The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-11-30
rIason Discusses Hopkins.

son, who is a candidate Tor the ONCE or OnlteQ
States senator, in response to invitation, was at
Vandalia, Fayette county, Illinois, to address the
Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion. On his arrival
in that city he met by delegation of the citi-
zens, and was furnished copous extracts of the
speech delivered the 10th day of October by Hon
orabe A. J. Hopkins, who is also candidate for
United States senator.
After Senator Mason had spoken at some length
to the soldiers, he said
No more fitting emnently proper place to dis
this form of human slavery could be pre-
sened than in the presence of the Grand Army that
shot to death the old black slave system of the
South, and to whose | appealing to
help with their ballots to stamp out this new form
of female slavery advocated by Reed Smoot and the
Mormon church.
1t has been intimated to you that I am candidate
for the United States Senate and inasmuch as Mr.
Hopkins who is also candidate for that place, has
been here and spoken as to his record, beg the in
diligence of you old soldiers to state my position
upon some of the questions which he discussed. |
promise you that shall treat him respectfully and
treat you politely and speak only the truth, have
the records here to SubStantiate my statements 1t
| had my way Senator Hopkins would be here on
this platform with me, for | invited him to meet me
in joint debate and discuss differences cour-
teously before the Republicans of Illinois, that they
might judge fairly and mpartially between us | am
informed that Mr.. Hopkins defended his position in
speaking and voting to seat Mr. Reed Smoot, one
of the twelve apostles of the Mormon church,
senator of the United States, and to state diff
ferences frankly at the beginning, if l had vote
that question | would vote to unSeat him, and L
propose now to give you my reasons why.
Mr.. Hopkins stated in his speech here on October
10 (and | ask any lady gentleman in the audi
ence to correct if | mistakenly, that the
Mormon church had as much right to a seat in the
United States Senate the Presbyterian, the Bao-
fist or the Methodist church" l did not hear this,
but it has been SO reported to me by five six who
did hear it, and if he has friend in this audience,
| beg you to correct if | am mistaken Did
he make this statement? CHE did," many in the
audience said) [ say that the so-called Mormon
church. which is an organized conspiracy against
form of government, has not the right to
seat in the Senate that any other of the churches
named have, and the first of my reasons is this.
read from the majority report of the United States
Senate in the Reed Smoot at page 49, which
says:
"The church is supreme in all matters of
government well in all things pertain
ing to the private life of the citizens
This report also quotes Apostle Pratt as follows:
"All other governments are illegal and
unauthorized. i And people at
tempting to govern themselves by laws of
their own making and by officers of their
own appointment, in direct rebellion"
Every other church mentioned by Mr.. Hopkins
utterly discourages any such doctrine. The churches
mentioned by him, the Presbyterian Methodist and
Baptist and indeed all other of the Christian
churches Of the United States, found their doctrines
on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who taught
his disciples "To render unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars and unto God the things that
Gods" showing that every church in the United
States teaches not only loyalty to the principles and
preceps of their church, but recognizes the separate
and distinct government of the United States
government of the people, which has authority in
the administration of the material things of
kind and all are subservent thereto. Every one
of the churches he mentioned will decorate the
pulpit with the American flag, and that flag with its
principles has yet found a resting place in
the harems of Brigham Young
[ read you now, ladies and gentlemen, the oath
of vengeance which Reed Smoot takes as of the