Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-22
In DEFENSE oEsn0QT
Senator Sutherland Speaks on
Behalf of His Colleague.
IS NOT A PoLYGAMIsT
Declares He Has Taken No Oath Hos
tile to the Government.
PoRTRAYs CONDITIONS IN UTAH
Admits They Are Not Perfect, but
Says They Are Much Better Than
They Used to BE.
IS NOT A PoLYGAMIsT
PoRTRAYs CONDITIONS IN UTAH

They Used to BE.
Senator Sutherland today came to the
defense of his colleague. Senator Smoot
OF Utah. defending his right to retain his
| seat in the United States Senate Prefac-
Ing 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.
II am not here to justify wrong
doing in my own state he said, "any more
than 1 am here to justify wrongdoing
| in any other state. Whoever may
be thus employed must bear his own re-
| sponsibilities." He said if Smoot was a
| yiolator of the law, either as principal or
| accessory. or recognized an allegiance to
| any power paramount to the allegiance he
| owed his flag and his country, or If by rea-
| son of his conduct he was so morally unit
that his continued presence in the Senate
| would bring reproach or shame upon 1T,
| he should not retain his seat; otherwise he
| should.
withstanding the fact that this charge orig
| inally made by one man, had been repu-
| dated by everybody connected with the
| case, it was still asserted in the news
| papers 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 at
| ford to be swayed from just determine
| ton OF the case upon its merits. Each or
| us must render his judgment after a pas
/ iaryo CHI lon Cf Ia
| a judicial determination Of the truth"
Discussing the charge that Smoot had
| taken an oath as apostle that conf1icted
| with his obligations as senator, the
senator stated that tins charge had orig
| inally 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 uncontra-
dicted evidence to be persons Of bad
| repute, drunkards or of unsOund mind
| There was large amount of evidence,
| said he, given by thoroughly reputable
| citizens of the state. 10 the erect 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 polygamous cohabitation
were still being practiced by adherents
of the Norman church and that the
church interefered in political and tenn
poral matters. AS to the first charge, the
| speaker traced the history with refer
ence to the growth Of polygamy until its
final abandonment by the church In 1890.
The War on Polygamy.
The thing which the government of the
United States as well as the Gentf1es in
Utah have been striving for, said Mr..
Sutherland, was to get rid OF the insti-
tuition of pelygamy. He took the posi-
ton that was recognized, in the main.
that the people who had entered into
this unlawful relation did SD under
religious delusion; that they were good
men and good women. though. of course,
utterly mistaken in their views respect
ing this matter. and said:
"An erroneous religious belief is the
most difficult thing in the world to COM
bat. 1t submits to no rule of logic;
1t Is simply major and minor premises
and conclusion rolled into one dogmatic
declaration. Thus saith the Lord Such
belief does not yield to the appeal of
| reason; it simply runs its course like a
case of typhoid fever"
Briefly reviewing some of the famous
religious delusions of the past. such as
the crusades. Spanish inquisition, witch
craft 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 believed, taught and CINE in the
name of religion.
1.-The fact that polygamy was therefore
opposed to the united thought Of the Ameri-
can people and to that Of the Christian
world" he continued, was no argument
that 1t was not conscientiously believed by
the Mormon people who practiced 1t in the
past. When the manifesto Of the church
was issued forbidding future polySamous
marriages, the general opinion among Cen
tiles in Utah had been that the end Of the
contest had come. At that time there were
Of these people had resumed their former
associations was beyond doubt. AS a gem
eral thing 1t had been thought that so long
as these relations were not f1agrant-not
fod in 70 nf fho hot
while they were not approved, but were de-
plord-it was a hard situation to meet, and
all things considered. 1t was better for the
state to bear with it in patience until the
people who occupied these relations in the
process of time should pass away. He
quoted the testimony Of numerous wit csses
upon both sides to this effect.
AS to the charge that there have been
polygamous marriages since the mani. este.
he said that he had no means of knowing
how many cases there might have been,
doubt. These men occupied a wholly differ
ent position from the old polygamists: for
them no word of excuse c. federation could
be uttered by any honest man; Every
arrogantly defes legislative enactment and
violates religious command and by his con-
duct brings shame and reproach upon all
the people, deserves to be searched out and
to receive in punishment the extreme pen
atty of the Law. The vast majority Of the
Mormon people are opposed to these new
marriages..
The Church in Politics.
Discussing the question of the interference
of the church in political affairs. he traced
the history In this respect, showing that
when the Mormon people went, to Utah in
1847 their movement possessed all the char
acteristics Of a religious exodus. In the
beginning they probably felt no need of a
civil government at all. Their religion to
them was everything and other matters
were of subordinate concern" he said. For
twenty years they were isolated from the
world. There were no telegraphs, no rail-
roads, no newspapers except their own
When q civil government was formed the
religious leaders became the civil officers.
AS time went on the rule Of the church
became more and more until the govern
ment in Utah was q virtual theocracy The
Gentiles who organized under the name of
the liberal party, fought to overthrow polyR-
amy and church control in government mat
tiers. The Mormon people IN opposition or
ganized the peoples party. For twenty
years the fight which was wa4ed was al
together pro-church and anti-church In
character. Finally in 1os,i. after the mani-
festo on the subject of polysamy. the peo-