frst presidency and twelve apos-
ties OF the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, commonly known
rs the Mormon church: that these
men claim divine authority to control
the members of said church In all
things, temporal as well as spiritual;
that this authority IL. and has been
for several years past. 30 exercised
BY the said nrst presidency and twelve
apostles 40 to encourage the practice
Of polygamy and polygamous cohabi-
tation In the state Of Utah and else
whore, contrary to the constitution
and laws Of tho state of Utah and the
law Of the land: that the said
nrst presidency and twelve apostles
DO now control. and for q long time
past have controlled, the political af.
fairs OF the state Of Utah and have
thus brought about In said state a
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-
tied 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 q dozen apostles.
~ In ant
Mormons. who, according to testi
mony. have taken plural wives since
the manifesto Of 1890. an act impos-
sibleg except by consent of the pres
ident VI the church." says II Is shown
by incontrovertible testimony that a
majority OF those who gave the law
to the Mormon church ARE now and
have been for years living In open,
notorious and shameless cohs bitation;
the list being headed by President
Joseph #. 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 characterizes
~ wholly untsnable" the position
that because Smcot 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. II Is charged that Reed
Smoot 10 an inssparable part OF the
governing body Of the Mormon church
and In the judgment of the committee
IL no more entitled to a seat In the
senate than he would be II he were
associating In polygamous cohabita-
ton with 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 a
seat In the senate and that his pri-
vate character Is irreproachable.