Show COMMITTEE LISTENS o TO B ENSE of Idaho the First Witness for Reed Smoot I Ie e Nothing r t e Case Was Brought KO i resent and rook look a Hand in the Proceedings S Special 1 to T The W 1 M j ASHINGTON 13 c Jan Ja 1 11 I V Senator m de a a poor start in his eCey by putting McConnell to the front frent McConnel thought I It upon him to devote mUM of hii kIt to u attacks tack upon SenatOr Dub Dubok ad adhe and he be tOok Irly early opportunity to re reed wit with much parde parade a a lett letter r he from last fAi fall declining to mt meet him himin in joint debate th the pret pit point of l the h l letter ter bing being a Du I hem regarded th the Moro Mormon people Senators Dui asked Pop Un Lire if the leter letter was n not a p ke I leU r McConnell Conn l answering tl I It was as personal The was given giyen strict ro by Burrows and Attorney ray Ic arid and Senator Knox a a new member of the committee also In asking him searching qU McConnell devoted mu much h time to Du bois political history in Idaho making emphatic by mann manner and t tone n the Cac fact that D bok ns has b been en a Republican Silver Republican and Democrat Mc Cornels bearing and testimony ap apparent parent created an unfavorable inn Im pT sion which the smoothness of Rep French who followed him di not entirely overcome Frenchs testimony was to the effect that the Mann C church toe does not i In in Idaho polities He a asserted that thal tire the Idaho Domorat Democrats wih with re the exception of the leaders did nt not like Uke dd the the plank in thou their In hug polygamy They did not beleve believe their leaders were vere sinner sinners and depre string stirring up a agitation laton The Democratic in Idah Idaho he sid said directed d b by the leader leaders i is to en deavor to work up public sentiment s so as to affect the senatorial contes contest In 1906 wh when n it is pr presumed umed Du bois bols m b be a candidate for reelection Fr nc wa was by Bur Burrows Burrows rows an and admitted that if he should pro prosecute eute in th the courte any polygamy ourt a eases ture as it might affect h his political for forture The attendance upon hearing was large Te The senators wh who attended senator attene were Burro Burrows Petus Pettus Dubois Over Overman man McComas and Knor Kno KnoTE TE I IN D DETAIL A McConnel of Idaho the Principal Witness V inon Jan In Int t l d to to prota pi te oon mr mor ale l is of te et type ad and t to the word of witnesses who have de the contrary to be truE true was of offered by counsel for tor Senator Smoot to tody today dy day W IV J McConnell former formerly a United States senator from Idaho and twice governor of hIs sLate and Burton L French a a member o of the present congress and reelected for another term were the days wit witnesses ne nesses se I It Was the opening Sion session of the de defens defense fens In the Smoot Sea Sen Senator ator Knox a new lember of the corn com mite i attended for the first time The committee room was crowded There JI is isa a sentiment in the committee in favO favor of pressing the Investigation to a con and wih with that end in view I it was announced that begInning beginning tomor tomorrow row r ow longer sessions would be held Both witnesses toda today denied many statements dIrected against the Mor Mormon Mormon mon church and is its alleged interference ence in political affairs Former Gov Governor Governor McConnell saId that the Gentile members of the Idaho member legislature have hae nd nOt as high moral morals as Ul the Mormon members and that if it were not for questions o of geography and knowledge of legislative needs the Interests ot of the state would be better ne by an en entire tre tire Morron Mormon legisLature McConnell McConnen the First Witness William J 3 McConnell or of northern I Idaho was the frt first witness called The Thi examInation was conducted by Walde Waldemar alde mar ot of Salt Lake who is 16 as associated with ith A S Worthington ot 01 rr r as counsel for Senator r moot Mr 1 McConnell kb C occupation as 56 toner former merchant baI halt t politician ad and low lawer er for Ills his frends friends He wa was a senator of the i congress and was govenor governor of Idaho S from 1893 to 1896 twi su terms He Ee Is a member of o C the Presbyterian church The S was asked to tha political cn con and took up early da days when he sid said he had lobbed lobbied before the legis legisla legislature la lature ture wb when n the first effort was made mad a