Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-21
SMOOT RETAINS HIS SEAT
CONTINUED from First Page,


Reed smoot IL they had read the testi-
mony
But know that strong influences are
at work here. The president of the United
states is the open friend of the senator
from Utah. You all know it, The country
knows it. He wants him seated. You have
got the majority vote. You have every
one of them, my friends on the republican
side. But it has cost you the moral sup
port of the Christian women and men of
the United States"
Senator Beveridge followed with a plea
for Mr.. Shoots retention. He believed the
greatest wrong that could be done any
man was the ruin of his reputation when
his life had been stainless and this was
what was being done in the case of the
senator from Utah. The, millions of pc
tition signers against Mr.. Smoot, he said,
expressed the sentiments of a misinformed
public. The senate should no more regard
these petitions than would any other court
regard petitions to influence its verdict.
Mr.. Beveridge had talked to more than
800 men and women and had found an
almost universal opinion that Mr.. Smoot
was a polygamist AS an illustration of
the misstetements of the press Of the coun-
try Mr.. Beverage presented half dozen
clipping books. which, he said, were full
OF the statements of Mr.. Shoots polygamy
Since the speech of Senator Burrows
few days ago he said a newspaper clipping
from a middle northwestern paper had
come to his notice 1t stated that Senator
Burrows had shown that Mr.. Smoot had
five wives and forty-seven children. three
of whom were born during the present
year. Another, illustrated, was clipped
literally from Washington bulletin board
the day after Senator Knoxs recent
speech. which read: Senator Knox de
tends Polygamist Smoot." All of this mis-
information, he said. was I'm the face of
absolute and undisputed testimony that
Mr.. Smoot never had but one wife.
SmOOt's Speech Misrepresented.
Senator Beveridge charged that Mr.
Sinoot has been made the victim of mis-
representation, He referred to the recent
speech of Senator Burrows. saying:
THE senator from Michigan quoted from
an address of Mr. Smoot before a Mormon
congregation in Salt Lake City, made IN
1903 since he has been a senator. This was
to show the senate that Reed Smoot Is now
the upholder of crime and an advocate of
all practices OF his church and the past.
Yet. OF this quotation, set out as a single
passage, it's five sentences are selected
from Ave different portions Of the address,
varying from GOO to 1900 words apart.
isolated from their context and rearranged.
Worse than that. two OF them were altered.
Worse than that, the address was not on
the subject Of polygamy at all, or any
other violation OF the law, but exclusively
on the expenditures of church funds which
the church authorities had been charged
W. -NNA
quotation is used to blacken this senator
and so effectively that the senator from
Arkansas based most of his speech upon
It,"
Mr.. Beveridge disposed of what he re-
garded as the charge OF treRson against
Mr.. Smoot in that he had taken a church
oath against his country, by giving the
record of Mormons In the recent war.
They had fought and died for their
country.
senator DOIlIver speaks.
There was no one who had a more per-
feet hatred OF Mormonism than b+snself,
said Senator Dolliver, but after care
full study OF the testimony he could not
Justify a vote to expel Mr.. Smoot from
the senate. He did not believe case
had been made. Mr. Dolliver is a mem
Der of the committee on privileges and
elections which reported the resolution
adverse to Mr. smoot. He consented TO
the report but, explaining that Il had
been made soon after he took place on
the committee, said he had not then an
opportunity to study the case as he had
done since.
At 2:15/ Senator Burrows took the floor
TO make the concluding address
NJ NJ aq
chairman of the committee on privileges
and elections, answered in detail the
arguments which had been made for Mr..
smoot,
Mr.. Burrows reiterated that he had
said in his first speech that Mr.. SmOot
was not a polygamist He said the COM
mittee did not go into that question AMI
he did not believe the 100000 women OF
the country who had signed protests had
done so on this ground
Mr.. Burrows believed Mr.. Smoot had
taken a secret oath ito avenge the blood
OF the prophets upon this nation" He
also spoke in severe condemnation of
Mormon practices as developed by the
testimony.
JOY In Salt Lake City.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. Feb. 20
Among active republicans and the leaders
OF the Mormon church there was great re-
joiclng this afternoon when the news came
from Washington that Senator smoot had
been sustained. BY unanimous standing
vote the lower house Of the Utah legisla-
ture adopted the following Joint resolution,
which was sent to the senate and went
over until tomorrow on a point Of order;
Be Il resolved by the legislature OF the
state Of Utah, that in determining that
Reed smoOt Is entitled 20 his seat, the
United States senate has stood for cOnsttu-
tional RIGHTS against powerful influence and
has avoided a dangerous precedent.
OF the state Of Utah are hereby extended
to the senate OF the United States for its
hnal action on the case.
PerEonal onEIaiulatlona are sent 70 Sem