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Show COMMENT ON SMOOT CASE. Philadelphia Press: National policy and national law propose to suppress polygamy. polyga-my. If It can bo donq In no other way, a constitutional amendment will undoubtedly undoubted-ly pu.8. Tho Investigation thus fur by tho Senato commlttco has not ct proved Mr Reed Smoot's personal compllcltv with polygamy or a. coimplracy to nullify tho Federal statutes against plural marriage., but- tbo Inquiry steadily draws near this proof. The president of tho Mormon church Btlll practices polygamy. Neither M nor tho Mormon public disapproves ii6.-. Tniy Klor"' ln tL rho absolute prohibition pro-hibition of polygamy which It was supposed sup-posed would be secured when Utah was admlttiid has been evaded, Plural marriages, mar-riages, lt Ir asserted by President Smith, aro no longer practiced. If this Is true, tho vllo practice will In time disappear. But President Smith's testimony also, shows that while plural marriages may or may not bo practiced, the entire influence and authority of the priesthood aro exerted ex-erted In their favor, and that an "apostle" surrenders his will nn certain matters to a majority voto of his colleagues, and In particular thpso which relalo to Mormon practice. Tho Intent by tho organization of tho Mormon hlorarchy to form an oathbound conspiracy which could bo used to nullify Federal statu tea on polygamy Ih clear Whether this Intent Is nctuallv PnTjcd out. and whether It Includes Mr. Reed Smoot, Ik not yet established. This waits on evidence, a9 does tho I&suo whether plural marriages actuallv occur; but enough evidenco exists already to Justify the Investigation, to put Mr. Reed Smoot on his defense and leavo It an open question, with tho weight of testimony ngalnsit him, whother ho Is quallllcd to bo a Senator. New York Mall and Express: Though polygamous marriages may not now b. mado openly, they aro still contracted through "scallngH" 5n tho temples. Tho Mormons ovado tho law ns to new unions, and openly defy It as to the old. This they do becauso they have Intrenched, under the privileges of a State of tho Union, a hieratic government which has no loyalty whatcvor to the Union. The "holy covenants' cove-nants' aro too much for tho laws of tho land. Now York Herald: It will bo observed that most of tho testimony ollclted thus far has llttlo direct bearing upon Mr. Smoot, and that tho Investigation assumes as-sumes a much broader sweep. Theso significant sig-nificant facts, however, have been brought out during Mr. Smith's examination that Mr. Smoot has been In eloso social relations rela-tions with him, as well as administrative relations, the accused Senator being ono of "tho twelve, apostles;" that neither Smoot nor any other "apostlo" ever mado any objection to the polygamous llfo of tho Witness In Violation Of the law: nnil that Smoot had to get tho consent of Smith and of his assoclato "apostles" be-foro be-foro ho could go before tho Legislature to bo chosen as United States Senator. It Is to theso points tho alleged Interference of tho Mormon church ln politics and whether a Mormon Senator or Representative Represen-tative Is a freo agent that the commlt-teo commlt-teo s attention will be moBt keenly directed. di-rected. Ab tho Constitution makes each house of Congress Judge of tho qualifications qualifica-tions of Its own members, tho power of expulsion Is unquestioned; but whether Mr. Smoot shall stay or go Is of comparatively compara-tively llttlo Importance In comparison with tho broader and more vital questions brought tip by this Investigation. Cincinnati Commercial Tribune: Smoot denies that he Is plurally married. Can he, therefore, bo ousted from tho Senato because of a belief which ho does not put in practice? The question of Intent determines de-termines tho criminality of nn action, but It must bo an intent embodied In an action, ac-tion, and not merely kept ln the Innermost Inner-most recesses of tho human mind. Tho criminally inclined cannot be punished for merely Intending to burglarize a bank or tiro a barn, and can