Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-18
TRUE. NEVERTHELESS.

Tho opponents Of the Church who in
sist that the Senate decision in the
historic case against Senator Smoot did
not decide the issues involved. are
forced. in justification Of their stub
bornness. to hurl all kinds OF accuse
tons against the majority of the SEN
ate. But in so doing they only stutlfy
themselves And the most convincing
proof of their insincerity is this, that
81 the Senate decision had been favor
nble to the protestants, they would
have proclaimed that fact as incontest-
able proof of the truth of their accusa-
tions.
We are told that the minority OF
tine committee did not know anything
about the case at all The opposite
is the fact. Senators Foraker Bever-
idge. Dillingham;. Hopkins, and Knox
were well informed as to the facts IN
the case, and they were not blind to the
motives that prompted the protests.
How could they remain in ignorance
about the case after having listened
to and weighed the testimony on both
sides not forgetting the perjury of one
tators tell them all they knew, and q.
great deal more? If any members of
the committee. at the close of the
investigation, were not In a position
to Judge on the merits of the case, ii
must have been because they did not
attend the sessions and did not care to
read the published reports But that
cannot be said of the minority.
The minority report, which was adopt
ed by the Senate was actually the ma
1ority report, paradoXical though that
proposition may appear. 1t was also the
impartial report. 1t will be readily
admitted that the names OF Dubois and
Burrows cannot be counted on the list
of impartial members of the commit
tee as far as this case Is concerned.
Their names can, therefc-e. be elimln-
ated. There We're members of the
majority" who did not find time to
attend very regularly. A few illus
trations may be of interest. At the
meeting on Feb. 6, 1908, the following
members Of the committee were pres
ent: Burrows, Dillingham;. Hopkins,
and Pettus. The meeting adjourned
until the next day, and then the fol-
lowing appeared: Burrows, Dillingham;
Hopkins, Beveridgc, Depew, Knox, Pet
tus, and OverInan. Al the meeting the
following day, Senator's Burrows, Dill
linghanl. Hopkins, BeYeridge. Knox and
Ovorman put in an appearance. on
Feb. ., Burrows Dillingham;, Bever
idge. Hopkins, Knox, and overman
day to day. Many members Of the
technical majority of the committee
are noted for their absence from tho
meetings, while the minority show
their interest in the case by attending
the Investigation. They were better
qualified judges than the absentees
and the members who from tho first
sided With protestanta, and when the
names of such partial Investigators
and habitual absentees are eliminated,
the technical minority becomes tho ma
jority in fact.
But 1t is not necessary to bubble
about this. The fact is that the SEN
ate. With an overwhelming majority,
after having heard both sides, decided,
on the evidence presented, that the
protestants had no case against the
Church. The Senate decided that no
proof had been adduced in support OF
tho allegation that the Church inter-
feres in politics, And we beg the
citizens OF this state to remember this
indisputable fact. when corrupt pol
iticians appeal TO them for votes on
that false plea which has been proved
false before tho highest tribunal of the
Republic.