The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-21
Mormon Apostle VIII Have
Hard Fight for Seat.
PATRIOTISM Is IN QUESTION
United States Senate Will Not Admit
Him If 1t Is Proved His First
Allegiance Is TO His
Church

OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
iaGton Jan. l3-If the Senate had voted
on the Smoot case at any time during the
5Sth Congress, there is Ittle doubt but
that the Utah Senator would have been
accorded a sent I'm the Senate by a good
liberal vote but az time goes on the trend
Of sentiment against him continues to
grow, until there appears to be prospect
of an almost unanimous report against
him by the Committee on Privileges and
Elections, and such report Followed up
by vigorous fight on the part of Sen
ator Burrows and some Of the other
prominent members OF that committee, Of
both political faiths. makes the outlook
today very dark for the apostle Senator.
Senator Smoot is personally accepta bic
TO the Senate, has many warm friends on
either side Of the party aisle, and there
are number OF Senators who VIII vote
for him because they do not believe In In
jectInE the church into politics. Senator
Smoot Is not n poygamist; he docs not
practice poygamy. and therefore these
particular Senators are not i'm Ia
yor Of eXpclliug him from the
Senate merely because he Us an
official I'm church that has countcnanced
polygamy and which apparently stAl
countenances plural marriages. notwith-
standing the protestations OF It's officials.
But there arc many other Senators who
VIII not stand by SmoOt. even though
they like him as n man. Many Senators
who would hive voted to seat him In the
last Congress are now ready to oust him.
First Allegiance to the Church.
Tho most serious charge against Sen
ItoT Smoot today, and the charge most
likely TO lead to his expulsion is that he
owes his FIRST allegiance To his church.
his duty to his country being OF second
ary consideration. IL has been alleged by
many witnesses that the endowment
house oath which Smoot has taken re-
quires his first duty TO his church Many
witnesses have taken the stand and
charged that this oath Is binding. and
makes a Mormon church man before
he Is patriot. But up to this time no
witness has been able TO produce this
oath. or TO rccltc II verbatim, and there
Is Still some doubt as To the correctness
of this testimony For that reason the
over Utah with a 1inc-tooth comb, and al
leGe they have found several persons who
can produce the cndowment-housc oath
and who are willing TO testify II given
the opportunity.
If this oath Gun be produced. and IT,
duty Is TO his church the Committee on
Privileges and Elections viii not hesitate
10 report against the Mormon Senator:
indeed. the production OF nm oath such as
this Is alleged to be, and which Smoot
had to take when he became an apostle
In the Mormon church. Will probably lead
70 unanimous report against him.
Even on the testimony heretofore given
several members of the committee arc
ready to vote against Smoot while others
are waiting for the verifcatlon OF the
charge: strong report from the commit
tee, whether IL be unanimous or nearly
so, VIII have great influence on the sub
sequent action of the Senate and it is
believed viii force the expulsion OF
Smoot