a Senator bo ousted oust-ed becauso ho morely believes In tho righteousness of polygamy, notwithstanding notwithstand-ing tho Constitution of his State and tho acts of Congress liavo declared polygamy to bo punishable as a felony? Undoubtedly Undoubt-edly that will bo tho dofenso mado and relied upon by Smoot. Whichever way It may bo decided tho question Is of deop Interest. In-terest. If decided adversely to Smoot it WOUld dlsnnallfv rJirh nnil tiwrv n.lh.un) of tho Mormon church from holding any offlco of trust or profit undor tho Constitution Consti-tution of tho United States, notwithstanding notwithstand-ing It might bo shown thnt ono marrlago had always been enough for him. and that ho had never perpetrated polygamy. Boston Globe: Docs Chief Apostlo Smith wrlto a letter homo from Washington Washing-ton each night to each of his live wives, or docs ho dictate ono 'letter and tell his typewriter to manifold It? Philadelphia North American: A strange feeno for tho twentieth century is that presented before tho Senato commlttco com-mlttco which is weighing tho right of Reed Smoot to a soat in the chamber. Tho patrlurch of tho Mormon church, a graybcard, calmly declares that for fourteen four-teen years he has deliberately broken tho laws of his State, and Justifies himself on grounds of duty. It cannot bo denied that thero is somothlng attractive ln his cour-nge. cour-nge. Confessing himself a lawbreaker, ho declares his readiness to suffer tho penal-' ties provided, and sturdily maintains that In his dedanco ho has fulfilled a higher obligation than obedience to tho statutes But ln splto of all this, in splto of his manly devotion to what he deems his duty, the conditions ho exposes aro re-pulslvo re-pulslvo to tho normal mind. No herolo de-llanco de-llanco can make him otherwise than grotesque, gro-tesque, or tho system he defends otherwise other-wise than abhorrent. But tho disclosures aro Important chiefly as bearing upon tho raso at trial tho eligibility of Reed Smoot, who was duly elected, to a seat In tho United States Senate. Against this man, It muet be understood, no accusation accusa-tion of unworthy conduct has been sustained. sus-tained. Tho somewhat violent aspersions of women's organizations do not alter tho facts that ho has never practiced polygamy, polyga-my, and In public and private llfo has been a citizen of exemplary ehnractor. Tho charge, therefore. Is not that ho Is personally unlit to hold the offlco of Senator, Sen-ator, but that tho system which ho represents, repre-sents, condones and defonds Is so radically radi-cally opposed to tho law and public pollcyt that his participation In tho making of laws would bo an absurdltv and a dangerous dan-gerous precedent. Mr. Smoot, while himself him-self Innocent of personal Infractions, stands for theso Illegal and subversive principles and virtually asks admission to the United States as a member of a law-defying body. a Clovoland Plain Dealer: It begins to lOOk as if President Smith nf thn Afnrmnn church belonged to tho class of witnesses that admits too much. Springfield Republican: Hero is an Informing In-forming bit from tho testimony of Mr. Smith, head of the Mormon church, concerning con-cerning polygamy: "I obey tho law so far as teaching la concerned. I have not said that I havo oboyed the law ln my practice." prac-tice." But. In fact, ho has not even oboyed tho law In his verbal teaching At private pri-vate Catherines slnco 1SS0 Mr. Smith re cording to a statement made at another point, has taught tho aanctlty of plural marriages. Ho refrains from teaching polygamy only ln public That Is, ha thinks ho docs. For, If teaching by ox-amnlo ox-amnlo Is the most powerful kind, then Mr Smith's unlawful cohabitation with five wives Ih a dally lesson to every man, woman wo-man and child ln Mormondom St. Paul Globo: Tho Senato has gono far afield from the caso of Senator Smoot It has almost forgotten him In following tho keen scent of the old, primitive trail It has oven lost temporarily Its horror of polygamy and Its place- as protector of tho family under tho spur of that