to disfranchise the Mormons Praise for the Morons Mormons He declared that he was a against Mormons but that lie he found bum t that most of the Gentes Gentiles were lag the science which bICh In our countr Is caled called poker He said lie be had never neve r known Mormons to gamble and nd drink He followed this wih with a re review review view of his acquaintance with Mor 10 mona mons during the agitation again against the th e religion in Idaho He assisted in bring bringing bringing ing about the repeal of the test oath oat II or of and afterward went wen t among the Mormons on a a lecture tour toni r rHe He had observed the people he saId sak I and their morals were of a high higi i praiseworthy character Knox Asks a Question Senator Knox Knox aked asked counsel to in inform inform form him as to what of the c cs the examination ot of we 5 Mr Worthington said he h a awas was unable to answer i but that a great mass ot o I testimony was admitted f ir the pro pre protestants to which objection had been bee l made and overruled He said the tet I mony ot of Mr McConnell wa was in reply to this and particularly t tp that of c cCharles r Chales Charles I H Jackson chairman of the Ui Ic Idaho Idano Democratic committee ommittee who 0 testified that no candidate for 5 Democratic tc or Republican could stand stan against the Mormon ormon church The wi wit I Iness ness wa was aked asked concerning causes or If orthe the Mormon oron vote being cast for Good Gooc GoodIng I Ing in his canvass for the governorship p and said he was vas surprised that any an y Mormon should should vote the Ic ticket He gave as one rason mason that he t ne had challenged Senator Dubois to nea a debate ad and received on an answer r declining te the invitation on the gound d tat that Iho cc could uld not afford time to di be bate wit with anyone who ho a a date for office In tep party which err defending crIminal he the Moron Mormons to be H H submitted M ll l ed o Senater Dubis D leter letter Was Va tat that letter to yoU 7 ake a Senator Jb I It wa was an answer to my Ui I I t was nt not mke marked p al Wel Well aU all rIghtS T st tm to t o reply and stepped dis I Imi mi m fD tb the subject Senator to poli i 1 pE C al an wb te the d le to say y that Democrats I f their heir t party tt the electo P resident Clen tb the s senator he t witness to confine himself to 1 it q of b tb the Mons Mormons i t i In p t e Mr McConnell rj p osted a number o of ra reasons ns Why t 1 D party wa wan boycotted lu h luhe the he t Morn Mormon church hurh saying that on tine the he t cau causes was as that hat Sen n Dubis D ct called the Abstract of os Voto Vote An abstract the result rf e ehe the he t vote In Monn Mormon sin an c te tt last six Ix years v p resented by the witness tn ss This Thi s tract showe showed je Kerl general increase In t r h h R vote i in bUt both the Mon Monand iu iund and a nd ant counties p ladies t Ii s aid id the witness that th the m I hd had n not t been due to the in ri il of th the Moron Mormon church Mr Ir McConnell sd said the Mormons a aIn an In I n the minority In each ch of the pellet arties and in the and t tu p an th sin t the the he t Mormons I In Idaho do riot g I e they want On t this i uh j he rd reed an opinion which he l c c al as hii hi own view th there here t is no support 1 y b by the church for the p ar affairs The opinion wa l ong amet in defense n the he t church hurh ana th the charge harge that tl ti Mormon M ormon church leen leaders would sk seek t cn c political allaire Not as to Siver Silver The opinion d dealt a alsO with ih bm Us 11 am and stor Senator COS stop stopped the reding r to Inui Inquire i if th the iu it d omed the opinion given the dore opinio on t suh un jt of sliver Mr r McConnell r ruel Pie D uel that he d did nt not You ron have been en akE asked to give you ge own wn o opinion on the Mormon sk s aid the senator Mr Worthington said Id that the 1 tw q were Intermingled and wit tit n ose ade added Ut that b he only t i the he t Quein Senator Pet Pettus bd bad wr wit r ten t en the t Was a a Dubois Interview I It is a an Interview with t DuboIs Dubols published in th the Sat Salt Lake Tri Tribune Tribune bune In Ney y said the witness A speech of Sentor Senator Dubis Dubois made madr t ti the he t o on Feb 4 on OD the luh sub jet j or of was a ordered J t In t the e record after son som controversy Th The sto senator sid said 11 hr would like Uke to have J It go i In because garbled accounts of thi this