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

the Senate and upon which the report
of the committee is based,
Final Reason Assigned.
Another and final reason assigned
why the Senator should not retain hls
seat in the Senate is that, as member
of the Mormon organization, he has
taken an obligation Incompatible with
his oath as q Senator Of the United
States, and is thereby incapacitated
from faithfully performing the duties
Of Senator. There is no question but
that this organization at some time in
the course of its history and under the
administration OF some one Of It's presl,
dents, probably Brigham Young, was
converted into a secret organization
with signs, symbols, and oaths. a cere.
mony is performed i'll secret and is
called "Taking the endowments, and
there is no question but that the Sena-
tor took these endowments and oaths
and that they are continued until today,
and are a part of the regular ceremony
of the church.
Many witnesses testified in general
way with more or less particularly as
to the nature of these obligations, but
Professor Wolf, of Brigham Young Col
lege, having been present when the OBJ.
legation was administered many times.
. anu IHt ldSh OCGdSlDu bcluS dS Jdle ds
| 1904, gives in exact words that the
| obligation is as follows;
You and each of you do covenant and
! promise that you will pray and never
| cease to pray Almighty God to avenge
| the blood OF the prophets upon this Ma
| ton. and that you will teach the same
| TO your children and TO your chldrens 6
children to the third and fourth genera
| tions.
The fact that such an obligation is
taken by those who go through the en-
! dowment house is unquestioned, and Is
J of such a character as to force the
courts to hold that it was a bar to
citizenship. In the third judicial court
of Utah in 1880, on the application OF
John Moore and others TO become citi.
zens of the United States, the court
in denying the application. said:
! In these applications. the usual evil
dence on behalf OF the applicants as td
! residence. moral character, etc. was in
| troduced at a former hearing and was
! deemed sufficient, Objection was made,
however. to the admission OF John Moore
! and William j. Edgar upon the grounds
that they were members of the Mormon
] church and also that they had gone
| through the endowment house OF that
! church, and there had taken an oath OF
| obligation incompatible with citizenship
which they would be- required 10 take
| If admitted.
Investigation was had. witnesses called,
and the parties were excluded from ciJi-
zenship upon the ground. as the court
says. the evidence establishes beyond any
reasonable doubt that The endowment
ceremonies are incompatible with the
oath an applicant for citizenship Is re-
quired to take. and that the oaths, OBJ
legations. and covenants there made are
| entered into. are Incompatible with the
| duties of citizenship OF the United States.
| Every witness before the committee
belonging to the Mormon faith from
J the president down, including the SEN
! ator himself, refused to disclose the
| obligation.
Arraignment of Hierarchy.
In the light of all the testimony in
the case, it is admitted that the mater
ial portions of the allegation in the
protest against the right OF the Sena-
tor from Utah TO a seat in this cham
Der have been established. That the
| Senator is one of a self-perpetuating
body of fifteen men, costituting the
ruling authorities of the Church of
| Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, hold
! ing the Office of apostle therein; that
such ruling authorities of said church
| claim and are believed by their follow
| erS to possess supreme authority, dl"
vlnely sanctioned, to shape the belief
and control the conduct OF those under
| them in all matters whatsoever, civil
and religious, temporal and spiritual;
| that they assume TO themselves author.
| ity In church and state, and SO exercise
| that authority as to encourage a belief
in and practice of polygamy and
| polygamous cohabitation, in violation
| of the laws OF the State prohibiting
such crimes and regardless of pledges
made for the purpose Of obtaining
| statehood and of covenants made with
the people of the United States; that
| they protect and honor those who, with
themselves. violate the laws of the
State OF Utah; that, as rulers of said
church, they dominate the State and
interfere with its functions.
1t is submitted that the Senator, by
becoming a member of and identifying
himself with such organization and par
ticipating IN It's functions, has disoual-
flied himself for membership in this
body. An organization that fosters and
encourages crime; tramples upon all
law, human and divine; practices polyg-
amy and polygamous cohabitation; de-
hood: debauches public morals; strikes
age; undermines and shakes the founda-
DESTROYS the sanctity of the marriage
State and National government; regis
tiers an oath Of hostility TO the Ameri-
can nation, and brings the name and
fame of the good people of Utah into
disrepute and disgrace and humiliation
to the American people, submit that
such an organization is not entitled to
have it's representative in the Senate
of the United States, and | therefore
,ely ,ho nf rpSnlnfI6N