The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-16


Smoot OF Utah. The names OF the Wit
nesses Will not be made public until after
the subpoenas are served Most OF them
are In Utah
The case of Senator Reed Smoot has
become historic. and VIII serve as a pre-
cedent for Congress In Its future dealings
with the Mormons. Some of the questions
Involve the constitutional rights of citi-
zen as 10 his religious freedom, and are
OF the greatest consequence
Reed Smoot was born in Salt Lake CITY,
January TO- 1852. His father was q Nor
mon and his mother plural wife. lie
has been a Mormon all his life, but he mas
only one wife. TO whom ne was Harrleu
In 1854 He moved To Provo. Utah, in 49,
and has lived there ever since. He is en-
gagged In mining, milling, cattle raising,
banking and other enterprises. Mr.. Smoot
has been active In politics for many years,
At the age OF is Reed Smoot went
through the endowment house that Is,
he took upon himself the mysterious Sc
cret obligations which are alleged 10 be
in conflict with the laws OF the land, and
which. II observed faithfully, would rem
der man Incapable OF taking
the oath Of Senator n,ho without men men
Mr.. Smoot made priest In
the Order of Mclchlsedek. which Is the
highest order of priesthood in the church,
In April. 1900, he became one OF the
twelve apostles He was elected a United
Suites Senator TO succeed Joseph l.. Raw
Inns, and took his seat March A, 1893. His
term Will expire March 4. 1853
Grounds of Protest.
Certain well-denned grounds of protest
against permitting MIR Smoot TO SIT IN
the United States Senate as a Senator
from Utah were filed by citizens Of Utah.
and the Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections has been considering the
matter since January. 1904. The principal
grounds Of the protest were;
t. of ih. -nl "
apostles, who. with the first presidency.
assert supreme authority, spiritual and
temporal. over the members Of the
church. who are required TO receive their
mandates as the voice of God
That Reed Smoot could not become
United States Senator without the con-
sent OF the Mormon church. and that In
fact he obtained such consent before be-
coming "A candidate, and that the election
of a Mormon apostle TO the Senate IS an
attempt on the part OF the church to
unite church and State In Utah.
That Reed Smoots first duty under his
apostolic vows Is TO the church, and his
next II he has any, Is to his country, and
that in any important matter he Is under
obligation to consult his brother apostles
That majority of the first presidency
and of the twelve apostles are poly ga
mists, living In polygnmous cohabitation
in violation OF law and that the ruling
authorities OF the church, of whom Reed
Smoot is one, connive at such practices.
and reward with high honors those who
violate the laws of the land
The testimony given before the com
mttee comprises about 5000 pages, and
covers nearly every phase OF the Nor
mon question" as we'll as bearing upon
all points of the Smoot case All the high
officials of the church who could be
reached by subpoena were examined in
Washington. One or two apostles who
were fragrant polygamlsts, according 10
the testimony ned from the country and
have never been examined. Among those
who testified wes President Joseph F..
Smith, who holds the keys" as the Nor
mons describe his authority. EIe Is the
direct communcant between God and the
church, and revelations received and pub
lished by him are the supreme law of the
church. He is the successor of Joseph
Smith. Jr., the first prophet, seer and
reyelator,"
President Smiths Testimony.
President Smith testified before the
committee that he had several wives and
that they were bearing children to him
He admitted that this was in violation Of
the laws OF the land As the manifesto
of President Woodruff prohibiting polyg-
amous cohabitation had been accepted by
the church as "A revelation from God
President Smith confessed that in Vio-
lnting il he was violating the law OF Cod
as well as OF man The testimony re-
yealed that Apostle Smoot had attended
the semi-annual conference at which
President Smith had been Sustained" as
hand with the others In voting 10 sustain
him This was after Mr.. Smoot had heard
President Smith testify Mr Smoot tes-
tlhed that he had not made any protest
against President Smiths manner Of liv-
Ing. and did not intend to do so
Senator Smoot testified that he had OBJ
talned the consent Of the first presidency
TO run for United States Senator. He
described this consent as a leave Of alb
sence- He declared that the church had
nothing TO do with putting him forward
AS candidate and that 1t did not control
his action as Senator, and that he
would resent any attempt at dictation on
the part OF the church. II the church had
refused to consent to his running for the
Senate, he would have resigned as an
apostle. or refrained from running.
Senator Smoot also testified that he had
no doubt as TO the divinity of the doc
1rlne of polygamy, as revealed by Joseph
abstract principle, approved by the Bible
and permitted by the Doctrine and Cove
nants. believe It; but as a practice
against the law OF my country | do not
When asked for a reason why he had not
complained against the action OF PreSi-
dent smith and other high officials In lv-
Ing in polygamy. Senator Smoot said:
The reason | have not done that IL on
account Of the conditions as they exist
ed When | went Into the quorum OF the
apostles | found condition there that
wac tolerated by the people OF our State
and / did not think It would hasten mat
ters nor bring them TO any quicker con-
clusion by my setting myself up as Il
Judge. or interfering" In another place
Senator Smoot testified that In his opin-
lon the action Of a polyEamist In living in
polygomous cohabltaton was technical
ly violation OF law
Believe In Divine Revelation.
Senator Smoot expressed his firm belief
IN divine revelations. and assorted that a
revelation published by Joseph Smith and
accepted by the church would be the law
OF the church, binding upon It's member
snip as the voice of God. He added that
II he should receive a revelation from God
In conflict with the law OF the country
n" would go 70 some other country where
ne coule obey the divine command
AS evidence of the exercise of authority
oy tho church In temporal affairs, IL was
SHOWN that minor church court had de-
clded dispute over a piece OF land, giy-
ing title to q claimant and requiring the
possessor to release " upon penalty OF eX-
communication Senator Smoot admitted
that such case had occurred, and that
II had been passed upon finally by the
iirSt president affirming the decision of
| the lower courts, But he declared II to
| be "IDadYertcnt."
other cases were brought out wherein II
| appeared that Mormon officials took
charge OF music hall enterprises, sat with
n city Council In disposIng of municipal
analrs, conducted industrial enterprises