The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-11
BY w. w. Jermane, Colorado Building,
WASHINGTON D, c.,

Washington, Dec. 11.-"Mr. Presi-
Burrows of Michigan thru the senate
chamber today, 1.-THE committee on
privileges and elections was astounded
to hear from this head of the church it.
self, not only that he believed in the
rightfulness Of polygamy as an alb
stract principle, but that he himself
was daily exemplifying his belief by
living in open and notorious polygamy
In the capital city of the great state
of Utah, and had been ever since the
manifesto, and more than that, that he
long as he pleased, defantlv asserting
that the congress Of the United States
had no business with my private com
Duct. We were amazed to learn
from this head saint and seer, this pro-
phet and revelator, this .mouthpiece of
God, this shepherd Of patient and suf-
fering flock, this convicted and amnes-
tied offender against law and decency,
whose faith and honor had been hypoth-
ecated for himself and his followers for
the observance of the law, confess that
his wives, and had been ever since
1890, in open defiance of divine and
human statutes, and had had forty-two
children, eleven Of whom had been Born
to him since the manifesto. -
Now Has Forty-three Children.
"Mr. President, if the press is to be
credited, this number has been aug
mented during the last year to forty
three, and while we are discussing the
right of the representative of the HER
archy to seat in this body, we can
imagine it's sanity head sitting in the
home of his fifth plural wife, rocking
the. cradle of the latest illegitimate Off
spring, and with sanctimoniOus~ air
singing the familiar hymn Of his
church:
Now the gentle reign is DER,
Darkness covers earth no more.
Gentle tyrants sink to hell,
NoW's the day of Israel" So
Senator Burrows was making the eff
fort of his life. For the first time since
he entered the senate in 1895 he was
making a speech to attract attention
thruout the country and he made all he
could e! OF his opportunity. AS prosecu;
Smoot Of Utah as to his right to a seat
IN the senate, Senator Burrows had the
opening of the case and that was what
he was doing when he made the highly
personal remarks about the head Of the
Mormon church as quoted.
Demands Shoots Expulsion.
Senator Burrows asked the senate to
expel Smoot, but not on the ground
that he is a polygamist. He conceded
that Smoot is not one. But he desired
him denied seat in the United States
senate because he is one of the twelve
apostles of the Utah branch Of the Nor
mon church, and in that capacity
charged him with taking obliga-
lions Of such a reasonable char
acter as to make it impossible
for him to honor his oath of Of
fee and support the constitution Of the
against Smoot in brief There were 9th
er and collateral charges and side
lights, but it all amounted to the above
upon analysis. Senator Burrows deliv-
cred speech Of just about the same
length as the presidents recent mes
sage to congress, and in it he gave a
history Of the Mormon church and a
resume of the testimony heard by the
committee on privileges and elections
which led a majority of the committee
to report against allowing Smoot tc
hold his seat.
He went thru the history of the Nor
mon church for the purpose of demon
strating that the Mormon church as al
first organized, and as still conducted
everywhere, save in Utah, is a worthy
institution, but that the Utah Mormons
are only a. degenerate offshoot, bound by
oath to- rebellion and treason against
the government, Of the United States
and wantonly violating and defyine
the laws of the country Smoot, as one
of the twelve apostles Of the Utah Nor
mon church and therefore one of the
highest governing body of that church
was accused Of necessarily supporting
the church in all it's iniquities, anG
therefore unfit to sit in the senate Of
the United States.
Five Apostles Polygamists. ut
President Harrison, and President
republican president for. the Mormon
vote), issued manifesto granting com
plete amnesty to all Mormons whc
would agree to abstain from polygamy
but Senator Burrows charged that moi
only the president of the church, 10
seph Smith, but practically all the
apostles. except Smoot had violated the
terms of the amnesty, and that five Of
the apostles had even taken additiona
wives since the amnesty was granted
and that Smoot, as one Of the apostles
must have known Of this and given il
his support.
tsWhen the manifesto was issued,
said Senator Burrows, it was giveI
out in interviews with the heads OF
the Mormon church that the manifesto