Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-11


/ conclusions and report u the majority
OF the committee.
SENATOR SHOOTS QUALIFICA-
TIONS.
! Reed Smoot possesses all the quaiid-
I cations prescribed ~ the Constitution
| o. make him eligible 10 a seat go the
/ senate, and the regularity Of his cleo
/ ton by the Legislature OF the State Of
! Utah is not Questioned DO any manHer
CHARACTER IRREPROACHABLE.
Aside from his connection with the
Mormon Church, so far cs his private
| character is concerned. Il .s according
| 10 all the witnesses. irreproachable. Tor
al who testify on the subject agree OF
/ concede that he has led and r. leading
an upright life entirely free from im-
moral proctises ~ every Kind lie is
not q polygamst, has never he'd but
one wife, and has been noted from
early manhood Tor his opposition 90
plural marriages. ana probably did as
much as any other member Of the
Mormon" Church 10 bring about the
prohibition OF further plural marriages.
HAS RIGHT TO HIS BELIEFS.
So FAR as mere belief and member.
ship "a the Mormon" Church are con.
cerned, he Is fully within his rights and
privileges under the guaranty OF re-
llgious freedom given by the ConstItu.
ton OF the United states FOR there Is
no statutory provision. and could not
be, prohibiting either slcl belief or
such membership.
Moreover having special reference 10
the Mormous residing IN Utah and
their peculiar belief u was provided
IN the act OF Congress. passed guly Is
1894, that the people OF Utah should
provide In their Constitution by or.
dinsnce irrevocable without the COLI
sent OF the United States and the people
Of said states
IT, That perfect liberation of rel.
gious sentiment shall be secured, and
that no inhsbitant OF said state
SHAH ever be molested % person
or property on account q bis or her
mode " religious worship Provided.
that polygamous or plural marriages
are forever prohibited.
In consequence there vas embodied
IN the constitution OF the state OF Utah
q compliance with this requirement,
HNA lHFItulNu INV lffTAiOfl Was OllN /
admitted as q state OF the Union.
Accordingly. members 81 the Mormon |
Church, open and a,Owed believers I'm I
rs doctrines ana teachings. have been f.
admitted without question o. both /
houses of Congress as representatives .
OF the state.
GROUNDS or CONTEST
There remain but two grounds on
which the right or tile Of Reed smoot
~ his seat Ia the senate is contested. .
They are
J. Tina, he is shown to have taken
what Is spoken of iu the record as the
endowment oath. by which ne obi
gated himself 20 make his allegiance 20
the Church paramount, OF his allegl-
ance 10 the United states. and
?. That by reason of his official rela-
ton 10 the Church. as one Of It's Apos-
ties, be Is responsible Tor polygamous
CoAa hitation which yet continues
among the "Mormons.' notwithstand.
ing Il is prohibited By law.
As 20 the endowment oath" n IL
sufficient Co. this summary 20 say that
the testimony is cOllated and analyzed
In the annexed statement, and there.
by shown 20 be limited IN amount
vague and indefinite Gu character. ana
utterly unreliable, because ~ the dis
reputable and untrustWorihy charac-
ter Of The witnesses
UNRELIABLE WITNESSES.
There were but seven witnesses who
made any pretense Of tesufyiug about
any such obligation one OF these was
shown by the testimony OF two unc01-
tradictei witnesses 90 be mentally un- /
sound. Another. 90 have committed
perjury 10 the testimony given befor,
the committee on another point. The
third WAS shown by the uncontrallctc1
testimony Of a number OF witnesses BE-,
have a bad reputation for truth and
vtfacity and 20 be thoroughly unr,I-
able. A fourth admitted hat ne had
been FOR years intemperate. ana vas
shown by irdisputahle testimony
10 have lost his position on
hat account ana iheieupon and Tor
that reason % have withdrawn from
he Church and 70 have assumed such
hostile and fevengeful attitude as 20
entirely discreilt him as reliable
witness. The other three witnesses ,
were 50 indefinite as 70 their statements
nat their testimony amounted 81 most ,
10 nothing more Than an attempt 10 ,
tate an imperfect and confessedly un- !
certain recollection.
CoNTRADlCTED BY SENATOR
All that 60 g. attempted TO show as
% the character or this oath IL posi-
lively contfa9ictei by Reed smoot ana
great number OF Witnesses, whose ]
Handing and character and whose fep. J
liauOn ior ruth and vsracity are IN. :
Questioned except only On 30 far as :
heir ccrdihility may BE- affected lv =
he fact That they are or have be.l ]
members of the Mormon" Church.
Upon this state OF evidence We are
Z opinion tha; no ground has been 90. n
ablishei on which 10 predicate a fn4- Z
ne or belief that Mr kmooi ever t.5k 4
ny obligation Involving hostility 10 \
be United states or requiring HIN 90 Il
egard his allegiance 20 The Mormon n
hurCh as paramount 10 his anegiants ID
nd duty 20 the United States. n
HIS RESPONSIBILITY q
The only remaining question Is n
'hcther or not hy virtue 81 HE ofn.iAl d
elation To tie Church a. one ~ ts "
.rostles Dc has any responsibility ,r
be continuation N rolyeamous cohl5-
alton by members Of that Church
The testimony on this point IL also a
lroiui.Y collated and analysed N ne q.
untHed statement. Il
u vii be found by an examination OF d
Vat testimony that be has never al am Z.
me. and particularly he has not since =
be- manifesto Of 1850 countenanced IN i.
lcoufaged plural marriages, but that M
h the contrary he has uniformly w 4,
ed the policy Of the Church. as an h
ounced by that proclamation, by &C. ii
vely Advocating and exeriing his IN. n
1encs 10 effect complete dlsoontln. tr
ancs Of sueh marriages, ana that IN IN