compelling Instinct that has inspired tho heretic hunter, hunt-er, tho publlo persecutor In all ages slnco men began to live togethor and bo subject to somo form of common law Obviously tho only question presently paramount with the Senators in charge of this Inquiry In-quiry Is whethor a dovout Mormon regards re-gards the law 'of t);o land or tho mandate of his church a possessing tho higher sanction, and which of tho two he would obey If they were to impel him in contrary con-trary 'directions. This question, perhaps the sternest that can be set before anv human kouI, foes not nttnch to Mormon-sm Mormon-sm In ujiy pecular way. It has really no Inherent connection with that or any other form of church government, policy or doctrine. It has been nskd by those n authority ever since authority orectod' wolf upon 'tin austere bnt savage Individualism. Indi-vidualism. Life cnunot escape It, becauso U ect3 over against cnoli other tho two highest choices and asks the trembling being, be-ing, hovering between two eternities, with his soul's futpro ln tho balance, to mako his election. It Is the question that tho cavalier asked tho Puritan, and that tho Puritan tossed back to him on tho point of his 'pike; u 8 the question that temporal tempo-ral and spiritual authorities flung In each others' fnco for ten conturlnH; It Is tho question of the Roman empire, to tho trembling Christian; nay. It is the crux of ovory dim, religious lntitlnct slnco first tho Ideal of a God trembled Into shadowy being In tho soul of man. o Chicago Tribune: The caso of Senator Smoot has become extremely Interesting. Tho proceedings of tho commlttco which Ih Investigating him are read with more attention than all tho other Washington news. This Is peculiarly trim of the women, wo-men, who ordinarily caro nothing about tho right of a Senator to his Heat. Thcv have nn Intcnso hatred of polygamy, and do not bellovo tho plural wives of Utah aro telling tho truth when they sav they aro happy. American women nnil many men havo mado up their minds after rending rend-ing the. testimony of tho head of tho Mormon Mor-mon church that Senator Smoot, who Is an apostle ln that church, ought not to be allowed to remain In Congress. On tho wholo It la wiser to suspend Judgmont for a time. Additional evidenco will probably show whether Smoot has set his faco against polygamy In his church If ho has dono that he should bo welcomed by tho sentiment of tho country as a most effective recruit against polygamy. On the other hand, later evidenco may show that, although Srnoot himself Is the husband hus-band of but one wife, he has directly or indirectly approved of plural marriages among his friends and followers. In that caso ho should unquestionably bo cxpolled from tho Senato. cj i.J ,4,', express: Joscpn i bmlth seoms to havo been elected a husband hus-band by a plurality of five. i,iLaU o"r?.Ii,c,8.c9. C.alh. AaI" th0 church Mas a Snilth at Its head, and ho discourses Interestingly and under oath aboufrcvcla-tlon. aboufrcvcla-tlon. He says that a revelation may be followed or not, as ono is Inclined It Is evident that tho rovelatlon business Is a fast and looso affair. Tho revolatlon on-Joining on-Joining plural marrlago was obeyed in a spirit of resignation and alacrity. But the Inter revelation In 1800, canceling It. when tlJ0.udUPc.f,0Urco of revolatlon got wind of the Tucker-Edmunds law. has not been accepted with general pleasure. Tho Gentile Gen-tile world will bo surprised that the Mormon Mor-mon president looks upon revelation so lightly. But all must concede the convenience, con-venience, of tho system. If a prophet got a distasteful revelation, he waits till the tlckor grinds out another moro agrccablo "Im and then becomes obedient. Wo ftof m0 n'nlon l!mt tMO enlightenment that will follow theso disclosures will weaken tho Mormon hierarchy. It will not destroy tho church, but will take out of Its practico tho mystories and secret vays, and conform it moro to human reason rea-son and common sense. Washington Post: Senator Smoot Is not a polygamic, and deserves special eivdlt ofrHm,!r,IJ5 