Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-06-14
MAJORITY OF SENATE COMMIT.
TEE STATES REASONS FOR
FAVoRiNG EXPULSION.
Repor. a Severe Arrangement o. the
Mormon Church an5 lis Teachings
and Practices-Defe7aant No. Ac-
eused OF PoIyeanous conaajta.ton.
but as : Lea7er % the Hierarchy
Eneouraess That M:ss q Living.
Encourages That M35= Of Living.

Washington. June -2-TLe reasons
for the action OF Iha senate committee
on privileges and elections il 5ecla--
ing, by E majority vo-a. that Red
Smoot is not entitled 10 Z seat i. the
senate as senator from C-zL, are
stated in q regor, submitted % the
senate by Chairman Burrows and
signed By Burrows. Dol!irec. D-5o.z.
Pectus, Bailey, OverEa1 and Frazier.
to be as follows.
That NJ, SUooI Is on= Of Z self
perEetuatins body OF ue1. known as
the first presidency All twelve apes
ties OF the Church OF Jesus Christ Of
Lattel Day Saints, commonly known
as the Mormon church; that these
nen claim divine authority 10 control
the members Of said church il al
things, temporal Is well IS spiritual!
that this authority is. and has Dee.
for several years past, so exercised
BY the said first presidency I twelve
apostles as TO encourage the practice
OF polygamy and rolyganous cohabi,
tation in the state OF Utah and else
where, contrary 10 the constitution
md laws OF the state Of Utah and the
Law OF the land; thai the said
first presidency and twelve apostles
do now control, and for a long viue
past have controlled, the political al.
fairs OF the state Of Utah and have
thus brought about in said state q
union OF church and tate, contrary TO
the constitution OF said state OF Utah
and contrary 10 the constitution OF
the United States, and the said Reed
Smoot comes here, not as the acc1ed-
tied representative OF the state OF
Utah in the senate Of the United
States, but as the chief hierarchy
which controls the church and has
usurped the functions OF the state in
said state of Utah"
Married Since the Manifesto.
The report & dozen apostles,
Former apostles and other prominent
Mornons, who, according to 1esri.
nony, have taken plural wives since
the manifesto OF 1895, an acC imDos-
sible except by consent Of the pres.
1denr of the church," says it is shown
by incOnrrovertible testimony that 2
majority OF those who gave the Law:
TO the Mormon church are now and
have been for years living in open,
notorious and shameless cO~habitarfop:
the list being headed By President
Joseph F. Smith. The report con
tinues:
These facts abundanrly justify the
assertion made il the protest that
the supreme authorities ia the
church, OF whom S~ena-or-elect Reed
Snoot Is one, to-wit: the first pres
idency OF twelve apostles. not only
conniye At violation OF, but protect
and honor the yiolators Of the laws
against polygamy and p~olyga,aous CO.
habitation.t
The majority report characterizas
as wholly ~untenaDIe" the position
that because Smoot himself does not
practice Eolygamy. and there is 10
evidence To show that he mas person
ally and individually encouraged the
practice in others. he ought not be
condemned because OF the acts OF his
associates. 1t is charged that Reed
smoot is an inseparable part OF the
governing body of the Mormon church
and in the judgment Of the committee
is no more entitled TO Z seat in the
senate than he would be if he were
associating in polygamous c0habita.
ton with a plurality Of wives
The minority report. signed by FIVE
members OF the committee, declares
that Reed Smoot possesses all the
qualifications prescribed by the con.
stitution to make MIN eligible 10 q
seat III the senate and that his pri-
yate character is i~rreproachable