The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-08
TIE BUTT OF THE SENATE.

And so, our ApostIc.Scnator has sunk
to his proper level, as the scolT and butt
Of the United States Scnatc He is
ordered TO sit down. as a vain chat
tcrcr, u would-bc exposition who sim
ply exposes HIMSELF as Ounce His
' Mouth - in this city paradcs him rs
II giant who "dcfcnds the Senate tariff
bill. His fellowScuators, however,
iecr ut him as n windy blower who
was tackliug n job he didn't under.
stand. Senator Cummius had the cruelty
to explain that he thought ii a kindness
10 the bcfoggcd Senator from Utah to
order him into his seat, since Smoot
. had wandered so far aGcld in his at.
tempted explanation Of tarin schedules
that ii WIS an act of mercy 10 open an
avcnuc of escape for him. - Which was
conspicuously the height of contcmptu.
Gus scorn.
Smoot misses the man in tho White
House with the Big Stick moro, prob.
ably. than docs any other Senator
Time was when Smoot could rise AS fhe
champion of administration policies and
be listened 10 with patience and indul.
gcncc, at least, If not at any time with
respect, because he was understood 10
represent tho personal views Of Mr.
Roosevelt. But now he represents no.
body but his ecclesiastical polygamous
masters who sent him on his mission
to Washington And those polygamous
masters arc not as popular there as
they were. And go Smoot, standing
simply on his own personality as mir
sionary. is in sad case.
1t will be remembered that even
during The Roosevelt regime, the Scna
tors occasionally put Smoot on tho
Ounce block, as when Senator Kcan
grillcd him on the awkward and un-
prcccdcntcd form Of some bills Smoot
had introduced. But all the Senators
felt that they mustn t 90 too far with
the man who could call in the "big
stick for his defense; and Smoot was
let of cheap. But now the Senate finds
him an easy mark, defcnsclcss. weak.
and incompetent. and when he inter
fcrcs without sense or knowledge, he
gets awtully shubbcd.
The very best thing that Smoot could
do would be 10 resign his mission and
come home. lf his polygamous masters
had the heavenly inspiration they arc
credited with they would withdraw him
from his mission. But rs This is not
80 be expected; rs the public interest
docs not weight AS much as a feather
against the hierarchic interest, Smoot
Will probably he held at Washington,
no matter at what cost Of humiliation
and sclfrcSpcct. And as he has not the
initiative or independence of character
10 take for himself the next best step,
it is not likely that he Will take it;
that is, resign and come home
But why not! Is not Governor Spry
a faithful co-worker with The poIyg
amous hjcrarch? Did not Spry faith
fully carry out the compact with the
liquor men which the chief polygamous
hicraroh approved? Did he not do this
even 10 the eating of his own words
when he sent Il special message to the
Legislature urging the Importance and
absolute need Of liquor legislation, and
then vetoed liquor Legislation on the
ground that no liquor legislation was
needed; Could he not, therefore, be
depended on to appoint n successor to
Smoot that the polygamous hicrarch
would select? Why, then, should not
Smoot rcsignl Utah would then bo
for the Senators contempt and scorn,
and there could be many Il problem
solved thus that now appears insoluble.
1t would be the best thing that could
possibly happen for Utah.