Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-23
SUTHERLAND On COLLEAGUE
Junior ssnatOr from Utah Talks Of the
Case Of smoot.
CONDITIONS IN STATE ARE IMPROVING
Speaker Says that Much Complaint
Against senator smoOt t. Made
Through Misunderstand-
ing of the Facts

WASHINGTON. Jan. Ex-senator suther-
land today came to the defense of his col
league. Senator smoot OF Utah, defending
his right to retain his seat in the United
states senate. Prefacing his argument with
observations on the gravity OF the charges
against Mr. Smoot. the Junior Utah senator
said there were extreme views held in his
state on both sides Of the question. He
said he did not expect TO satisfy either OF
these extreme classes
am not here TO justify wrongdoing in
my own state" he said. "any more than
am here to justify wrongdoins in any
other state. Whoever may be thus EN-
ployed must bear his own Responsibilities
In public understanding" Senator Suth-
erland said, "Smoot was a polvgamist and
notwithstanding the fact that this charge
originally made by one man, had been re-
pudiated by everybody connected In the
case, II was still asserted in the newspapers
and was given general credence in the
country. In all probability this belief that
smoot was a polygamist had much to do
with the vast number of petitions which
have been presented to the senate" Mr..
sutherland declared that, however numer-
Gus these petitions, senators could not
afford to be swayed from iust determine
ton of the case upon its merits. Each
of us must render his Judgment after a
passionless consideration of the evidence
and a judicial determination OF the truth"
Character of witnesses.
Discussing the charge that Smoot had
taken an oath as an apostle that confiloted
with his obligation as a senator, the SEN
ator stated that this charge had originally
been made by the same man who had
charged Smoot with polygamy, and that
of the five witnesses who testified to 1t, four
had been shown by uncontradicted evidence
to be persons of bad repute drunkards or
or unsound mind. There was a large amount
OF evidence said he, given by thoroughly
reputable citizens OF the state to the effect
that no such oath was taken, and that
taking all of the testimony together this
charge was utterly discredited.
The two charges remaining were that
polygamy and polyr Gus cohabitation
were still being practiced by adherents Of
the Mormon church and that the church
lnterfered in political and temporal mat
ters. AS to the first charge, the speaker
traced the history with reference to the
growth OF polygamy until its final aban-
donment by the church in 1890. The thing
which the government of the United States
as well as the Gentle in Utah have been
get rid of the institution of polygamy. He
took the position that 1t was recognised. In
the main, that the people who had entered
into this unlawful relation did so under
religious deluson; that they were good
men and good women, though of course
utterly mistaken in their views respecting
this matter.
Briefly reviewing some of the famous
religious decisions of the past, such as the
crusades, Spanish induisiton, witchcraft
and others, the speaker said that from
the beginning the melancholy fact runs
through all history that nothing has been
too absurd and nothing too cruel to be be-
lieved, taught and done in the name of
religion"
status of PoIyEamy.
THE fact that polygamy was therefore
opposed to the united thought of the Amer
lean people and to that of the Christian
world. he continued, was no argument
that 1t was not eonscientIously believed by
the Mormon people who practiced 1t in the
past. When the manifesto of the church
was issued forbidding future polygamous
marriages. the general opinion among gem
tiles in Utah had been that the end of the
contest had come. At that time there were
over 1900 polygamous marriages or house,
holds-that some OF these people had re-
sumed their former associations was
beyond doubt. AS a general thing, It had
been thought that so long as these rsla-
lions were not fiagrant--not Haunted in the
face OF the community-that while they
we're not approved, but were deplored, II
was a hard situation to meet, and all