Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1906-06-14
Mormon Senator Must Not Be
Seated
SAYS MAJORITY OF COMMITTEE
OF Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections, Burrows, Dolliver,
Dubois, Pettus, Bailey, Overman
and Frazier Hold Against Norman
Senator, While Foraker, Beveridge,
Dillingham;, Hopkins and Knox
Take Opposite View.

Washington, Special.-The maiorl-
ty and minority reports OF the com
mlttec on privileges and elections in
the ease OF Senator Reed S~oo.. or
Utah, were presented in the Senate.
the former by Senator Burrows. de-
claring that Mr.. Smoot is not entitled
to his seat and the latter by Sena-
tor Foraker, taking opposite view.
AT the same time Senator Bailey.
who is q member of the committee.
stated that while he concurred in the
views OF the majority, that Mr..
Smoot Is not entitled to his seat. he
was of the opinion that "Mr. Smoot
could not be deprived of his seat I'M
der the constitution except by reso-
luton of expulsion.'
Mr. Burrows gave notice that he
would call up the ease sat the earli
est possible moment consistent with
the public busincss,' and Senator
Foraker expressed his approval of
this announcement.
The reason for the action of the
Senate committee on privileges and
elections in declaring by a majority
vote that Reed Smoot is not entitled
TO seat i'll the Senate are stated in
the eport submitted to the Senate by
Chairman Burrows and signed by
Senators Burrows Dolliver, Dubois,
Pcttus, Bailey, Overman and Fra
zler, TO be as follows:
The Majority Report
THAT Mr.. Smoot is one of Il self
perpetuating body of men, known as
the First Presidency and Twelve
Apostles of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints. common
ly known as the First Presidency and
Twelve Apostles of the Mormon
church; that these men claim divine
authority to control the members of
said church i'll all things temporal as
well as spiritual; that this authority
is, and has been for several wears
past, so exercised by the said First
Presidency and Twelve Apostles as
to encourage the practice of polyga-
my and polygamous cohabitation in
the State OF Utah and elsewhere. con-
trary to the constitution and laws of
the State of Utah and the law of the
land; that the said First Presidency
and Twelve Apostles do now control.
and for long time past have con
trolled, the political affairs of the
State of Utah. and have thus brought
about III SAID State union of church
ana State, contrary to the conStitu-
ton OF the United States, and that
SAID Reed Smoot comes here. not as
the accredited representative of the
state Of Utah in the Senate of the
United States, but as the choice of
the hierarchy which controls the
church and has usurped the functions
OF the State in said State of Utah. s"
The majority report characterizes
cas- wholly mlcnablc" The position
that because Smoot himself does not
practice polygamy and there is no
evidence 10 show that he has person
ally and individually encouraged the
practice in others, he ought not TO
be condemned because of the acts of
ms associates. 1t is charged "that
Senator Smoot is an mScparable part
of the governing body of the Mormon
church-thc First Presidency and
Twelve Apostles-and those who com
pose that organization is the act of
each and every member thereof. and
whatever policy is adopted and pur-
sued by the body which controls the
Mormon church, Mr.. Spoot must be
held TO be responsible for as mem
Der of that body
The report declares that while
Smoot knew the pOlygamous practices
of President Smith and other church
officials, he has sustained by his vote
as an apostle, and at no time uttered
word of protest against the con-
duct of his associates. but on the con-
trary has sustained them by his 81.
lence
In the Judgment of the commit
tee,' the report says, Mr.. Smoot is
no more entitled to a seat in the Sen
ate than he would be if he were as
sociating in polygsmous cohabitation
with plurality Of wives"