The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-22
ERROR CALLED DOWN,

In treating upon the Smoot case. the
Philadelphia Public Ledger, summar-
| izing the report of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections of the Senate
and the views OF the minority OF that
committee said some severe things
| against the Mormon church. but It's
conclusion was In favor of Smoot. Its
position in this matter was like that
Of an old gentleman who for many
years was prominent In the Utah
Legislature. In one OF the last ses-
sions of which he was member. 1T
was his custom to rise when he wished
to speak on any measure pending be-
fore the house and summarize all the
reasons that had been given in support
of the bill. giving at the same time
everything no could think of on the
same side and then he would an
nounce. For these reasons / am op-
posed to the bill" But the Ledger was
not allowed to occupy the anomalous
position It's editorial placed it in with
out protest. A keen correspondent at
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, wrote tho
LcuSGI the lOllONlnB lSlltI-
l have been a reader OF your valu-
able paper for many years, but never
have | been so shocked by any utter
ance as 1 was today when 1 read your
editorial on "Smoot" Have you not
read the majority report as well as the
minority And do you not say In your
editorial that the Mormon church is
a crazy anomaly? Do you not know
that the election of Senator Smoot
IL -. =
only trick? Have you lived so long
In Philadelphia and failed to learn the
lessons that your bosses have been
teaching, so tenaclously and SO sue
cessfully, all these years? Why did
the machine put up such q good man
as Gov. Pennypacker2 Why has Cne
present boss selected such a good man
as eX-Mayor Stuart? Is not all this d
bluff? Does not every corrupt institu-
ton, whether 1t be political, CONNER
cial or military. seek to put In office
the very best man II can find in rs
ranks who Is willing to obey It's man
date?
Is not this just what the Mormon
church has done In the Smoot case2
Has 1t not tried to put worse men in
Congress and failed? The Mormon
church Is not foolish enough to attempt
such things a second time. Is mas
membership of about $50 900, and II
would be very strange. indeed, II
among that number there was not one
whose personal character was able TO
stand the test Reed Smoot is one of
the twelve apostles, and as such Is put
forward by that church. If one OF the
cardinals Of the Roman Catholic church
or bishop of the Protestant Episco-
pal or Methodist church We're sent 10
the Senate as such, and with tho same
end In view that Is in view In the
Smoot case, he, too, would be opposed
as strenuously as Is Smoot, In the cx-
pulsion Of Smoot. if he is expelled, and
We trust he Will be. there is no insult
to the personal character of the
man himself nor to the church
OF which he is n high official.
but only that firm determlna-
ton of the American people to keep
this Government free from entanGle-
ments with any religious body what
ever. The fight is more vehement in
this case because the religion repre-
sented by Smoot has In II that sin so
loathesome TO both God and man
polygamy,
That correspondent, of course, when
he refers to the Mormon church means
the hierarchc dominance which has
1t Is quite a different thing from the
rule that prevailed in the Mormon
church during tho presidency Of VII
ford Woodruff, who put forth the IN,
nous Manifesto His rule was mild,
candid, and as loyal as any rule could
be which accepts the premises Of the
Mormon cult, 1t was in direct con-
trast to the unhappy. arbitrary. reck-
less selfish, tyrannous. constituencies,
grasping. ayaricious, autocratic rule
which now prevails in that church. and
which seems determined to make the
country understand It's full vileness
and despotic tendencies, to glory In It's
shame, It's defiance of law and Of right.
and to snap its fingers at the people Of
the country at large with a renewal
OF the old Tweed vulturism: What
are you going to do about ftp"