The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-01-10

is brewing for the senate reput licans.
During the months Of January and
February they will have to solve sew.
eral knotty problems. A short ses-
sion OF congress is more or less worry
Ing to any party In power. This
short one, however, promises to be
specially vexatious to the leaders of
the "grand old party"
The case of Reed Smoot, of Utah,
will have to be finally settled. II
has been banging fire so long that
people had begun to doubt whether
1T ever would be reached. The privl-
leges and elections committee of
which the cautious Mr.. Burrows, OF
Michigan, is chairman, decided, as Is
well known, that IL their report Is
sustained the Mormon apostle will
have to vacate bis seat. Mr.. Bur-
rows has already made his speech on
the subject.
Mr.. Hopkins, OF Illinois, Mr.. Bev-
eridge of Indiana, and other republi-
can senators are billed to defend Mr..
Smoot and to demand that he shall
not even be unseated. Quite a num-
ber OF senators, notably Mr.. Bailey,
Of Texas, contend that II Smoot is
guilty be should be expelled. That
could not he done unless two-thirds
Of the members OF the upper branch
Of congress were to vote in the afiirm.
ative.
The senate republicans were afraid
to meet this question fairly and
squarely before the last congressional
elections were held. They were un-
certain as to the vote on the Smoot
case in the senate, and are at this
writing equally as uncertain. II by
chance Smoot had won during the
last session the managers OF the re-
publican campaign feared they would
lose number of congressional dis
tricts. A thousand or more organi-
cations OF influence have demanded
for three years that Smoot should he
ousted. II he had been turned out
last session the republicans evidently
calculated that possibly the Mormon
syDpathizeIs, through revenge,
might swing enough votes to turn
over probably three congressional dis
tricts in the west to the democrats.
AS they could not peep In the box Of
the future the republicans last fall
were exceedingly scary lest the demo-
Gratis should slip up on them and
capture the house of representatives.
1t has happened 10 The past that the
result even in single district en-
abled one or the other OF the parties
to organize the house.
The committee over which Mr..
Burrows presides, regardless Of the
fact that the Smoot case, by drag
ging It's weary length along cost the
An enormous sun OF
money, made a lopsided sort of re-
port they hoped would not get their
party into trouble during the recent
political campaign. In eject they
said to the voters who demand that
Smoot should be sent back to his con-
stituents: "See what we have done. (
We want the seat vacated In order
that the people OF Utah may have
another chance TO pass upon the
question. For the benefit OF the /
Mormons the republican senator's /
fixed up a scheme to bold out hope /
70 the people. of that religious faith /
that while a report said seat ought +
TO be vacated 1t did rot necessarily /
mean that majority would 30 de-
eide on the 6nal test.
Senator Smoot's friends do not /
think be will be uDseated II be is
they say he will be sent back to
as soon As the proper
state papers can be made out.
That Brownsville affair down In
Texas is undoubtedly the most bar
assina thing that tss happened for
the republicans IN many a moon.
During the Christmas holiday season
there has been lot Of worri.nent
among tie republican leaders as to
who shall be put forward to cross