Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-21
DECIDED on THE EVIDENCE.

InStnceflty ana ulSnongttN are pun
characteristics OF the strenuous efforts
that are being made from time to time
10 convince the people here that the
Senators who upheld the Constitution
OF the Republic against the misguided
protestants in the case of senator
smoot. did so as partisan tools, and
not because of their honest conviction
that their decision was in fun accord
with the evidence presented. What is
the true reason for these repeated at
lacks upon the United states Senate?
1t has been asserted that Senator
Beverage injected into the case a
false issue" one that was not in the
record at all, when he stated that the
Senator from Utah. in public opinion
had been depicted as a law breaker.
And yet, that complaint was made by
\ clergyman before the Senate commit
tee. and was on record. and thousands
R names to the protest We're secured
on the false allegation to which Sena-
Tor Beveridge alluded.
Again. 1t has been asserted that Sem
ntor Knox had no other reason for the
stand he took than his willingness to
let 1.-THE sleeping dog lie.' Senator
Hopkins also is similarly misquoted
md misrepresented. Isolated sentences
from the arguments made by these SEN
itors are quoted and distorted, and con-
clusions are based on them that are en-
tirely Irrelevant.
For instance, Senator Hopkins is rep
resented as having had no other con-
ali i'm i,fS hot tl,a t.,
undergoing a change, and that Senator
Bmoot is the representative of the bet
ter Mormonism." Undoubtedly the
change to which the Senator referred,
dating from the issuance of the Mani
'esto, was the one the Senator had in
mind, but that was neither the prln-
cipal nor the only deciding factor In
the stand he took.
He proved, in the first place, that "a
state cannot add any qualifications
other than those prescribed by tho Con-
stitution,' when considering candi-
late for the Senate, and that the sem
ito is limited to an investigation as to
The qualifications prescribed by that in
strument of human liberty. Senator
Hopkins said:
The theory of the fathers OF the
Constitution was that the Legislators of
the state, who are directly amenable to
the people of the state, would elect fit
men to represent such state In the Sem
ate of the United States. 1t was not
supposed by the trainers of that great
instrument that the Senate OF the
United Statets would sit as n court of
inquiry or an inquisition TO lnvesti-
gate the career and character of any
man whom state might see flt to hon
>r with a seat in this body.
lit was left by the Constitution of
!, 'le United States to each state to deter
mine the character OF the men whom
they would prefer to represent them az
United States senators. | am we'll
sware, Mr.. President, that there have
been different views expressed on this
question by senators in the discussion
of the eligibility of senators who have
applied here for admission to n seat In
this body; but / make the assertion,
after a careful study of the cases that
have been considered by the Senate
from the adoption of the Constitution
of the United States to the present
time. that no senator has ever been de-
MED a seat in the Senate of the United
States because of any lapse In his
career prior to his being selected by
mis- state as such senator
That in itself was a sufficient reason
Tor the stand Senator Hopkins took.
But It was not the only one. The Sem
ator. further, stated emphntically that
he dssented, in toto, from the conclu-
slons OF Senator Burrows regarding the
alleged influence of the Church upon
the temporal AFFAIRS of the people of
Utah. lie went into this part of the
question thoroughly. He stated the OBJ
jections of the protestants. and then
said;
81 shall undertake. Mr. President be-
fore / close my remarks. 20 show that
not one of the propositions is supported
either in law or in fact and that the
professionals, whose mouthpieco the
senior senator from Michigan INF, Bur
rowsl is upon the Moor Of the senate
have utterly failed to make good any
case against Reed Fmoot"
And this tho Senator did There is
he said, no testimony that can be
found within the covers OF the four vol
-umes of testimony that have here be-
fore me- which includes all OF the evil
dence which was heard before the
Committee on Privileges and Elections
that even tends TO support the alloga
ton so broadly made by the senators
who seek to expel Reed smoot from the
Senate Of the United States" From the
testimony he proved that there has
been an honest effort on the part OF the
Monnons 20 live up TO the laws Of the
land and i've up to that Manifesto is
sued by the head of the Church sucl
wero the reasons for the decision rem
dored by the Senate. II was based
on the most careful consideration Of
the evidence. There ia not srnulu
OF truth IN the allegation that It wa
rendered ln obedience 90 % mandate
Nor was II q partisan decision, II wal
a case decided ON IT'S merits. IT ought
therefore, to have ended an strife IL
Utah = ought to have cleared the wa!
Tor tho union ana cooperation OF al
citizens here IN the interest Of the up
building Of the city and the state,
CARNEGIE, RIGHT AND WRONG.