Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-20

that the rulers OF the Church exercise
q controlling influence In political ar
fairs and that the endowment oath
commits the rulers 20 enmlty against
the nation.
''rhe hrst count Is no more 10 be con.
sidered. o. the face OF the authoritative
dIsayoWal OF the Church and the rapid
decline OF polygamous practices, than
tacit approval OF lynching which z
member Of Congress might indulge. 20
lygamy IL prohibited by an express
canon OF the Church It Is known to be
falling into contempt among Mormon
people 10 is disappearing az rapidly as
is possible With "a social institution tha
heretofore h1d the sanction ~ law ana
Tho supposed approval OF Divine reyeia-
ton. To expect The Church authorities
10 stamp 30 ont Instantly Is too much.
u ought % De- SUFFICIENT mat they have
sct ihcir faces against u and tnot Tie
M0rmons of The present and he rise
ing generation alg thoroughly com
United against De ahhoTrent practice.
Senator -uC0l himself Is moIoglmist
and Is on record as consistently using
biz influence to suppress the evil
The finding that the rulers Of the
church exercise "a controlling i1HuencO
iu political affairs Us probably true ana
30 is o. Da con icmuei but 40 the worst
% is not such control as rs contemplate
ID On the idea Of union 90 church ana
state. There are many cliqucs in poll
tics. many factions Iu parties and IRE
uuout Instances 90 religious prejudice 90
public affairs They are an bad aud
fAr case OF the Morm0ns differs only Ne
being worse III lt is proper TO exclude
Senator Smo0t on this account it Is
proper 90 lur5l.iate an Utah elections
state as vel as teierld Tor The cone
tool to- which The report ailuics applies
90 au political action n the MurmoL
community"
That paper gives the text Of The al
aeed endowment oath aud argues that
though on its face 10 looks "ferorious
arl reasonable yet ".n the light Of
history % may now De called a figure Of
speech" that taking 10 at .ts worst,
Senator Smoot has since subscribed
iealty to the United States "a bis con-
stituuonal oath Of once, and TO that
extent has recanted the Mormon yen-
dstta,' The Record then argues that,
III smoot Is disqualified. every Nor
mon Is disqualified. for the private
members of the Church subscribe TO
an the doctrines which the rulers pro-
mulgate. II Smoot may not hold Office
the Mormon e.eCtor should not be al
lowed 10 vote.
II Smoot must be held responsible
for polygamous crimes which he cannot
abate. other senators might as reason
ably be held accountable for the crimes
o, their constituents which their states
fail TO punish
The Great Falls. Montana. Daily Tri-
hune. which Is a Democratic paper de-
precates the lining up % certain Seua-
tors apparently on party lines against
Reed Smoot, and thinks the alignment
Of the Democrats on the committee
was without sufficient Justification IN
the evidence produced before the CONF
mlttee" and it fears that ~ he be
denied his seat On tho Senate on the
grounds forccasted by the evidence
very bad precedent indeed would be
made and one that Is liable 20 return
TO plague us authors That paper then
remarks cditorlally
1T is worth while reviewing this
l campaign Tor the unseating 81 Reed
Smoot from is inception II COM
menCcd with % number Of Clergymcn
| ana sisters Of various religious denlmi-
/ Lations, hostile 90 that with which
/ SmOot was connected, alleging that he
| was a polygamist and yiolator Of the
/ law against a plurality Of wives, Ike
/ Congressman Roberts, and deserved
/ Ike fate There was not q particle 81
/ evidence worth the name produced In
support Of that charge. and 10 was soon
] practically dropped and another charge
| substituted IN IT. place. This was 10
/ The effect that Reed SmoOt owed a
! higher allegiance 90 the Mormon
! Church than he did % the United
! states. and that his obligations 20 the
| Church were inconsistent with his OBJ
/ legations ir the oath of office taken by
/ him as senator Reduced 90 rs COM
Z mon terms, the argument was that the
/ Mormon Church teaches that the law
/ OF God (only 10 be- known through is
/ medium Is 10 be obeyed before the
/ law OF men (made known through
I government statutCB where the two
! conflict II seems % US the argument
/ has a familiar sound tp the ear. The
| late William +. Gladstone once MAIN
] tanned in am argument with Cardinal
/ Manning that good Catholic could
I not be- q good citizen al the same
] time. because on questions Of morals
with which tho state dealt IN legis.a-
/ ton. and with which the church also
. dealt. a man must owe his first and
/ highest allegiance 10 one or the other
/ and both claimed the supreme right 10
I his obedience. With slight changes
/ the same argument might be fitted 10
/ me teachings ~ the Presbyterian or
/ Methodist churches. IN fact % eXpel
| Senator SmOOt because 81 his loyalty
| 90 his religious beliefs is creating a
| mighty dangerous precedent That. IN
/ substance. seems 10 us about what the
! majority ~ the committee want 20 40,
| however their purpose Is disguised by
| spccious reasoning.
Again. We feel impelled 10 protest
against the action Of men and women
! who have signed monster petitions
I urayine tho senate 20 evpel Reed
| Smoot. and like action taken by hos
/ tile religious conventions and gather
/ ings This Is not a matter o. legislation.
ID is judicial matter. and a very I'M
portant one al that The senate Il sill
ting as final court OF investigation
for action ON charges against The tligi-
/ bllity ~ citizen 20 represent other
| citizens 90 a soyereisu state. II s. gross
is improper while they are hearing
testimony and investigating the case to
petition them 90 ind a verdict Of guilty
before The evidence is all iu. In any
other ease involving judicial action On
"a court inferior 90 the United states
senate. were these religious brothers
and sisters tn present petition Co Tho
Jury Co find the accused guilty while
The case was on trial the judge would
very properly order The petitioners
thrown into iail Tor contempt Of court
senator Smoot D. a Republican ma
chine politician and a Mormon apostle
| neither % which positions meets with
] adm lrn fl1rt ar nnFrtN4l with ue and