Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-14
Senator Knox Defends Legal
Status of Utah Mormon in
Congress
HE is GUILTY OF NO CRIME
Insists That smoot Can Not Be Ex-
PEELED Because Of His Mormon Re-
Iision, Which i. Guaranteed to Him
by the constitution-No Federal
Law Applicable.

Washington, Feb 14-Senator Knox
today addressed the senate in opposi-
ton to the resolution reported from the
committee on privileges and elections,
chat Smoot is not entitled to seat as
senator from Utah" He was accorded
the closest attention, because of his
discussion of the legal questions in
volved on the point of expulsion, which
would require q two thirds vote of the
senate, or exclusion, requiring only
ma jority vote He contended unalter-
ably that nothing less than two-thirds
of the entire membership of the sem
ate could unseat the Utah senator He
said, in part:
"smoot should not be expelled for
believing in the Mormon religion The
irrevocable ordinance expressly, and
with Mormonism In view, guaranteed
religious liberation in the state of Utah.
He should not be expelled for being a
member or officer of the Mormon
church for the same reason. He
should not be expelled for vindication
Of Utah's law, violated by certain Nor
mons continuing their polygamous re-
lations, with Shoots consent or APP
prevail. supposing he did consent or
approve. Utah, without being ig-
norant of the facts. elected
him and the senate would
not be justified in going out OF it's way
to enforce respect for the formerly ex-
pressed will Of Utah embodied in it's
law against polygamous relations by
defeating its later expressed will,
shown in Its election of Smoot."
Knox argued there is no federal law.
against polygamy or polygamous CO.
'i1abitatton applicable to Utah, now that
Utah is state, and that when she
was admitted to the union of states it
was known there would or could be
none. Continuing, he said:
II know no tenet In the new propa-
ganda of constitutional construction
that begins to contain the danger to
our country involved in the contention
that a, senator of the United States
may be deprived Of his seat whenever
a majority of the senate concluded
there are doctrines taught or have been
Taught ia lllc past, W eoOAAV SAuASAA
organization to which he belongs,
which that majority believes to be, or
to have been, dangerous. 1t IS an easy
step after the first one is taken, be-
cause of mans religion, to take the
next and logical one, exclusion because
of a mans politics.; then because his
notions upon economics; then because
of his attitude towards certain legisla-
ton. In this country of ours, religious
belief is not an offense or defense.
Man may belive what he
chooses without fear of molestation
from law or deprivation of his civil
rights. On the other hand, his religious
belief will not avail him as protection
if he violates the law"
Concerning Smoot's tolerance of con-
tinued polygamous relations by certain
Mormon officials. Knox said:
."The only thing alleged against
Smoot is that he lets this sleeping dog
lie. If this disqualifies him, every citi-
zen of Utah, Mormon or gentle, is like
wise disqualified who likewise refrains
from prosecuting the old Mormon po-
lygamists, and they all do"