Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-22
SENATOR HOPKINS ADDRESS.

fucndation of tho majority OF the SeH-
ate committee ON Privileges and Elee-
lions IN the case against senator
Smoot. Is, on the whole, very able Ell
fort. Tho Illinois senator proves III
fhe course Of his argument, that the
senate has not been given arbitrary
power to determine whether a reguiaF
elected senator can retain his seat OF
not, as some seem TO have supposed
The Constitution gives the quailhcu-
lions Of q senator. He must have at
famed to the age OF thirty years. he
must have been u clifton AT least nine
Years and be resident OF the STATE
that elects him. Those are the consul
tutional qualifications. The Constitu-
lion also provides that each House
shall be the judge of the election re-
turns and the qualifications OF It's own
members. That is TO say. as the seha-
tor explains this provision, Section
~ Article | precudes the idea that
contestant for scat in the Unitsd
states SENATE could successfully claim
before any of the courts of the country
either state or Federal. that his sue
cessfnl competitor for the position OF
United states senator was not, Tor e$-
ample. thirty years of age. Or that nc
had not been nine years a citizen, OF
the United States or that at the time
that he was elected Omitted States SELL
ator he was not an inhabltant OF inc
state from which he was chosen' sec
ton places the power entirely III 'ho
senate of the United States to deter
mine whether these qualifications have
been complied with"
This VIC take TO be irrefutable Ihe
attempt at determining the famous
case against the senior Senator from
Utah on any other ground than recos-
nized by the Constitution must be con-
sidored as IN assault upon the pre-
negatives guaranteed by that sacred In
strunent of liberty it is an attempt 10
SGT II aside for the purpose, II possible
of diyorting the greatest legislative
body In the world from its high ana
holy calling. and enlisting 1t in the SER
vice of personal spite and revenge. 1t
The plans laid by the opponents OF SEN
ator Snoot were carried out, danger
GUS precedent would be established. IL
would, perhaps. not be impossible for
The majority of either House OF Con-
rress to refuse, arbitrarily. the ad-
mission Of any member. or any NUMBER
If members, for political purposes, and
elections in the various states would be
of "A farce. AS 1t Is in Russia.
The possible consequences of an adj
verse decision is the most important
In this celebrated case.
Whether Senator Smoot Is retained In
the Senate or not Is of small conse-
auence TO the Church OF which he Is
an houored member and trusted official,
although host of antagonists have
hoped to inJure the Church by assail-
ing him, but an unjust disposition OF
that case might be of immense import
ance TO the entire American people.
we do not need 10 enter into the
question again raised by the Illinois
Senator in another part OF his address,
when he says that "many things have
been done in the name of the Mormon
Church in its early history which are
condemned by all rlght-thinking men,
not only outside OF that Church. but In
the Church as we'll" II that is true, 1t
IS also true that many things have been
done against the "Mormons" in the
early history of the Church, by non
'AIormons." which are condemned by
all right-thinlslng men. Even Governor
Ford, speaking OF the Carthage tragedy,
taoitiy admits that conspirators were
at work planning the destruction of the
Mormon" community. II gradually
learned" the Governor wrote. ITO my
entire satisfaction, that there was
plan 10 get the troops into Nauvoo and
then begin the war probably by some
of our own party, or some OF tho seced-
Ing Mormons. taking advantage OF the
night 70 fire on our own force and then
laying IT on the Mormons. | was salts
fed there we're those among MS fully
capable OF such an act. hoping that i'm
the alarm, hustle and confusion of a
militia camp the truth would not be
discovered, and that It might lead to
the desired collision" The Lnttor-day
Saints have frequently been confronted
with just such interruptions, cowardly
antagonists who have endeayored 10
arouse public indignation against them
by equally low plots Hence the 'long
series OF troubles" referred TO by SEN
ntor Hopkins The Prophet Joseph de-
clared to his friends Il am willing
10 sacrifice my life for your preservp-
ton" and IN tie light OF history IL APP
pears that n . sacrifice was made; for
the death OF the Prophet IN all proba-
bility prevented the attack upon Man
WOO and the massacre OF the Saints,
which Governor Ford says had been
planned.
Senator Hopkins emphasizes the fact
that public sentiment has been worked
up against senator smoot by the charge
that he is law-breaker. IN many pull
pits and Christian publications. this
charge was made for the sole purpose
OF obtaining signatures 10 the petition
for expulsion, and money to carry on
the unrighteous campaign. We have
also pointed out this fact, Perhaps 30
per cent of the signatures for expul-
sion were obtained under hat false pre-.
tense, ana ihen u was made 20 appear
IN the Senate that they were signatures
20 . protest which charged something
else Due weight must be given 20 this
-.