mU9i? t0 f0.,,cm' 1110 amplo or somo of his old associates. Jhft9?' V- J ',Nows: In the meantime, ?JSi haM lonei bcon spocted has boon mado very plain. Open Infraction of tho !nL i s , Polygamous marriage is prac-iSand,aud-a,cl0U8l' Justified ln Utah by eadcrs of publics opinion; and this deflanco lfl,n,or.td by th0 authorities on whom Is riS'U1?0 responsibility of enforcing tho afralrs a prclty serius condition of 9 rJ?n!t0 w,nor: Tho Importanco of this matter goes far beyond the personal In-n?S. In-n?S. ,ha ?lrr Sni00t may havo In ho 3-J? 3-J? ,1eal:, far beyond even tho interests inter-ests of tho church In which he Is a1 high ecclesiastical dignitary; It reaches Into lb2"d Vh0 vUal Principle behind tho citizenship of every man; and tho outcome out-come of tho investigation will either demonstrate tho right of a man to think as ho pleases, so long as his acts conform to tho law. or It will establish a precedent Uh7h ?h the r?llgious sentiments St tho majority may In tlmo bar tho minority minori-ty from representation ln tho halls of fiiS ; if 1 Vlr smoot can be ejected fiom his seat becauso he believes in tho ahc,tiy u a Practice prohibited by law-when law-when ho has obeyed the law-thon It follows fol-lows that tho samo rule may bo hereafter ?JttJdi0 a"y of religious thought u which tho majority of the peoplo object, Denver News. If harm comes to tho 5rSifc commonwealth which lies to tho westward of Colorado from its choice of ,1 aSmo,ot 'J9 onc of 1Ls representatives In .&li??atoho,r,csPonslblJ,ty wI" rest upon men llko President Smith of the Mormon and. 'e" ut of twelve of the u!sii.e8' ,wh0 Persist In the active practice prac-tice of polygamy despite the solemn p edge the State, which forbids men to live with EM VV0" M10"" 9uch wives wore married to them prior to tho manifesto of 3S30. Tho revelations in tho noun. unquestionably have aroused ovorvwhero nf2IIInE'i0f dlssust for Smith and those other leaders in tho Mormon church who adhere to a practico which Is revolting ln he eyes of civilized society. If Utah wants rrftSCM,pe,,,nJury .to U5 business interests from tho uncovering of such a scandal, let rt.Uh iIU,i,aws against cohabitation ?tuL 5!ural, w,vo President Smith and other church leaders who are breaking the law ought to bo proceeded against. Leadvlllo Herald-Democrat: But even if Kw?L Smoot, Senator-elect, belloves In theso things his right to hold office can- vPni. lVcsl oned s? lonS as ho does not violato the law A great many peoplo hold strange beliefs on many subjects mICo lt, carried Into practice would upset Ul? 20C al ."Jcr nnd violate tho laws. telnn?m "dr0ws' a collego professor. n, cs-tho removal of tho incurablv sick and weakly Infants. If ho were to carry out his belief ho would probably bo hanged as a murdered. But no ono questions ques-tions tho professor's right to hold to this bellof, which is a doctrlno quite common nmong many peoplo. Ho might even bo elected to tho United States Senate and tho questions would never bo raised But thero Is a certain class of narrow bigots iho arc anxious to raiso tho religious Issue Is-sue against Mr. Smoot. Ho Is a member of a church which believes In polygamy therefore ho should not bo allowed to hold office This is persecution, pure and slm-J0 slm-J0 contravenes the guaranteed right of the Individual. It Is an attempt to bring his religion Into contempt and ridicule. ridi-cule. Ho cannot bo brought beforo anv court. Judicial or legislative, to answer for his opinions in matters of religious belief so long as ho personally has not violated e law. Tho present attempt to keep him out ofl tho seat to whir-i, h ' "'!?. elected savors of an Intoloranco wldoly at variance with tho spirit of our institutions Anaconda Standard: Speaking of Smith's testimony, tho ex-llon. Brlgham I r. Roberts Rob-erts said n a sermon at Salt Lako yesterday yester-day that ho saw "tho linger of God taking this means of putting the truths of Mor-monism Mor-monism beforo tho whoio world." Amen' God moves in a mysterious wav his- wonders won-ders to perform, and the whoio world is dead onto tho truth at last |
