The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-08

in his seat, and the Senate chamber
was crowded with Congressman and
other distinguished persons, desirous Of
witnessing what some of them at least
realized to be an epochal scene.
The galleries were filed to their ut
most capacity. and many were in the
corridors hoping to secure admission;
Among those present we're hundreds of
women, some of them representing mil
lions of members Of the religious and
social women s organizations OF the
land who in the name of and for the
honor of American womarhood had pro"
tested against the seating of Reed
Smoot. not because of objection to him
personally or to his religious beliefs,
but for what he represented. 1t was
not dress occasion for women to dis
play handsome gowns. On the faces
Of these women was the grave expires
sion of wives and mothers when they
bid farewell TO husbands and sons as
they leave their homes to fight for their
country. AS they heard the votes Tor
Mr., Smoot cast by Senators who they
had hoped would never vote to seat
Mormon official until the last vestige of
polvgamy had been destroyed, some OF
these women felt as though dagger
had pierced their hearts. Their crushed
hopes will revive, and the contest Tor
the purity and protection OF the nome
from the monstrous teaching and prsc,,
tice of polvgamy will continue until
that evil is destroyed
The vote upon the resolutions re-
lating to Mr.. Smoot was preceded by
a number of speeches on both SIDES or
the question. OF these, four were no.
table. They were by Senators Hopkins
and Knox in behalf of Mr.. Smoot and
by Senators Burrows and DUBOIS
reported to have complimented Senator
Knox upon his speech, and both his
speech and that of Senator Hopkins are
worthy of high compliment. So were
the great speeches of John C. Calhoun
and Hayne. and the argument OF Chief
Justice Roger B. Taney IN the case OF
Dred Scott, but like the arguments OF
Calhoun and Hayne and Taney, the ar.
guments Of Hopkins and Knox would
wreck the moral life of the Nation.
They exemplifcd the Scripture, The
letter killeth; the spirit giveth hte.f
Such strict adherence to the letter OF
the Constitution by the Senate In 1861,
as was announced by some Senators as
the reason for their action in the Smoot
case, would have rendered lmpotent the
hands Of Abraham Lincoln, and divided
Pthe Nation.
The great speech upon the case was
made by Senator Burrows of Michigan.
Every minister, every wife, every
mother, every citizen, should write to
Senator Burrows at Washington for a
copy, and read it, While the speeches
of Senators Hopkins and Knox are to
be compared to those of Calhoun and
Hayne and Taney, that of Senator Bur
rows is to be compared TO the. grent
speeches of Daniel Webster. While de
Tending the ideal American home, Mr..
Burrows was also defending the sover-
eighty of the Nation That speech Will
not be buried IN the pages Of the Con-
gresslonal Record. 1T will be read by
the women of the land as no speech
ever before delivered in the halls of
Congress has been read IT was mas
tcrly in its simplicity and strength, and
it showed the fallacy of the arguments
for the admission of Smoot.
History will vindicate the position of
Senator Burrows as it has vindicated
Webster in his replies to Calhoun and
Hayne. and record the fallacy of the
contention of Senators Hopkins and
Knox as 1t has recorded the fallacv Of
the contention Of Chlef~Justice Taney
and his associates of the Supreme court
IN the Dred Scott decision.
AS four o'clock arrived, whom, by
agreement, the voting was To begin,
Senator Hopkins offered his amendment
to the committee resolution, inserting
the words ''two-thirds of the Senators
present concuTring therein, and 1t was
adopted Under the amendment n two
thirds vote became necessary TO carry