Show FilED AGAINST SMob 1 I I II I Formidable Array of Papers i Being Received i i BURROWS MAIL GROWING I f Chairman of Senate Committee Has Utahns Case in Hand i Michigan Senator However Cannot Bo Smoked Out and Declines V to Talk Upon Subject TRIBUNE BUREAU in Postal Telegraph Bldg > Washington D C May 31 1003 i Senator Burrows of Michigan chnlr man of the Senate Committee on Privileges Privi-leges and Elections Is at the capital The protests against the eating of Reed Smoot In the Senate were referred to Senator Burrowss committee and he Is destined to play a prominent part In the case Since the Senate adjourned ad-journed Jie has continued to receive many resolutions and protests from conventions and organizations and It I appears probable that before fall he Tvlll lie In possession of a formidable array of papers to lay before the committee i com-mittee There was n lull In the recclpt of these protests a while ago but with the opening of many spring and isurn mor convocations and conventions Senator Sen-ator Burrowss mail has began to grow MICHICAXDER IS SILENT The Senator says he receives a great many personal letters on the subject but ho shows a disposition to keep the matter as quiet as possible nnd ro porters find It hard to obtain any Information I Infor-mation from him regarding any developments devel-opments In the fight of which he maybe I may-be cognizant Many efforts have been made to learn his personal sentiments for it Is realized that he Is In a position to wield a potential Influence for or I against Mr Smoot but these efforts have availed nothing Mr Burrows does I not propose to be smoked out as Senator Hanna put it last week WHAT COMMITTEE WILL DO He has been quoted as saying that as coon as the Senate meets again hIs committee will Investigate the charges made and give a full hearing to both sides It Is not believed that he said I even that much though Individual members of the committee have it is asserted promised as much As a mat I I tr of fact it Is too early to say what the committee will do no one can know positively about that until the committee commit-tee meets and votes on the subject and while Senator Burrows as chairman will hnve considerable Influence on the r decision arrived at he will have but one vote WHO COMPOSE COMMITTEE The other members of the committee are George F Hoar of Massachusetts Louis E McComas of Maryland Joseph 1 B Forakcr of Ohio Chauncey M De pew of New York Albert J Beverldgc oC Indiana William P Dlllln ham of I Vermont Edmund W Pcttus of Alabama Ala-bama Joseph C S Blackburn of Kentucky j Ken-tucky Fred T Dubols of Idaho Joseph I W Bailey of Texas Murphy J Foster of Louisiana and there Is one vacancy on the committee which lll be filled by appointment probably soon after I the session commences MIGHT PROVE HIS UNDOING Seven of the present members are Republicans and live ore Democrats I though this fact Is of small slgnlllcance i for It docs not seem likely that party politics will play a part in the fight There has been a disposition on the part of some who are inclined to favor Apostle SmooL to appeal to Republican Senators to stand by him on the ground that ho will vote for party measures If such effort is persisted In It may weaken Smoots position for it might align Democrats against him who with the aid of thu Republicans who will surely oppose him purely on tho grounds outlined in what Is known as t the Salt Lake protest would prove his undoing INCLINATION OF DEMOCRATS There Is evidence of more Inclination among Democrats than among Republicans Repub-licans to make tho Utah controversy a party matter The old story about an alleged deal between Republican party leaders and the Mormon church officials finds some credence among Democratic Senators and the thought Invites them to attack Smool whom they profess to believe Is the product In some manner of the supposed deal On the other hand there are Republican Senators who take a more or lets personal In terest lu tho antlSmoot or perhaps more properly the antiMormon aglta tatlon Some of that interest cropped out Jn the Statehood debate in the last Congress Senators Hoar Beverldgo and Depew who are on tho Committee I on Privileges and Elections asked pertinent per-tinent questions at that time which in I dicate quite clearly their predlspoal j tlon toward the Issues I involved I OPPOSED TO MORMONISM Then there arc many members representing I repre-senting constituencies just naturally I opposed to Mormonism is represented I by the priesthood Every time the sub I ject IB mentioned In their home district I dis-trict a flurry of denunciatory resolutions I resolu-tions follow Whatever their Individual views may be of the constitutional questions Involved however they may regard tho claim that Smoots success will mean the entering wodge for Mormon Mor-mon domination in many Western States when It comes to voting for or against Smoot these Senators aro bound to consider what effect the stand they take Is ultimately going to have on their own reelection DONT SPRING FROM FANATICS It Is Idle to say that the opposition to the practices of the high officials ot the Mormon church and It seems to be more in keeping with the facts to I cay that this fight Is I In opporltIon to the conduct of the leaders rather than against the great body of the Mormon people springs from fanatics und religious re-ligious IntolcrantE When the president of the church denounced the opposition as composed of liarb hypocrites nqoUndrclM Infernal I I hounds and goats In sheeps clothing he referred to the President of tho United States nnd to millions of men and women In this country and abroad 1 representing the highest types of respectability culture and enlightened civilization If any Influence In-fluence Is brought lo hear on Senators if the country demands action as It did In the Roberts ease tho call will come from such as these and not from ward politicians saloon and sporting classes or meaner elements MOST SENATORS RETICENT Fow if I any Senators have announced their views or tho stand they will take If any were willing to be quoted In the matter It Is more likely that they would speak for Mr Smoot than against him nt this time Senators representing State having Mormon voters ire readier than others to declare de-clare that they see nothing In the IssueH raised against him The fact docn not make a favorable impression among those asked to believe that the church exercises no political control over its members MAY VISIT SALT LAKE It would be interesting to look ahead and itee the outcome There Is a growing grow-ing footing that light might be obtained ob-tained on some of the disputed facts ban b-an investigation which Included either the production of the records of the Suit Lake Temple or a personal visit to that place by the committee of the Senate It is difficult to sec how anything any-thing less than this would be satisfactory satisfac-tory to those who claim that the secrets of the Temple have an Important bearIng bear-Ing on the case and If the church claims that the more its affairs aro looked Into tho more it Is benefited that the more It Is persecuted tho more it grows that every agitation means the conversion and saving of thousands of souls through belief in Its doctrines perhaps It 1 welcomes the prospects TO THROTTLE PRIESTHOOD Then look at the benefits to the great body of the Mormon people against whom not one word is uttered by those familiar with the rule of the priesthood priest-hood which Is the thing pought to be throttled If the investigation proves that the high priests obey the law and keep l the covenants made by them upon which Utah obtained Statehood all opposition will melt away and peace nettle down on the Waeatch S 5i < |