Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-15

on THE Case OF Reed smoot." which
we here copy In toto
Here IS man who comes to the
United states Senate with the commits
sion u one OF the sovereign States Of
this Union. Although be has not been
charged With being o malefaclor, and
despite the fact that he Is In his prl-
waite life an upright and most useful
citizen, he has had 10 fight for his
official life almost from the hour that
he took his seat IN the Senate Even
his bltterest enemies do not try to
show that he is the husband OF moro
than one wife. The entire war that Is
waged upon him Is based upon his hold
Ing an Office In the Mormon Church, n
other words, the prejudice against that
Church Is visited on Mr. Smoot. He Is
10 be the yicarious Offering on the al
tars Of bigotry and intolerance.
1T Is true that under our form of
government which gives each house or
Congress the right to Judge Of the dual.
licatl0ns Of It's members the United
States Senate can arbitrarily expel any
man who holds q seat In that body. II
goes without saying that # would new
or have occurred 10 Senator Burrows
or Senator Dubois, who are leading the
fight ON Mr. Smoot, 10 have made any
attack upon him had he been deacon
or an elder in one Of the Protestant
churches. He might have been an ut
terly lrrellgiOus and even an immoral
man, and not have been subjected 20
the mercIless persecution that has been
80 perslstently made upon HIM solely
because of hIs church affiliations
'As Reed Smoot admittedly ranks
with the best men IN A1Mnofjye State;
aS he has been, his WIN Mic long
scrupulousy honest, teilyAfate ana
charitable; as he communicable respect
Of all classes, both GefrDes and Nor
mons, as he has not even been charged
with practising poygamy what can
there be at the bottom Of this at
tempt TO take from him his seat. but
spirit Of tanaticlsm and intolerance
or late years II has been the boast of
hberal-minded people that The old era
of persecution for opinions sake had
become extinct IN the United states
The crusade against Reed Smoot hard
y sustains this boast, People Of mar
row views ana deep seated prejudice 80
per cent OF whom, without an iota OF
information as 10 the facts. would go
on the stand and make oath that Smoot
is a polygamlst have bombarded the
Senate with petitions that he be un-
seated. The pressure from this source
has been intense and has been conduct
ed In systematic fashion.
THE question arises, can Senator's ar
ford 10 be swayed by this clamor that
has been worked up with great dill
gence and which ID without the In
spiratlon OF q single lofty motive? Sena-
tor Burrows, who Is fighting with des-
peration In the cause Of the fanatics,
has plan OF excluding Mr.. Smoot. but
not of eXpelling him. TO laymen It
seems distinction without a differ
ence. but II the Burrows idea Is car
rIed out. the Utah man can be gotten
rid Of by q majority vote Of the Sem
ate. To cxpel him a two-thirds vote
Is necessary Against the ridiculous
Burrows motion at least three able
Senators. members Of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, may be count
ed. Bailey. OF Texas; Overman, OF
North Carolina, and Frazier, Of Tonnes.
see Mr. Bailey, who is reckoned one
OF the best lawyers In the country
holds that there can be no way of
deprving Smoot of his seat save by
direct expulsion. II he be an unfit man |
10 remain In the senatorial body, GER |
tainly he should be expelled. and that |
can be done By the assent of two |
thirds of the Senators. So 1t would APP |
pear that Mr.. Burrows nice little plan |
Of getting Reed Smoot out OF the Sem |
ate will not work II is not within |
the range OF probability that two-thirds
Of It's membership can be found to
vote in favor Of election. Furthermore,
II every one I'm that body in which all
are peers would search his conscience
and ask himself the question. Is II
Just or righteous thing to take this
mans seat away. thereby not only de-
prlving him OF what Is legItimately his
own, but likewise multiplying the consn-
Wtional right of State TO make its
own choice Of Senator merely to satisfy |
the noise OF the narrow minded the |
of Mr.. Burrows getting even a
guard on his side would be |
nXceedingly slim"