The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-11
drought is in his returns from the church
sugar factories from bccts raised
SMooT CoNSPIRATOR.

Through some columns the Deseret
News exhausts its stock of adulating
adicctives III commencing the argu-
ment of tho County Attorney, in which
argument he gives his ideas of con
spiracy.
Some of his points arc worthy Of
repetition in order that readers may
know what idea emanatng from him
on this subject excites the peculiar Joy
of the church organ. The learning
if not learned, County Attorney says:
The law of conspiracy defines the
crime as meeting OF minds toward
common purpose-to attain an unlawful
end, not rs definite action, When the
anarchists were convicted in Chicago
the court held that conspirators need
IN late all are bound by the common
I purpose. This is the law laid down
and followed by all OF the authorities.
The actual fact OF the conspiracy may
be infcrred il need not be directly
proved. a joint action on a material
point enables the jury TO infer. II two
| or more persons are pursuing an object
! the jury may conclude conspiracy.
And following its quotation of this
significant matter the church organ
glecfuly says:
(These telling points were read from
authorities and were not disputed by
counsel by the defensc).
For some peculiar reason the News
makes its comment between paren-
thetical marks-perhaps to draw
more careful attention from readers.
and perhaps TO permit itself, later and
in time of need, to deny any commen-
dation by the claim that being in par
entheses the words did not count.
Let us see inst how this doctrine.
which the News says is from the au-
thorlties and is not denied by the de-
fence, will operate when applied TO the
case of Reed Smoot, an apostle of the
Mormon church and a responsible Gle
ment in its governing body. The |
whole defense of Reed Smoot was upon
the ground that the Mormon hierarchy /
are not engaged in a conspiracy against /.
the law and the civilization of this /
country; and that, if their teaching |
and practice be criminal, none of the .
offence attaches to Reed Smoot.
But Hanson, of the County Attor-
ney S Office, knocks the Smoot defense
into smlthereeps by his citation of
undisputed authorities concerning the
law relating TO conspiracy
Reed Smoot, then, is conspirator
and is responsible to the law for the
crimes OF his co-conspirators It, is
not necessary that he should have been
present when the church determined TO
resume the teaching of polygamy; nor
was II necessary for him TO give his
assent to the sermons of
Joseph +. Smith, wherein that polyga.
mist deifed that practice of taking
plural wives. AS a part of the gov
erning body Reed Smoot is bound by
he subsequent meeting of minds
,oward common purpose. 1t was
lot necessary for Reed Smoot to solem~
lize "A plural marriage for any of his
fellow apostles, or TO be advised in
advance OF such solemnization, in or
Ter to make him responsible therefor.
According to Hanson-Hauson of
he County Attorneys oflice-Reed J
Smoot is conspirator in every sense
# the word, and should be so treated
~ the law and the public Judgment. !
And as to the matter Of treason. !
was not necessary that Reed Smoot 8
mould have been present when an ,
posrlc said: ''To hell with the
jnited States!" nor when Joseph +.
smith deridod the Nation and its peo- .
lie as enemies of the kingdom of ,
'od HIS subsequent colIusioD with
oscph f. Smith, the meeting of their
linds al "A later time toward a com.
ION purpose, as demonstrated by .
moot s uplifting of his hand to sus- '
ain Joseph +. Smith, the reasonable 9
,ader of a reasonable cult, made him !,
conspirator against the welfare and :.
ignity Of this Nation
Hanson has made all things clear.
ven to the dull and engloomcd mind !.
the church organ It's praise of his -
ssistlcss citation Of the law on con
piracy is also an admission of Reed
moot S responsible guilt for every \
lolation of law and every traitorous =.
,aching by the other hierarchs with y
HON he is co.conspirator =.
/