speech hat had be been n used 11 lit tB tire campaign The defense cloe closed it It examination with a a statement front the witness that h he did no not kw know of ay any polygamous marriages ag among Morn Mormons since the manifesto Corrected Bin Ris Testimony rr fr Tayler attorney for te the pro protestant t drew front the witness that he lived a distance from the Moron Mormon settlement equal in time fro from Wash ingon i Li D C to Omah Omaha Neb Ou cross examination the winess witness correctEd his statement in regard to te the poker playing Gentle Gentiles that i it was vas confined to the members of the legisla tune ture and not to the people I In response to questions the witness sad said that that ex en except for the meter matter ot of geography ad and knowledge ot of legislative nees needs he would b be willing that the whole ture should be composed ot of YOon Mormons Defene Defense of In defense of the Mormons Mr Mc McConnel McConnell Connel Connell said he considered the ma man who tok took a plural wie wife ad and cared for or her and her children tar far better than thau one who sustained Illicit relations wih with a woma woman and abandoned her and her children to the sorn scorn of te the world Mr lr Tayler questioned te the witness closely in regard to the political dis distinction he drew but he decLared d that that office were not allowed to hold held Do you know Wila William Budge Mr Tayler asked asked Ye Yes sir sirIs sirIs Is he be a polygamist 1 The wite witness said h be W a d tat that Budge wa waz a ad and that that he be had held office and a as governor or of Idaho Mr lr McConnell he had bad McConnel sd ap appointed pointed Budge a a regent of oC te tire statE state university Questioned by Dubo i At the request or of Sentor Senator Dubo Dubois tIe the wite witness read the Nonon Mormon plak plank i in th tins Idaho platon platform He was BS asked it If that had plak plank not been for the lo loss of ever every Mor Mormon Mormon mon vote but te the wines asserted the th influence or of this plank had not net been a as potent as the statement of D nals Dubols bols that aU all Mormon Mormons were When questioned further on this subject be admitted he h had herd heard the threat of Morons Mormons tat that If I te the plak plank were ivere adopted tere there woul not Dot be a Mormon ticket vote cst cast to for te the Demorato Democratic Afternoon Session Session At t the afternoon session Mr i MeCon nel nell agin again ws was cled called to the sad and ani Mr Worthington aked asked a challenge that had been made b by Mr Borah an attorney of Bois Boise City Ida to Dubis Dubois The Th winess witness had bad obtained this chalen e b by telegraph toda today in orde order to get it il Iii it its form He rd road the challenge which h was that I if Senator Dubi Dubois would point out a a single Moron who 1 bad taken d plural wIfe since the the mito he Mr Borah Borab would prosecute Ich inch a case as Mr Borah Borah sId said he was was still waiting tJ t thear hear fm front Senator Dubis Dubois The winess witness sid said that when Idaho wa was admitted as a state i it ws was tact tacit tacitly ly understood th that woud be permitted to continue W to lve live wih with plural wives and and increase their barn les lies He sid said It wa ivan not the under understanding standing that that the political right tights of be abridged but butI I 1 C CentI ud e o on Pae Faze i SENATE I liSTENS TO T DEFENSE from Page 1 that he did hot know of any uny pl polygamists ba mists holding office At the time lie appointed Mr Budge a regent of t the e university he did not know his hIn iD an was a polygamist Mr Tayler tead n a list of polygamists submitted to lr Borah by byC byC C M Owen n response to a challenge to Senator Dubois and 11 MT McConnell said he had hod SUCU the list and knew most or of the men and was surprised at atthe atthe the list o of names Mr McConnell had bad no of the aires ot of Mr Budge French on the tho Stand Burton L z ench or of Idaho a member ot of the CO gress declared that the charge that former Governor Morrison n abed or of re nomination because or of Mormon church opposition was grossly He dented denied that thE Mormon church used undue Influence In Idaho political and said the Issue never was os raised In Idaho until 1904 Then said the witness I It was raised because the thc knew that Idaho believed In the itU l ministration of Roosevelt slId that the State could not be carried on national Issues |